Jardin des Plantes

"First planted in 1635 as a medicinal herb garden by Guy de la Rousse, Louis XIII’s physician, these days Le Jardin des Plantes offers 69 sprawling acres of botanical gardens, scenic trails, and a natural history museum. The highlight, though, is a small zoo, which was founded in 1795, making it the second oldest in the world that’s still in existence (it’s outranked by Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Austria). Once home to animals from Versailles’ royal menagerie, the zoo is now known for its unusual, exotic (and often endangered) species."

"The French do formal well, and when it comes to their green spaces, visitors benefit from all the formality. Paris’ royal Jardin des Plantes, the immaculately manicured botanical garden on the Left Bank, is a great example of this. Originally designed in 1635 by Guy de la Brosse, Louis XIII’s doctor, the garden was planned with scientific exactness—and incidentally, that's what make it great for kids. (See: the Art Deco hot house to the enormous network of hollowed-out bushes, where Parisian tots love to hide, or the conical maze leading up a hill.) There's a little something for parents to appreciate, too: As the Parisian flâneur always needs to take a break, there’s no shortage of benches." - Daisy de Plume

"The Jardins des Plantes, or Botanical Gardens, is a popular park for families (members of all ages!) to visit. Not only are the trees and plants gorgeous to explore, but the garden is part of the National Museum of Natural History (Muséum Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle) so there are multiple exhibition spaces throughout, as well as a zoo. Built in 1898 for the World's Fair, the structure housing the Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie is also worth seeing for the historic architecture, and the kids will enjoy seeing the dinosaur skeletons inside!" - Melissa Liebling-Goldberg