Walking in the Jardin des Plantes

Wild animals, dinosaurs, and tropical greenhouses make the Paris botanical gardens a perfect family outing.

The Jardin des Plantes is a bit of a misnomer because this complex is actually full of animals. At the Ménagerie (1), the oldest zoo in the world, kids can get up close to flamingos, antelope, and ostriches. Perennial favorites are the wild cats, the monkey house, the spiders, and the snakes. Toddlers may want to visit the petting zoo; older kids might like the Microzoo, which offers a unique way to look at microscopic species. Back in the botanical garden, walk up the labyrinth (2), an old yew maze with a 250-year-old cedar tree at the bottom and a gazebo at the top; explore the steamy tropical greenhouses (3); and run around in the playground (4). Even a ride on the carousel (5) is unusual here – kids may choose to ride a dodo, a mammoth, or some other long-extinct species. Then head into the Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie Comparée (6) to compare animal skeletons. Next, check out the displays of germs and giant crystals in the Galerie de Mineralogie et Géologie (7). Crowning the gardens is the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution (8), the highlight of the complex. Start by viewing the giant whale skeleton and other marine créatures. Children love riding the glass elevator, which climbs up among flying birds, and the spectacularly lit parade of African species stepping out across the savanna. Then cross rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire to the Paris Mosque (9, 39 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire), where you can sit around low copper tables and tuck into sticky Middle Eastern pastries in the Moorish tearoom.

Metro Station : Gare d’Austerlitz (Line 5, 10), Place Monge (Line 7), Censier-Daubenton Line (7), Jussieu (Line 7, 10)