Top 10 museums to visit with children from 4 to 12 years old in Lille
If you’ve come this far, it’s because you’re looking for great museums to visit with your kids or simply a different activity to do with your kids! We’ve rounded up the 10 best kid-friendly museums in Lille for exploration and discovery for the whole family. These museums are full of new things to learn and exciting hands-on experiences!. It’s tested and approved, let’s go!
Find out in this article :
Kids-friendly museums in Lille
1- Le Musée des Écoles
What were schools like in their grandparents’ day? Visit the school museum to find out! This classroom of yesteryear is housed in the former Ruault-Récamier School, which was built in the 19th century.
During your visit, you will discover the typical classroom of the time with its objects and its furniture, it is a real time machine! Sit on benches, write with a pen on blotters, discover class photos from the 30s as well as the history of the place, … The atmosphere is very old school!
During 2 hours, the schoolmaster will make you discover with humor and tenderness the life of a class of yesteryear. A temporary exhibition will be presented to you and to end the animation on a good note, you will even taste an old school snack !
Top tips :
- An animation is organized the first Saturday of each month, from 2 to 4 pm. If you get 0 mistakes in your dictation, your entry fee is refunded. Participation is free for elementary school children.
So, will you be able to meet the challenge? 😜 - A special grandparent/grandchild animation takes place on the first Tuesday of each school vacation period, from 10am to 12pm.
Please note: The museum only has a Facebook page on which you will find all the information as well as the proposed program.
Reservations can be made by phone at 06 64 44 53 02 or by email at denier.ecole@free.fr
Address : 2 rue Frédéric Mottez, 59000 Lille
Opening hours : Only on Saturday from 2pm to 4pm
Prices : 2-3€ per person and free for children from 6 to 11 years old
Access : Metro line 2, station “Lille Grand Palais” or “Mairie de Lille
2- Le Musée d’Histoire Naturelle
The Natural History Museum was initially built around a zoological collection, which today includes 210,000 specimens, including 3,539 birds on display. No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you, 210,000 is the right amount ! ! Over time, the museum has grown and now offers 3 additional collections: geological, ethnographic (civilizations) and industrial objects.
Your children will love to discover the fauna that surrounds us: insects, skeletons and fossils. They will even be impressed to see birds up close! The museum’s archives are rich and varied, so keep your eyes open to not miss anything!
The museum provides discovery booklets for children aged 7 and up, which can be picked up free of charge at the reception desk. Visits and workshops to share with the family are offered during the school vacations and on weekends.
Discover their cultural agenda by clicking here.
Please note: The museum strongly advises to book your ticket online. The ticket is valid all day and the visit lasts about 1h30.
Good to know: The museum is free every first Sunday of the month, during the Night of the museums, during the Heritage Day and during the Science Festival.
Feeling hungry after your visit? Take a break at the Cabinet de Curiosité to taste delicious homemade cakes. It’s a very nice café-boutique run by the Sweet Flamingo team in Lille.
Address : 23 rue Gosselet, 59000 Lille
Opening hours : Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 am to 5 pm. Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Closed on Tuesday.
Prices :
- Excluding the exhibition: €3.80 per adult, €2.60 for 12-29 year olds. Free for children under 12 years old
- During the exhibition period: 5€ per adult, 3,50€ for 12-29 years old. Free for children under 12 years old.
Access: Metro line 1, “République Beaux-Arts” station or Metro line 2, “Mairie de Lille” station
3- Le palais des Beaux-Arts
The Palais des Beaux-Arts is a municipal museum of art and antiquities. It is one of the largest museums in France and the largest fine arts museum outside of Paris in terms of the number of works on display.
On the spot, you will have the opportunity to observe works, paintings, sculptures and 3D models on Prehistory and Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, … It’s a real journey through time for art lovers. Don’t forget to go to see the intriguing cat’s mummy !
The museum is also very kid-friendly as many workshops are offered. Every Sunday afternoon an animation and a visit-workshop are organized. There are sessions at 3pm and 4pm at the price of 7€ per adult, 4€ for 12-29 years old and free for under 12 years old.
Discover their cultural agenda by clicking here.
Please note: The museum strongly advises booking your ticket online, whether for a classic visit or a family workshop.
Address : Place de la République, 59000 Lille
Opening hours : Monday from 2pm to 6pm. Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Closed on Tuesday.
Prices : 7€ per adult, 4€ for 12-29 years old, free for children under 12.
Access : Metro line 2, “République Beaux-Arts” station
4- Le Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse
The Hospice Comtesse museum invites you to a journey through time to discover the history of Lille. Inside, you will discover an exhibition of paintings, period furniture and the hospital that Jeanne de Flandre founded in 1237.You will also see there the famous doll that was used to create the song “Ptit Quinquin” in the 50s, the same song that can hear every day from the Belfry of the Chamber of Commerce of Lille !
At the Hospice Comtesse museum, find discovery tours or 1h30 workshop tours to do with the family on Sundays. On Wednesdays, animated tours are offered to children from 6 to 12 years, with the program: investigations, treasure hunts, plastic workshop, …
For more information on the schedule, the price and the reservation, call 03 28 36 84 01 or by mail at mhc-reservations@mairie-lille.fr.
Discover their cultural agenda by clicking here.
Good to know : The museum will close in October, November and December 2022.
Address : 32 rue de la Monnaie, 59000 Lille
Opening hours : Monday from 2pm to 6pm. Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Closed on Tuesday.
Prices : 3,70€ per adult, 2,60€ for 12-25 years old and free for children under 12.
Access: Metro lines 1 and 2, “Gare Lille Flandres” station, Metro line 2, “Rihour” station
5- Le beffroi de l’Hôtel de Ville
Yes, this monument does not fit in the museum category, but its visit is a must if you are in Lille. The belfry of Lille is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it dominates the city from the top of its 104 meters. Once on top, you will enjoy a magnificent 360° view of Lille and its surroundings. Take the time to observe the Lys valley and even the Monts des Flandres when the weather is clear.
Note: In Lille, there are 2 belfries, but only the one of the City Hall is open to the public. The second belfry is the one we mentioned previously. The visit is not accessible to people with reduced mobility. The belfry is accessible only by reservation in the morning (10am, 11am, 12pm). Allow 40 minutes for the visit.
Address : Place Simon Vollant, 59000 Lille
Opening hours : Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5:30pm
Prices : 6€ for a visit in the morning. 7,50€ in the afternoon and free for children under 6 years old.
Access : Metro line 2, “Lille Grand Palais” or “Mairie de Lille” station
Kids-friendly museum close to Lille
6- Le forum des Sciences, Villeneuve d’Ascq
Come and discover Science as you have never seen it before at the Science Forum. Here, your children will experiment, observe, discover and learn while having fun. Temporary exhibitions deal with different topics such as the Earth’s climate, sports, sleep, … It’s a great way to make your children aware of the world around us playfully.
During your visit, don’t miss the Planetarium which invites you to dive into the universe. Observe the sky and marvel at more than 4000 stars. A fascinating and incredible animation to live with your family during 1h15, from 3 years old. To make the experience even more memorable, a nice musical background accompanies you during the whole session.
Discover also Enigma, a role-playing game where everyone takes the place of an investigator to solve an enigma related to social issues. Here we think, we search, we debate, we experiment and we put forward hypotheses. The session lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes and is accessible from 6 years old.
Please note: Reservations are strongly recommended by phone at 03 59 73 96 00. Access is free every first Sunday of the month.
Address : 1 place de l’Hôtel de Ville, 59650 Villeneuve d’Ascq
Opening hours : Tuesday to Sunday from 2pm to 6pm. Closed on Monday.
Rates : 6€ per adult, 3€ for children under 26, some exhibitions are free for children under 26.
Access : Metro line 1, “Villeneuve d’Ascq – Hôtel de Ville” station
7- Le Musée de la Piscine, Roubaix
No, don’t worry, you are not going to do a dive or a crawl! La Piscine is a museum of art and industry which presents collections dating from the 19th century. You can discover collections of applied arts and fine arts including fabrics, decorative arts, sculptures, paintings, ceramics, drawings, …
For the little anecdote, the place was indeed a swimming pool, inaugurated in 1932. It was the only Olympic swimming pool of Roubaix, strongly frequented by the working world. But, because of the fragility of its vault, the pool closed its doors in 1985. Then in 1994, the place is rehabilitated into a museum as you know it today.
To note: Access is free to the exhibitions and permanent collections every Friday from 6 to 8 pm and every first Sunday of the month.
After your visit, enjoy a little gourmet break at the Méert restaurant-tea room located at the exit. The home-made pastries are delicious!
Address : 23 rue de l’Espérance, 59100 Roubaix
Opening hours : Tuesday to Thursday from 11am to 6pm. Friday from 11am to 8pm. Saturday and Sunday from 1pm to 6pm. Closed on Monday.
Admission fees:
- During the exhibition period: 11€ per adult, 9€ for 18-26 year olds, free for children under 18
- Outside the exhibition period: 9€ per adult, 6€ for 18-26 year olds, free for under 18 year olds
Access: Metro line 2, “Gare Jean Lebas” station
8- Le Louvre-Lens, Lens
The Hauts-de-France also have their Louvre, and it is located in Lens, in the department of Pas-de-Calais to be precise.
The Louvre-Lens is located since 2012 in the former mining basin of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. More than 200 masterpieces are to be admired, spread over a space of 3000 m2. Through these exhibitions, rediscover the history of art, from the invention of writing in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC, to the industrial revolution of the 19th century. In short, a real journey through time awaits you!
Numerous visits and activities are offered to families, discover the program and prices right here.
Good to know : If you come by car, there are 2 free parking lots near the museum. If you travel by train, the Lens train station is served every day by several trains connecting Lens directly to Paris, Lille or Arras.
Address : 99 rue Paul Bert, 62300 Lens
Opening hours : Every day from 10am to 6pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
Rates : Free entrance for the gallery of time and the glass pavilion. The visit of the temporary exhibition galleries is 11€ for adults and free for children under 18.
9- Le Centre Historique Minier, Lewarde
The Historic Mining Center is classified as a Historic Monument and is part of the mining basin also classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit one of the first mining museums in Europe and relive the 3 centuries of coal mining in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. It’s so cool to see how miners used to work !
The museum offers guided tours, workshops and activities for the whole family. Discovery booklets are available free of charge and will help you discover the museum through an investigation, ready to play the detective ? . They are available at the reception desk in 6-10 and 11-14 years old versions.
Address : Fosse Delloye, rue d’Erchin, 59287 Lewarde
Opening hours : Every day from 9am to 5:30pm
Prices :
- For a complete visit (access to the site and exhibitions + guided tour + testimonial meeting): 14,30€ for an adult and 8,50€ for 5-18 years old. The family package (2 adults + 2 children) is 40,20€.
- For a discovery visit (access to the site and exhibitions + guided tour): 12.50€ for an adult and 6.70€ for 5-18 year olds. The family package is 33€.
10- Le Musée de Martine, Mouscron (Belgique)
The Martine Museum or the Marcel Marlier Center takes you to meet the author of the Martine books.
During your visit, discover a presentation of the life and works that made Marcel Marlier famous throughout the world. Continue with an exhibition of Martine’s albums revisited through themes dear to the artist such as nature, animals, hobbies, …
You will be led to manipulate objects and use new technologies. A large place is given to digital, audiovisual and multimedia, making the visit very immersive. The place has been designed to please children, but it is certain that the adults will dive back into childhood with nostalgia!
Address : 1 avenue des Seigneurs de Mouscron, 7700 Mouscron, Belgium
Opening hours : Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Saturday from 10h30 to 18h. Sunday from 14h to 18h. Closed on Monday.
Prices : 5€ per adult, 4,50€ for residents of Mouscron, 4€ for children up to 14 years old and free for children under 1 year old.
To find out how to get to the museum by transport or car, click here.
When you come back from your nice visit, challenge your children with 5 activities to do on their way back from the museum, to be discovered on our blog. Through fun games, they will use their memories and remember the discoveries they made.
Here are our top 10 kid-friendly museums to do in Lille and its surroundings. They have all been tested and validated by families of the metropolis, as well as by us, so go ahead and enjoy!
You want to complete your day/weekend in the region with a family activity? Discover our booklets “Milirue in Lille“! With our booklets, your children become mini-guides of the family and discover all the secrets of the city together. It’s fun, cultural and educational! Our booklets exist in Mini (4-7 years old) and Junior (8-12 years old) versions.
Milirue : who we are ?
At Milirue, we have an obsession, to offer you great family memories!
To do so, we have designed walks that will allow you to discover Lille, Paris, Lyon and Arras with your children, while having fun together! For each destination, you will find them in very well-made notebooks, which exist in Mini (4-7 years old) and Junior (8-12 years old) versions to adapt to the children’s ongoing learning. Vocabulary, level of reading and autonomy, complexity of the instructions and shared anecdotes, … everything is thought to transform them into mini-guides!
Bonne visite et à bientôt !
Clémence, fondatrice de Milirue
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