Travel Experiences for Kids: Visiting the Pompidou Centre

Visiting the Centre Pompidou in Paris with kids is a rewarding experience that combines education and entertainment. The Pompidou Center is renowned for its radical architecture and its modern and contemporary art collection. This article provides a guide for families planning to visit the Centre Pompidou with kids, including a prospective itinerary.

Is the Centre Pompidou a Good Place to Visit with Kids?

Absolutely! Out of all of Paris’ major museums, we found the Pompidou to be the most kid-friendly. For one thing, the art is funkier and more diverse than what we saw in the Louvre and Orsay Museum. Some of the art is even interactive, such as the “Le Jardin d’Hiver” piece by Jean DuBuffet, which is a cave you can walk around in. To keep them even more engaged we created a scavenger hunt for our visit. It was a great way to make sure we hit all the masterpieces.  Create your own or download one from our store.

Introduction to the Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou is located near the Marais neighborhood of Paris, and is easily accessible by walking or Uber from most points in Paris. The building is architecturally one of the most unique in Paris, with an “exoskeleton” design (meaning all of the pipes and other infrastructure is visible on the outside of the building).  The building is color-coded, with blue representing air flow, yellow for electricity, green for water pipes, and red for pedestrian flow (such as elevators and escalators).

The Centre Pompidou is open every day except Tuesdays from 11a to 9p. Due to renovations, the Pompidou Center will be completely closed at the end of 2025 until 2030! For specific hours and closures for the building in general and individual exhibits, check out the official Pompidou website: https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/visit/practical-information

Planning Your Visit to the Pompidou Center with Kids

• Purchase Your Timed Tickets in Advance: Lines to get into the Pompidou can be quite long, so save valuable time and energy by purchasing tickets ahead of time. The best days to visit are weekdays and earlier slots. We visited in July 2023 at 11am and the crowds were not bad at all. Sundays are free admission. As a result, it can get quite crowded. Tickets can be (and should be) purchased on the official Pompidou Center website: https://billetterie.centrepompidou.fr/
• Plan Your Visit: The Centre Pompidou is quite large, and touring it can be tiring for young (and older) legs. Identify key exhibitions or artworks you don't want to miss and plan a route that allows for breaks. To ensure you don’t miss some of the Pompidou’s best known works, consider making a scavenger hunt or downloading one in our store: https://eatplaysee.com/ols/products/pompidou-center-centre-pompidou-scavenger-hunt-for-kids

Prospective Itinerary for Visiting the Pompidou Center with Kids:

• Arrive 15 minutes before your ticket time: The entrance to the Pompidou Center is located on the west side of the building (look for the giant L-Shaped pipes coming out of the ground). If time allows, walk to the nearby Fontaine Stravinksy which has cool statues the kids will enjoy
• Enter the Museum and Head to The Top: After entering the museum, take the very cool escalators to the highest accessible level (Level 6 if there is a temporary exhibition, Level 5 if not). Enjoy the stunning views of Paris as you climb.  See if your children can identify any of Paris’ famous landmarks in the distance.
• Tour the Temporary Exhibition (Level 6, if applicable): When there is a temporary exhibition, they are oftentimes enjoyable for children.  When we visited in July 2023, there was an architecture exhibit with 3D models that the kids found very interesting.  Check the Pompidou Centre Website for current temporary exhibitions.
• Chagall, Mondrian, Kahlo, and Friends (Level 5): Level 5 is where you will find the Pompidou’s most famous masterpieces.  It is probably most fun to go exploring room to room and stumble upon the famous works.  Level 5 is manageable enough that you can go to every room without becoming exhausted. But you can also consult a map to find specific artists. If you need a breather, there is a very nice outdoor pool in the middle of Level 5 with great views of Paris.
• Installations and Interactive Art (Level 4):  Now that the paintings are out of the way, head to Level 4 for some visually pleasing installations such as Yaakov Agam’s “Salon Agam” and the very busy store of “Ben”.  Our kids enjoyed the artwork on Level 5, but probably enjoyed the interactive nature of the artwork on Level 4 even more.
• Grab a Bite to Eat: On Level 1 (elevated above the lobby on Level 0), there is the Cafe Le Central serving up coffee, snacks and sandwiches.  If that doesn’t suit your fancy, grab banana and nutella crepes for the kids and head elsewhere for lunch.  We went to L’as du Fallafel (Ace of Fallafel) in the nearby Marais neighborhood.

Conclusion

A trip to the Centre Pompidou with kids is an opportunity to expose them to the world of contemporary and modern art. Planning ahead is a great way to ensure that the entire family has a memorable and enjoyable visit. We found the Pompidou to be a fantastic addition to our Paris itinerary, and hope that you find the same.  Happy planning!