Museum of Science and Industry

Culture, Science and Advanced Technology in Paris and Toulouse

An Engaging Glimpse of France with Privileged Behind-the-Scenes Access

Dates: June 12 – 20, 2010
Cost: $3,790 for member adults (land only)
Additional pricing for children and single rooms available.

The Museum of Science and Industry is pleased to introduce Discoveries … Member Travel, educational journeys for members and their families that reflect the Museum’s mission, collections and exhibitions. Under the auspices of the Museum, you will gain unique perspectives and privileged access to both rarely seen and familiar places and encounter subject matter experts along the way. Priced to be accessible to a great number of our members, these journeys represent a tremendous value in small group specialty travel.

Whether encountering France for the first time or making a return visit, this journey—customized for Museum of Science and Industry members—offers unique perspectives on both historical and present-day French culture and advancements.

Discoveries begin in Paris, “The City of Light” and its premier museums, where you will be introduced to the Cité des Sciences et de L’Industrie, the French counterpart to our own Museum, on a private tour led by a museum historian. We will also visit the oldest science museum in Europe and see one of the original versions of Foucault’s pendulum. Additional Parisian discoveries include a behind-the-scenes visit to SNCF, the parent company of France’s TGF system of high-speed trains. You’ll hear from company engineers why the trains are the fastest in the world. And you’ll participate in an architecture tour that includes contemporary complexes like La Défense (pictured above).

We’ll also explore the Eiffel Tower as never before with a special access tour that includes the machinery rooms as well as an old military bunker under the structure. View Paris from the Tower’s “Technical Gallery,” which offers a spectacular view!

There is no Paris without the arts and culture and there will be plenty of both on this tour! An exclusive tour at the Chateau Versailles will include rooms rarely viewed by the public. Then we will journey to a privately owned chateau to learn about everyday life in a castle.

The next leg of the trip will take us to Toulouse, called the 5th most dynamic city in the world by Newsweek magazine in 2006. This city is both steeped in history and is also the home of France’s advanced technology and aerospace industries. Here we’ll gain privileged access to EADS-Aerospatiale, the European leader in aerospace and defense—and the parent company of Airbus. Escorted by a private guide, we will tour the factory and watch the jet assembly line. Our time in Toulouse will include the historic and cultural heritage of the city as well as the Cité de L’Espace that offers phenomenal interactive exhibitions, which simulate weightlessness and other aspects of space travel.

Lastly, we will discover the extraordinary story of the Canal du Midi, a 17th century engineering marvel that links the Mediterranean in the south to the Atlantic in the east, from the vantage point of a privately chartered barge. A treat for both culture and science lovers, these are only the highlights!

An itinerary with more details and pricing information will be available here soon.