Wekiva

We'll be in Paris the last few days of May this year. We're two families with 4 adults and 3 kids ranging in age from 13 to 16. Both families enjoy plants, gardens and strolling around. If you had several hours would you try to visit both or just focus on one and if so, which one? We'll have the Paris Museum Pass if that helps see things on the grounds of either.

Michael

The Jardin des plantes is a botanical garden with a small zoo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardin_des_Plantes
The jardin du Luxembourg is the French Senate's private garden open to the public. It has a water basin where one could sail small model boats. One could rent one to sail--I do not know if that is still possible. This garden is free. Parts of the Jardin des plantes has an admission fee.

KTtravel

I prefer the Jardin du Luxembourg - a lovely place to stroll.

Whathello

Jardin du Luxembourg is for old timers Jardin des planted is great for kids

kerouac

The Jardin des Plantes is excellent and is vast compared to the Luxembourg gardens. It also is home to the museum of natural history. One building is the fantastic Grand Galerie de l'Evolution and another building is the gallery of paleontology (dinosaur bones!). The tropical hothouse is also amazing.

kerouac

http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...rie-levolution

fuzzbucket

No question - Jardin des Plantes.
The zoo is "Victorian style" - cramped cages, sad animals. It's easy to skip this part, though, and there's lots more interesting stuff to see in the Grand Galerie.

Whathello

The zoo has been renewed. Animals are happier now.

Whathello

Renovated.

Ackislander

Luxembourg.

For young children:
Rental sailboats were still available last June.
Punch and Judy show
Carousel
Donkey rides
Playgrounds

For teens and Tweens:
Band concerts
Art museum
Watching boules (pétanque)
Watching other young people. There are large numbers of attractive and interestingly dressed pre-teens, teens, and post-teens hanging out. Only you know whether your kids would rather look at other kids or the Hall of Evolution. At 15 and 16, my choice would have been clear.

fuzzbucket

Thanks Whathello - haven't been for about a year, glad they made some changes.

Just wanted to add that Les Arenes de Lutece is near Le Jardin des Plantes, if anyone might be interested in seeing that.

tomboy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...rdens_in_Paris

stokebailey

Another vote for des Plantes. But they're both lovely.

kerouac

<i>Watching other young people. There are large numbers of attractive and interestingly dressed pre-teens, teens, and post-teens hanging out. Only you know whether your kids would rather look at other kids.</i>

What do you think the teens and tweens are actually ogling at the Jardin des Plantes, Akislander? If the main reason to go to a park is to excite their hormones, the Parc de la Villette far surpasses every other park in Paris in that department.

Wekiva

Thanks for all the great advice. Will review with the kids and make a decision.

Ackislander

Agree with fuzzbucket on les Arenes de Lutece, however heavily restored. Paris sort of all started around there, didn't it?

Kerouac, every time I try to get beyond the Bassin de Villette I get sidetracked. I shall have to persevere into the Parc itself.

For 20-something eye candy, the Jardin Villemon on the Canal St Martin seems to me hard to beat.

For eye candy in their 60's, 70's, and 80's, the Pace Vendome and its environs is as good as it gets.

No more sexist comments, though my comments so above apply to both genders. My comments are essentially anthropological, since attractiveness is defined by class, culture and residence, and I am interested in self presentation very broadly. I think it is really good for kids from one country to see how what is an absolute at home isn't necessarily hot overseas.

Japan is probably the great melting pot for fashion as local youth adopt and strangely adapt overseas cultures. There is a new book by David Marx on this, recently reviewed in the WSJ. But Japan is too far.

Kandace_York

We've only been to Jardin du Luxembourg, but our 13-year-old daughters LOVED it the most of anything we did in Paris, possibly even including the Eiffel Tower. They loved the openness of an urban park/garden, the ice cream stand, the tree-shaded paths, the "palace" on grounds, etc.

One really cool thing happened at the playground there (they think European playgrounds ROCK, by the way, and insisted on testing out every playground we passed since it was their "only chance to have a European childhood"). Our daughters don't speak French and had been feeling pretty left out, when they noticed a couple kids there speaking German. They have a working knowledge of German, so they started -- with tremendous shyness -- talking to the other kids. It became a friendly, laughing mosaic of English, French and German, but all the kids in the group were curious about each other, and we adults who were watching had to keep ourselves from beaming. Just too cool.

Yes, teens do people-watch, and most people have a need to communicate with others in some way, even when they're far from home.

Danna

The Alpine garden in the Jardin du Plante isn't open all the time but very cool indeed. You go through and then down into the garden with alpine plants from all over the globe.