Housed in the historic Curie pavilion in Paris’s 5th arrondissement, the Curie Museum plunges you into the intriguing world of radioactivity and its medical applications. Located on the former campus of the Radium Institute, just steps from the Panthéon where Pierre and Marie Curie have laid since 1995, this museum is a living memorial to scientific discovery, preserving Marie Curie’s original lab and office.

Open Wednesday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., admission is free but regulated to ensure visitor comfort and safety. The museum closes on public holidays, during August and at Christmas. It is wheelchair-accessible via an elevator, and features a peaceful garden terrace, secure cloakroom, bookstore, and bilingual reception.

A typical visit lasts about 50 minutes and includes four thematic areas: the Nobel-winning Curie family, the radium discovery, early chemistry and biology of radioactivity, and radiotherapy. Original instruments, archival materials, and quirky radioactive artifacts (radium cosmetics, cigarette samples) offer a compelling glimpse into a time when radiation was an experimental playground. The preserved chemistry lab and office of Marie Curie (1914–1934) allow visitors to step back into the scientist's world.

Beyond its permanent exhibits, the museum hosts a vibrant cultural program—workshops, live performances, thematic tours—especially highlighting the Joliot‑Curie legacy. Monthly, the hands-on workshop “Measuring radioactivity” replicates a classic Pierre Curie experiment from well before 1960, using restored scientific instruments.

The atmosphere is scholarly yet intimate—no crowds, interactive displays, educational tools for families, and rich archival collections (over 5,500 photos and original manuscripts). The museum welcomes both science enthusiasts and families, offering an immersive journey into the life of Marie Curie, the first female professor at the Sorbonne. A fascinating detail: some of her original notes remain slightly radioactive due to residual contamination.

Practical tips: entry may be paused after 4:30 p.m., last admission at 4:50 p.m., groups (10+) by reservation, free cloakroom, no food or drink in exhibition rooms, visitors asked to silence mobile phones, no flash or selfie sticks allowed.