Les visites insolites du CNRS

As part of the Science Festival, from Friday, October 2 to Monday, October 12, 2026, and following the success of the previous five editions, CNRS Provence et Corse is once again organizing the “Les visites insolites du CNRS” tours of its laboratories. These events are intended to be intimate, interactive and exceptional.

How can trees survive heat and a lack of water? What happens in a clean room before an instrument sets off to explore space? What does one feel when entering a room where sound almost completely disappears? What happens in a baby’s brain when they learn to walk and talk? How did a former military site become an underground laboratory for tracking gravitational waves?

These are just some of the questions that CNRS invites you to explore during an unusual laboratory visit.

This year, thirteen laboratories are opening their doors for eighteen unusual visits, offering the opportunity to explore the mysteries, techniques and innovations of numerous scientific disciplines:

ecology biology astrophysics particle physics neuroscience photonics acoustics oceanography economic sciences

How can you take part?

From Tuesday, August 25 to Sunday, September 20, 2026, visitors can try their luck by answering three questions related to the theme of their chosen visit. Winners will be selected at random from among those who answer correctly, to form groups of six to twelve people, depending on the visit.