The Quai Branly museum makes the most of both the warm weather and its lovely garden, with a host of activities for all the family, loads of relaxation and some exciting late evening events…

It’s a big museum, and the fact that part of it is perched on pillars allows the garden to expand in almost every direction. This summer, you’ll be able to explore the place thoroughly with a wide variety of interesting events on offer.

– a sound trail by Eric Samakh, using sounds from nature in different ways. With two installations, the first uses sounds taken from “zones of silence”, and the second draws on field recordings from the museum’s collection.

– weekend workshops. Want to learn Argentinian tango? Afrogym ? Chinese board games? How to throw a boomerang? It’ s all possible! Tout est possible ! Plus d’informations here.

– family nature-drawing workshops. Learn how to draw natural subjects every weekend in June (3-6pm) and every day of the week in July and August (3-6pm).

– Sundays were made for the  electronic siesta, an idea that has been imported from balmy Toulouse in the southwest of France. Each wee, two DJs mix for an hour each between 4 and 6pm, helping you to chill out to the max. More info here.

– the storytelling garden, every weekend from 2-3pm, with tales explaining the mysterious links between men and plants.

– a ‘before’ for 18-30 year-olds, linked with the exhibition Les Séductions du palais (the seductions of the palate). For example, on Friday 6th July you can visit the exhibition until 11pm (last entry 9pm), taste dishes prepared by master chefs and wig out to the sounds of DJ No Breakfast! More info on their Facebook page here.

But that’s not all! The museum’s reading room opens up to the garden, allowing you to take a book into the garden with you, there’s a QR code trail by Gilles Clement to follow, a Venezuelan concert for the Fête de la Musique on 21st June… Phew! Loads of reasons to go down and take a look this summer!

The Quai Branly’s summer gardens (jardins d’été) (here) run until 2nd September 2012

Open every day except Mondays from 11am – 7pm (9pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays)

Entrance to the garden is free

Official site: www.quaibranly.fr

Facebook: facebook.com/museeduquaibranly

Twitter: twitter.com/quaibranly

The musée du Quai Branly on the Google Art Project: here

French readers can have a look at the PDF guide to the garden below. Click the fullscreen button below the image to save your eyes, or simply click here.