Journey behind the scenes at CERN, all in one exhibition space. Discover the full scale and wonder of CERN’s monumental experiments. Find out what is happening at the Large Hadron Collider and listen to the people who built and now operate this extraordinary machine and its experiments.

Follow the path of the particles from a bottle of Hydrogen, through the network of accelerators and on to collision inside experiments. Microcosm tells the story of CERN through the tales of the people who work there.

Full-scale detectors

In Microcosm discover CERN’s giant particle detectors at their full scale. Then use a microscope to look at the tiny features that allow scientists to detect and study the fundamental particles that make up the world around us.

 

Inside the Large Hadron Collider

Take a selfie in the tunnel! Microcosm’s full-scale mock-up of a section of CERN’s biggest accelerator includes real pieces of equipment. Explore the technology challenges and find out how ingenious engineering 

 

All ages, all visitors

Microcosm includes exhibits with specially designed for visually-impaired visitors at 4 spots in the exhibition. Accompanying audio material can be downloaded via QR codes.  All French language videos are also subtitled.  All spaces are wheelchair accessible and mobile seating is available.
The exhibition welcomes visitors of all ages, although it is best enjoyed by 14+

 

 

Virtual Tour

Take a virtual tour inside Microcosm. We look forward to welcoming you in person.