At the end of September CERN will open its doors to the world. Most of the site will be open access, with a large number of activities, workshops to explore and lectures to attend. For safety reasons, however, visits to underground areas will be limited in number. A reservation system to allocate tickets in batches has been set up, and demand has been so high that to have a place feels like finding a winning golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.
Although there is no lake of chocolate under the CERN laboratory, or an army of Oompa Loompas to care for the LHC, the underground experimental areas are truly amazing places. While the Open Days are for everyone, if you have other opportunities to visit the underground areas, please make use of them so that we can give as many members of the public their chance to to explore CERN's subterranean marvels.
Year-round, feel free to book a visit with the visits service. Though the LHC tunnel is not accessible, you can visit LHC experiments. Please note that visits to the underground areas are organized in groups of at least 8 people, and your are advised to book at least 3 months in advance.