If you should chance to be wandering through the area and want to do a little sight-seeing, I recommend coming to CERN. To be blunt, there aren't that many other things I can recommend in Geneva, but CERN is still worth it and not just for the lack of competition. There are three ways to come:
1. Just show up at Entrance B. There is a reception building open from about 9 to 5 six days a week, which houses a free museum. You can learn about the history of CERN, the basics of particle physics, what puzzles remain and how CERN is working on them, how the LHC works, what experiments and detectors are involved, and about the phenomenal effort involved in gathering enough computing resources to handle all the data (the internet was to some extent invented here, and CERN is proud of it). You can also walk across the street to the Globe, which houses traveling exhibitions and other special events, and is also free.
2. You can book a tour. There are tours open for individuals on Wednesdays and Fridays, and groups can book tours in advance, although CERN recommends booking a group tour approximately two months in advance, more during peak tourist season. I have never actually taken such a tour; when I first arrived, I was given a much more practical introduction ("this is the cafeteria, and this is the users' office where you'll get your ID badge, and this is the building where you will work and attend most meetings, except for the ones clear on the other side of campus, and this is your desk"). Still, I know the tours visit a bit more of CERN than just the microcosm and the globe, and will include visits to experiments and accelerators depending on availability. I know because there are always groups peering through the windows at the back of the control room and trying to take pictures through the glass while I'm on shift.
3. You can try to find someone who works there to get you a day-pass and take you around the site. This is going to give you a very different picture, because like I said, we get a very practical
introduction to the lab.
Alternate title for post: What is that funny, Death-Star-esque globe thing? Is that the accelerator?
Nope, that's the globe of science and innovation, and a pretty convenient land-mark for the Meyrin - St. Genis-Pouilly area.
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