Visit the Ile de Nantes district

Nantes boasts a number of unmissable and, above all, unusual districts. And one of them is the Ile de Nantes district.

A place dedicated to culture, innovation and creativity, where you’ll discover extraordinary machines straight from the imagination of inventors who have somehow managed to keep their childlike spirit and want everyone to benefit from it.

Young and old alike will discover an imaginary world created by a group of artists based in the old shipyards, with impressive mechanical creatures inspired by one of our greatest novelists with an overflowing imagination: Jules Verne. Hangar 32 brings together the history and different stages of the Ile de Nantes urban project, a place where you can live, work, study, experiment and, of course, visit.

How do I get to the Ile de Nantes district?

To get to Ile de Nantes, take tram line 1 and stop at Chantiers Navals station. Then head for the Anne de Bretagne bridge, which crosses over the Loire, before arriving at the site.

• Bus: Chronobus, line 5, stop at “Prairie au Duc”.
• By bike: Bicloo 43 “Machines de l’Île” station

Car parks near the Machines de l’île de Nantes

• Nantes Médiathèque car park – Quai de la fosse,
• Nantes Descartes car park – Rue Descartes,
• Parking Nantes Aristide Briand – Place A. Briand.

How to visit the Nantes machines?

Where can I see the Nantes machines? How can I enjoy the Grand Éléphant? What are the opening times of the Machines de l’île? We’ll answer all these questions and more.

The big elephant on the Ile de Nantes

At 12 metres high, you’ll have the chance to climb aboard this truly impressive machine, which will take you on a unique 30-minute ride through the Parc des Chantiers. The ride can accommodate up to 50 people, provided the weather is good enough!

The machinery gallery

This is where you can watch the machines being built in the workshop on the other side of the nave. The windows allow visitors to follow the various construction sites as they are built.

In the gallery, a machinist guides visitors and operates the machines, prototypes of creatures extraordinary in size and appearance: the heron tree, the giant heron, the giant spider on its web and the ant that wanders around the gallery. A few volunteers are allowed to climb on the machines – guaranteed to make an impression!

The Carrousel des Mondes Marins

You’ll find it on the banks of the Loire, a 3-storey carousel with 14 machines in the shape of marine animals: the giant crab, the giant squid, the manta ray, jellyfish, flying fish… The carousel on the Ile de Nantes is 25 metres high and 252 metres in diameter, an original and impressive attraction!

Ile de Nantes machine opening times

• 2pm to 6pm or 7pm in winter and autumn
• From 10 am to 6 pm, 7 pm or 8 pm in spring and summer.

See the calendar on the website.

Where can I buy tickets for the machines on the Ile de Nantes?

Tickets can be bought on site or online on the day, as places are limited.

Prices for each attraction:

• Full price €8.50
• Reduced rate €6.90 for disabled people aged 4-17, students, jobseekers with proof of current year’s entitlement
• Free for children under 4 and the accompanying adult of a disabled person.

The ambassador pass costs €38 per adult and €30 per child and is valid for one person only:

• Unlimited access to the Galerie and the Carrousel (no tour)
• 1 trip on the Grand Elephant
• 5% discount in the shop
• Valid for 1 year from date to date

The Quai des Antilles

From here you’ll have a lovely panoramic view of the city of Nantes. There are cafés with terraces and restaurants in the banana shed, perfect for a lunch break or a coffee…

La HAB Galerie

This gallery exhibits modern and contemporary art, with works produced on site in the form of video, sculpture, painting and installation. The bookshop-boutique offers a varied selection of books on art, architecture and comics, as well as unusual objects created by local artists.

The rings

Daniel Buren’s 18 rings will ensure that your photos are original and successful, with a great perspective. At night, the rings light up in red, green and blue.

We’re going to walk on the moon

On the banks of the Loire, in the Parc des Chantiers, you’ll find a rounded, silver-coloured promontory on the ground, revealing craters. Each of these craters conceals a trampoline on which children can jump and feel the sensation of weightlessness.

La Cantine du Voyage

A restaurant that also includes a bar, table football and a petanque pitch for relaxing. The canteen has its own vegetable garden, in which Lilian Bourgeat’s Invendus-Bottes is on display: 2 left feet 3 m high in size 2,000! Another work by the same artist is on display in the courtyard of Aethica’s head office: a huge tape measure showing that a simple tool is nonetheless essential to the realisation of every project. The location was not chosen at random, as the company based there is involved in property construction.

Ping-Pong Park

This is another permanent work. Laurent Perbos has had fun hijacking this games area by giving it unusual proportions and shapes. The sculptures can be used to play a game of table tennis with family and friends.