Pays de la Loire Region

Located in Nantes, France, you’ll find Les Machines de L’île. We spent the morning and early afternoon at this interactive museum and it was an adventure in living architecture with major steampunk vibes! Mechanical sketches from Leonardo da Vinci’s personal collection are brought to life for visitors to see and experience up close. It is an educational experience that delights all ages.

Background

After leaving Le PouIiguen, we took a side trip on our way to our next Airbnb stay. Kevin’s itinerary research had revealed a truly unique museum that would capture the interest of both our engineer (Sophie) and our artist (Rachel). Les Machines de L’île definitely lived up to our expectations, and then some!

In the heart of Nantes, on the banks of the Loire River, lies a one-of-a-kind working museum of engineering. François Delaroziere and Pierre Orefice collaborated to create this unique exhibit. The designers decided to showcase the entire creative process for visitors. From the initial sketches to the final working machines, visitors can see how each design was created. Gears and mechanisms are on full display and the machinists that work on them are on hand to demonstrate and even help visitors interact with many of the machines.

New creatures and structures are still under construction. Each new design, painstakingly created, adds to the already mind-boggling display that feels both new and old at the same time. Several different areas are featured in this fabulous location at the city’s old shipyards. You can experience La Galerie des Machines (a living workshop), Carrousel des Mondes Marins, and Le Grand Eléphant. Each attraction can be purchased separately or bundled at a single price.

La Galerie des Machines

The museum is a work in progress. While many exhibits are open and available for learning and interaction, there are always new projects being conceived and constructed. The current huge assignment is to create a large Heron tree with creatures inside it. The creature machines we experienced will be recreated in the giant tree. This means that if we visit again in several years, the experience might be completely different.

We joined the tour and found that, even though the presenters were speaking French, we could understand most vital parts of what they were explaining because they were demonstrating at the same time. The most exciting part of this whole experience was the chance to interact and control many of the creatures we encountered. The machinists, who were teaching us about each creation, were also on hand to instruct visitors on how they functioned.

We didn’t let the language barrier keep us from asking questions and participating. We found the machinists to be very patient, friendly, and accommodating. All three girls and I participated in a mating dance between birds by moving levers to control wings and head movement. (The machinists that helped us with this even spoke a little English and were translating the story for us while instructing us on how to correctly conduct the birds in their dance.) Rachel rode in one of two baskets held by a giant heron as two machinists controlled the movement of the head and wings, guiding the heron up and into the air where she “flew” right over top of us. Sophie took center stage and controlled the movement of a sloth all by herself under the patient and helpful guidance of a machinist.

Click on photo to enlarge and see descriptions.

While we didn’t participate, we also got to watch a giant caterpillar make his way across the space, guided by a young volunteer saddled in place like she was riding a horse. It moved its way along like an inchworm, folding itself up and then reaching forward and stretching itself out over and over again. A bit later, a giant spider emerged from its hiding space in the floor. This one was entirely controlled by the staff as each of its 8 enormous legs stretched out above the observers, methodically showing the intricate movements of each joint as the legs straightened before folding back up and disappearing again into its hiding place. We were also treated to a giant chameleon, reaching its long tongue out for an insect, and a colorful hummingbird, moving toward a flower and placing its long beak inside the tubed bloom to drink the nectar.

The final act happened when Ellie and Sophie, along with a few other volunteers, rode a giant ant through the display area. It was so cool to watch the movements and see how everything worked. Each of the moving sculptures were incredible displays of engineering, artistry, and creativity. We had such a wonderful time in this interactive museum and imagine returning one day to see what new experiences have been added.

Carrousel des Mondes Marins

Beyond the living workshop, there are many other things to see. We headed out across the courtyard and decided to take a ride on the impressive Marine Worlds Carousel, which lies on the shore of the Loire River. It is an artistic sculpture that pays homage to sea creatures in the style of centuries-old fairground art.

Rising 25 meters high and 22 meters in diameter, the carousel consists of three distinct levels for visitors to admire, interact with, and ride. The lowest level features 14 elements from the seabed, including the giant crab and the reverse propulsion squid. Level 2 displays the 6 elements of the abyss and includes deep sea lanternfish and a manta ray. Finally, level 3 exhibits elements (both real and fictional) found on the surface of the sea and visitors can ride a flying fish, a storm boat, or even a jellyfish. Children may ride accompanied by an adult and unsupervised access is offered to visitors over 13 years old. Level 2 may only be accessed by visitors over 4.5 ft tall due to the creatures being suspended 5 meters from the ground. We rode elements on the top level and found this to be a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

Le Grand Eléphant

We exited the Carousel just in time to watch Le Grand Eléphant make its way across the courtyard toward the Carousel. This 4-story tall architectural structure in motion was quite a sight to behold! Up to 50 passengers can board the elephant and take a ride while a machinist tells stories about its construction and features. We didn’t pay for ride tickets, but we loved having a front row view of this amazing piece of art! Just as it reached us, it gave a mighty blast from its trunk, spraying water on the delighted visitors, including a class of young students that were enjoying a field trip.

Fabulous Lunch Experience

After our adventures, we wanted to get a late lunch before leaving the area. Kevin had thoroughly researched the area to find a restaurant where we could get a hearty, healthy meal rather than a quick bite from a fast food location. We walked a few blocks (an easy 5 minute walk from the museum) to Dubble and arrived when they were wrapping up for the day (missing lunch time service was a recurring theme for us as we traveled the country). As a result, some of the simpler, more kid-friendly items we were hoping to select for the girls were no longer available. The adults were all excited about some of the options available but the Littles, Sophie in particular, struggled to find something they were willing to eat among the remaining items. One of the employees asked if she could help and we asked if they had any remaining sandwiches for the girls to eat. She informed us that they were all out so, reluctantly, we exited the restaurant.

Standing outside the front of the restaurant, Kevin began searching for an alternative on his phone. Just a few moments later, the manager came outside. She spoke minimal English but she pointed to a picture of a hot ham and cheese sandwich and asked if the girls would want that. They said yes so we went back inside where the sandwiches were made fresh for the Littles, despite being near closing and having been told just shortly before that they were unfortunately out of them. The girls got their sandwiches and big chocolate chip cookies. I got a salmon poke bowl with a cookie, Kevin had a chicken and sweet potato bowl with a special sauce and a cookie, and Ellie had a chicken and rice bowl with basil tomato vinaigrette and a berry tart. The food was sooo good and filling. I’d love to eat that way every day!

We’ve talked about this experience many times since that day. We are so thankful for the manager who went out of her way to help us when she noticed that we weren’t sure where else to go eat. This was just another example of the hospitality we experienced as we traveled throughout the country. If you’re interested in checking out all that Dubble has to offer, head to their website to check out their menu. Please note that it is all in French but there are plenty of pictures to help you navigate. Also, be aware that their menu is always changing to offer customers the freshest, in-season selections available. We will definitely be returning for more delicious food if we find ourselves in Nantes in the future.

Takeaway

This was NOT your typical museum visit! It was truly a wonderful learning experience with lots of opportunities for hands-on participation. Sophie is an aspiring engineer and was enthralled by the mechanical workings of the elements. Rachel, our artist, found inspiration in watching the way things moved and loved the artistic steampunk vibe of it all. We were able to get our questions answered and wander the exhibits at our own pace after the demonstrations.

While the workshop is housed indoors, many of the outdoor features are weather dependent so we recommend checking the forecast before making the trip if you want to have the full experience. Special events take place throughout the year and new exhibits are always being added. We would love to return to this museum (and Dubble) if our travels take us back to Nantes! We highly recommend this very uncommon day trip to La Galerie des Machines!