The Machines de l’Île, mechanical giants

The Machines de l’Île are a complete one-off, created by François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice. Behind the initiative lies the will to breathe new life into the old naval shipyards, where giants of the sea such as merchant ships and liners first came into being.

A cultural project with no equals

Through these machines, though different from ships, the two men have perpetuated a certain type of know-how. Indeed, these machines that resemble animals are genuine feats of engineering, such that over the 15 years they have been here, they have become a real must-see in Nantes.

A mechanical zoo

During your visit to the Machines de l’Île, you go through three main areas. The first is “La Galerie des Machines” (the machine gallery) and is home to various mechanical animals, including the giant spider, a beetle and a swarm of butterflies.

The second, which is outdoors, focuses on a huge elephant. You can climb onto its back, 12 metres above the ground! You can also get inside it, where there is a lounge!

And there's also the sea world carousel, which is devoted to the creatures of the deep, the sea chasms and the sea surface. And all of this comes in real fairground style!

Finally, there's a workshop open to the public where you can learn about the colossal undertaking of the builders. On one of the terraces, you'll also be able to watch a documentary explaining the history of the whole project.