Visiting the Nantes Island district

Nantes boasts a number of unmissable and unique districts. One of them is the Nantes Island district.

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

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

How to get to the Nantes Island district?

To get to Nantes Island, you need to take tram line 1 and stop at "Chantiers Navals" station. Then head towards 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 station 43 "Machines de l'Île"

Parking near the Nantes Island machines

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

How to visit the Nantes machines?

Where to see the Nantes machines? How to enjoy the Great Elephant? What are the opening hours of the Machines of the Island? We'll answer all these questions and more.

The Great Elephant of Nantes Island

Standing 12 meters tall, you'll have the opportunity to board this truly impressive machine that will take you through the Chantiers Park for 30 minutes, a unique moment. 50 people can participate in the ride provided the weather is good enough!

The Machine Gallery

This is where you can observe the machines under construction, in the workshop located on the other side of the nave. The windows allow you to follow the different projects being carried out before visitors' eyes.

In the gallery, a machinist guides visitors and operates the machines, prototypes of extraordinary creatures both in size and appearance: the tree of herons, the giant heron, the giant spider on its web and the ant that wanders around the gallery. Some volunteers are allowed to ride the machines, guaranteed effect!

The Marine Worlds Carousel

You'll find it by the Loire, it's a 3-story carousel with 14 machines shaped like marine animals: the giant crab, the giant squid, the manta ray, jellyfish, flying fish... The Nantes Island carousel is 25 meters high and 252 meters in diameter, an original and impressive attraction!

Opening hours of the Nantes Island machines

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

See calendars on the website.

Prices, where to buy tickets for the Nantes Island machines?

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

Price for each attraction:

• Full price €8.50
• Reduced price €6.90 for people with disabilities/4-17 years old, students, job seekers with current year documentation
• Free for under 4s and the companion of a person with disabilities.

The ambassador pass at €38 per adult and €30 per child is personal and allows you to:

• Have unlimited access to the Gallery and Carousel (without ride)
• 1 ride on the Great Elephant
• 5% discount at the shop
• Valid for 1 year from date to date

The Quai des Antilles

From this location, you'll have a lovely panoramic view of the city of Nantes. There are cafés with terraces, restaurants in the banana warehouse very pleasant for a lunch break, or a coffee...

The HAB Gallery

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

The rings

The 18 rings by Daniel Buren guarantee original and successful photos with a beautiful perspective. At night, the rings light up in red, green and blue.

We're going to walk on the moon

By the Loire, in the Chantiers Park, there's a silver-colored rounded promontory at ground level revealing craters. Each of these craters hides a trampoline on which children can jump and feel a sensation of weightlessness.

La Cantine du Voyage

A restaurant that also includes a bar area, foosball, as well as a pétanque court for relaxation. The canteen has its own vegetable garden in which is displayed the work of Invendus-Bottes, by Lilian Bourgeat: 2 left feet 3m high in size 2000! Another work by this same artist is displayed in the courtyard of Aethica's headquarters: an immense tape measure that demonstrates that a simple tool is nevertheless essential to the realization of each project. This location wasn't chosen at random, the company based here deals with real estate construction.

Ping-Pong Park

This is another permanent artwork. Laurent Perbos had fun transforming this play area by giving it unusual proportions and shapes. These sculptures are usable, it's perfectly possible to play a game of ping-pong with family or friends on these sculptures.