Futuroscope
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Parc du Futuroscope is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic and audio-visual techniques of the future. It has several 3D cinemas along with other attractions and shows, some of which are the only examples in the world.
It is located in the department of Vienne, 7 kilometres (5 miles) north of Poitiers, on the territory of the communes of Chasseneuil-du-Poitou and Jaunay-Clan.
There were 1.45 million visitors to the park in 2005. There have been a total of 31 million visitors since the park opened in 1987.
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[edit] History
- 1984 : 11 December, first stone placed by René Monory, president of the general council of Vienne and father of the project.
- 1988 : opening of the first Dynamique Cinéma - Monde des Enfants (the world of children) and the Showscan (the first part of the Pavillon de la Communication).
- 1989 : the Cinéma en Relief, the Cinéma 360° and the second part of the Pavillon de la Communication open, offering new spectacles to visitors.
- 1990 : opening of the Omnimax and the Gyrotour. Futuroscope produces its first film in 360° about the Tour de France.
- 1991 : inauguration of Cinéautomate in spring. The park receives its one-millionth visitor.
- 1993 : inauguration of Solido.
- 1994 : opening of Pavillon de la Vienne, a second Dynamique Cinéma and the Aquascope.
- 1996 : the IMAX 3D opens and presents Guillaumet, les Ailes du Courage (the Wings of Courage), a fiction in 3D by Jean-Jacques Annaud. The Showscan becomes the Cinéma Haute Résolution (High Resolution Cinema).
- 1997 : Futuroscope celebrates its 10th anniversary with a new evening spectacle , Le Lac aux Images (the Lake with Images). The Cinéautomate becomes Ciné-Jeu (Cinema Game) and Cyber Avenue opens up the Cyberworld to its visitors,. The Pavillon de la Communication presents a film produced by Futuroscope called Les Autoroutes de l’Information (The Motorways of Information).
- 1998 : Cyber Avenue expands with Cybermédia offering 1600 m² (17,000 sq ft) of multimedia, Internet and video games. Imagic opens, mixing image with illusion. The Dynamique Cinéma 2 becomes Astratour with a film discovering satellites, produced by Futuroscope.
- 1999 : opening of Images du Goût (Images of Taste) and The Workshop of Taste in the Pavillon du Futuroscope.
- 2000 : opening of the IMAX 3D simulator: Défi d’Atlantis (the Challenge of Atlantis). In June, the Gare TGV-Futuroscope (Futuroscope's TGV Station) opened with a walkway allowing visitors to reach the heart of the park directly from the station.
- 2001 : the inauguration of the new attractions : CyberWorld', OceanOasis, Superstition et Métropole Défi (Metropolis Challenge). On 18 April, Futuroscope welcomed its 25-millionth visitor.
- 2002 : opening of Destination Cosmos, a new evening spectacle conceived by Yves Pépin : Le Miroir d’Uranie (the Mirror of Uranie) and two new films : Sur les traces du Panda (on the Track of Pandas) and Plongeurs sans Limite (Divers Without Limits).
- 2003 : opening of the attraction La Cité du Numérique (the Digital City); 2 IMAX films: Space Station 3D and Percussions du Monde (Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey); 2 dynamique films: Les mélodies Aquatiques (Aquatic Melodies); and 2 new spectacles: Les Grandes Illusions (The Great Illusions), the Pavillon de la Créativité and an open air photograph exhibition.
- 2004 : the season begins with a festival of the best Imax films. Jacques Perrin produces an exclusive new film for Tapis Magique, Voyageurs du Ciel et de la Mer (Voyagers of Sky and Sea). Le Rêve d’Icare (The Dream of Icare) produces new sensations in the Imax cinema.
- 2005 : the arrival of many new attractions: Star du Futur ! (Star of the Future!); La Légende de l'Etalon Noir (The Legend of the Black Stallion) in the Kinémax; the dynamique film Péril sur Akryls (Danger on Akryls) in Dynamique 1 and Les Yeux Grands Fermés (Journey into the Dark). On the 27th April, the park welcomed its 30-millionth visitor, making it the second most visited theme park in France and the fifth in Europe.
- 2006 : a new 3D film opens in Imax 3D, le Seigneur du Ring (Adventures in Animation 3D). This year, the Park is themed as the Year of the Robots, by opening on 5th April with Dance with the Robots in the new House of the Robots. A new evening spectacle entitled the Forest of the Dreams also forms part of the theme.
Futuroscope employs 600 people, including 400 temporary staff.
Stages of the Tour de France cycle race have commenced and finished at the park several times since its opening.
[edit] Architecture
The pavillons of Futuroscope challenge the laws of architecture lead by architect Denis Laming.
- 1987 : Pavillon du Futuroscope, le Kinémax
- 1988 : le Cinéma Dynamique 1, le Pavillon de la Créativité
- 1989 : l'Omnimax
- 1990 : le 360°, la Gyrotour
- 1992 : le Tapis Magique, le Cinéma en Relief (the latter removed in 2004)
- 1993 : le Solido
- 1994 : le Cinéma Dynamique 2
- 1995 : Images Studio
- 1996 : l’Imax 3D
- 1999 : l’Atlantis
- 2000 : TGV Station
- 2003 : Destination Cosmos (formerly Aquascope)
- 2006 : le Pavillon des Robots
The pavillons of Futuroscope are mainly made up of metal and glass; modern materials which give the buildings form and texture, as works of art that make the observer stand and stare.
[edit] Attractions
- Percussions du Monde (Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey)
- Péril sur Akryls (Peril on Akryls)
- La cité du Numérique (Digital City)
- Danse avec les Robots (Dances with Robots)
- Le défi d'Atlantis (Race For Atlantis)
- Star du Futur (Star of the Future) - An attraction, where you have to perform a little show, with thereafter a tour, with hanging cars through the world of show, guide by Benoît Guinon. You also see some pictures of you performing.
- Space Station 3D
- Les Ailes du Courage (Wings of Courage)
- La Légende de l'Étalon Noir (Young Black Stallion)
- Le Gyrotour (The Gyrotour) - An attraction where you go in a revolving disc into the air to have a view of the landscape.
- Le Zoo des Robots (The Robot Zoo)
- Virtual Worlds
- Cyberworld
- Adventure in Animation 3D
- Le Meilleur du Dynamique (The Best of Dynamic Cinema)
- Voyageurs du Ciel et de la Mer (Travellers by Air and by Sea)
- Destinations Cosmos
- La Vienne Dynamique (The Dynamic Vienne) - Where you get into moving seats and see a show about a person going to wedding. Unfortunately, he is running late and so gets the help of a man, in the form of a tree. All of the movie is set in the Vienne region.
- Les Jardins d'Europe (The Gardens of Europe) - Some gardens of Europe (Holland, England, etc.)
- Le Monde des Enfants (Children's World)
- Cyber Avenue - Multimedia, internet and games access
- Illusions Magique (Magical Illusions, July 11 - August 26 only)
- L'Odyssée Siberienne (Siberian Oddysey)
- Les Yeux Grands Fermées (Journey into the Dark)
- La Fôret des Reves (The Forest of Dreams)
- Fantaisie Aquatique (Aqutic Fantasy)
[edit] Visiting
The park is open from 10:00 until dusk. As there are fixed times for certain attractions, two days are recommended for visiting the park.
[edit] Restaurants and Shops
The park has eight restaurants and ten restaurations rapides (take away points serving sandwiches and similar food). There are eight shops, most of which are located at the entrance.
[edit] Gallery
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[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- Official website
- Futuroscope (Official website of Vienne Tourism)
