Futuroscope
Encyclopedia
Futuroscope, or Parc du Futuroscope is a French theme park based upon multimedia
, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques. It has several 3D
cinemas and a few 4D
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, 10 kilometres north of Poitiers
, on the territory of the communes of Chasseneuil-du-Poitou
and Jaunay-Clan
.
The park had 1.826 million visitors in 2010. In total, 40 million visitors have been to the park since it opened in 1987. (By comparison, Disneyland Paris saw 15.3 million visitors in 2008.)
Futuroscope currently employs 600 people, including 400 temporary staff.
Stages of the Tour de France
cycle race have begun and ended at the park several times since its opening.
(Illico Resto). There are eight shops, most of which are located at the entrance.
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques. It has several 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
cinemas and a few 4D
4-D film
4-D film is a marketing term that describes an entertainment presentation system combining a 3-D film with physical effects in the theatre, which occur in synchronization with the film...
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, 10 kilometres north of Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
, on the territory of the communes of Chasseneuil-du-Poitou
Chasseneuil-du-Poitou
-External links:* *...
and Jaunay-Clan
Jaunay-Clan
Jaunay-Clan is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-References:*...
.
The park had 1.826 million visitors in 2010. In total, 40 million visitors have been to the park since it opened in 1987. (By comparison, Disneyland Paris saw 15.3 million visitors in 2008.)
History
- 1984 : 11 December, first stone placed by René MonoryRené MonoryRené Monory was a French centre-right politician.-Biography:René Monory was born in Loudun and began his career as the owner of a garage. He was the founder of the Poitiers Futuroscope.Monory first became a Senator in 1968...
, president of the general council of Vienne and brainchild of the project. - 1987 : 31 May, opens to the public with Kinémax, the Pavillon du Futuroscope and a play zone.
- 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 FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
.
- 1991 : inauguration of Cinéautomate in spring. The park receives its one-millionth visitor.
- 1992 : the Tapis Magique (Magic Carpet) and the Paysages d’EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(Landscapes of Europe) open. - 1993 : inauguration of Solido.
- 1994 : opening of Pavillon de la Vienne, a second Dynamique Cinéma and the Aquascope.
- 1995 : celebrating the centenary of cinemaFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, inauguration of the Images Studio. - 1996 : the IMAXIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
3D opens and presents Guillaumet, les Ailes du Courage (the Wings of Courage), a fiction in 3D by Jean-Jacques AnnaudJean-Jacques AnnaudJean-Jacques Annaud is a French film director, film producer and screenwriter.- Biography :Annaud was born in Juvisy-sur-Orge, Essonne...
. 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 CyberworldCyberworldCyberWorld is a 2000 3-D comedy film shown in IMAX. Several segments originally filmed in 2-D animation are showcased as converted to 3-D format.-Segments:* The "Homer³" segment from The Simpsons, episode "Treehouse of Horror VI"...
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 multimediaMultimediaMultimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
, InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
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 IMAXIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
3D simulator: Défi d’Atlantis (the Challenge of Atlantis). In June, the Gare TGVGare du FuturoscopeFuturoscope is a TGV railway station located near Poitiers, France. It is situated on the Paris–Bordeaux railway. It gives a direct access to the park Futuroscope....
-Futuroscope (Futuroscope's TGVTGVThe TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
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 IMAXIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
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 PerrinJacques PerrinJacques Perrin is a French actor and filmmaker. He is occasionally credited as Jacques Simonet. Simonet was his father's name and Perrin his mother's.-Life and career:...
produces an exclusive new film for Tapis Magique, Voyageurs du Ciel et de la Mer (Travellers by Air and by Sea). Le Rêve d’Icare (Adrenaline Rush) produces new sensations in the ImaxIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
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 FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the fifth in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. - 2006: a new 3D film opens in ImaxIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
3D, le Seigneur du Ring (Adventures in Animation 3D). This year, the Park is themed as the Year of the Robots, by opening on 5 April with Dances with Robots in the new House of the Robots. A new evening spectacle entitled the Forest of the Dreams also forms part of the theme. - 2007: two new ImaxIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
films, Expédition Nil Bleu (Mysteries of the Nile), Sous les Mers du Monde 3D (Deep Sea 3D), and a new version of the dynamic film La Vienne Dynamique. - 2008: a new attraction based around the BBC's programme The Future is WildThe Future is WildThe Future Is Wild was a 2002 seven-part documentary television miniseries. Based on research and interviews with several scientists, the miniseries shows how life could evolve in the future if Homo sapiens became extinct; the Discovery Channel broadcast changed this outlook by stating the human...
, a new Omnimax film (Dinosaurs), a new dynamic film (Laponie Express). On the 10th July, the park welcomed its 35-millionth visitor.
Futuroscope currently employs 600 people, including 400 temporary staff.
Stages of the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
cycle race have begun and ended at the park several times since its opening.
Architecture
The pavilions 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. The design of the pavilions was led by architect Denis Laming.- 1987 : le Pavillon du Futuroscope, le Kinémax
- 1988 : le Cinéma Dynamique 1, le Pavillon de la Créativité
- 1989 : le 360°, le Cinéma en Relief (the latter removed in 2004)
- 1990 : l'Omnimax, la Gyrotour
- 1992 : le Tapis Magique
- 1993 : le Solido
- 1994 : le Pavillon de la Vienne, le Cinéma Dynamique 2, l'Aquascope
- 1995 : Images Studio
- 1996 : l’Imax 3D
- 2000 : l'Imax 3D Dynamique, TGV Station
- 2002 : Destination Cosmos (formerly Aquascope)
- 2006 : le Pavillon des Robots
- 2008 : les Animaux du Futur
Attractions
Most are available to non French speakers via translation headsets, while some are French only (or do not need translation) and are listed below.- ÉcoDingo French Only
- La Cité du Numérique (Digital City) Hands on exhibit
- Danse avec les Robots (Dances with Robots)
- Arthur, l'aventure 4D (Arthur, the 4D adventure)
- Monstres des Mers (Sea Monsters)
- Les Ailes du Courage (Wings of Courage)
- Les Astromouches (Fly me to the Moon 3D)
- Le Meilleur du Dynamique (The Best of Dynamic Cinema)
- Voyageurs du Ciel et de la Mer (Travellers by Air and by Sea) French Only
- Chocs Cosmiques (Cosmic Collisions)
- La Vienne Dynamique (The Dynamic Vienne)
- Les Animaux du Futur (The future is wild)
- Le Monde des Enfants (Children's World)
- Cyber Avenue
- Illusions Magiques (Magic Show)
- Les Yeux Grands Fermés (Journey into the Dark) French Only
- Van Gogh (Brush with genius)
- Louisiane (Hurricane on the Bayou)
- Le 8ème Continent (The 8th Continent)
- Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince)
- Le Mystère de la Note Bleue (The Blue Note Mystery) Evening show
Restaurants and shops
The park has eight full-service restaurants and ten restaurations rapidesFast food restaurant
A fast food restaurant, also known as a Quick Service Restaurant or QSR within the industry itself, is a specific type of restaurant characterized both by its fast food cuisine and by minimal table service...
(Illico Resto). There are eight shops, most of which are located at the entrance.