You dream of crisscrossing France in a single day while keeping the kids entertained with a mix of attractions? France Miniature, in Élancourt in the Yvelines (78), is tailor-made for you. This year the park hits a symbolic milestone: 35 years of existence, with an anniversary season befitting the occasion. Just 20 minutes from the Porte d'Auteuil and 10 minutes from Versailles, you can tour France across 5 hectares, monuments and landscapes included.
The big highlight of this anniversary season is the exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, a first in the park’s history. Visitors step into the model-makers’ workshops to see how these 117 1:30-scale replicas faithfully recreate France’s most iconic monuments. We explore construction principles, evolving techniques, 3D modeling, and dive into miniature trains and boats that glide along the park’s 4 km of railway tracks...
Nicolas Salerno, the chief model maker, sums it up nicely: outdoor scale models require constant upkeep, alternating between freshening them up and deliberately weathering the paint to get as close as possible to the look of the original monument.
This one-hour immersive experience, recommended for ages 10 and up, is offered in addition to the standard 9-euro entry ticket, and must be reserved at franceminiature.fr. Space is limited, so booking in advance is advised.
Another birthday treat: free admission for anyone born in 1991, just like the park itself. The offer runs all season and is only available at the park’s ticket offices, upon presentation of an ID.
The season unfolds with several key moments. On June 6, 13, 20 and 27, join Professor Anatole Foiretout, a steampunk inventor as passionate as he is awkward, whose time-travel machine has unfortunately exploded. An immersive adventure where the eras collide, inviting families to journey back through time.
From July 4 to 14, an unprecedented culinary experience takes the spotlight, with renowned chefs and local producers on hand to showcase the flavors of French terroir, both savory and sweet.
And, as every autumn, from October 3 to November 1, the park transforms for Halloween with the event "Our regions or a spell": monuments swarming with skeletons and creatures, a giant scavenger hunt, clues hidden throughout the park... up for the challenge?
Throughout the season, La France des Légendes is back on the program. In this family‑friendly immersive investigation, the fairy Morgane threatens to enchant the legendary creatures of our regions: armed with maps, we set out to thwart her plans across the entire park.
From the moment you pull into the lush car park, you feel transported somewhere else. The route traces the exact outline of the map of France, oriented north–south, and with every step you move into a new region. From the Arc de Triomphe to the Orange Theatre, from the village of Saint-Émilion to the Loire Valley châteaux, via the volcanoes of Auvergne or the Place Stanislas in Nancy, the full breadth of France’s heritage unfolds at a child’s level of perception. It’s also a wonderful way to jot down ideas for future trips to France, discovering sites we might not have known before.
Since 2018, Stéphane Bern’s narration has been guiding visitors to 12 top-picked monuments. Simply scan the QR codes on the display plaques with your smartphone to start the audio commentary—no need for a separate audio guide.
Next up is the Fort Boyard area: step into Père Fouras’s lair, discover the council chamber, and take on the seven challenges on offer. Riddles, Awalé, the cotton-swab challenge... the Master of Time keeps a careful watch. And since 2022, the Koh-Lanta universe has occupied 370 square metres of the park, with water games, strategy games, posts, and the quest for the famous totem. Perfect for sunny days, but remember to bring spare clothes for younger explorers.
The prehistoric cave, inspired by Lascaux, lets visitors recreate cave paintings on a touchscreen using flint, brushes, and blowguns. And for the budding archaeologists among us, the dig site covering Gallo-Roman and medieval finds promises exciting discoveries with shovels and sieves.
Since 2019, the Cirque des Zinzins has been welcoming acrobats as well. Within the famed Zotos course, there is a suspended parcours four metres above the ground. Open to anyone as tall as 1 metre, this space invites you to tackle 20 acrobatic stations.
And since 2022, the Koh-Lanta universe occupies 370 m² of the park, with its iconic trials reimagined for families. Guests pick a tribe, square off in strategic challenges, test the famous posts, and hunt for the immunity necklace to seize the coveted totem. The area also features water games and cannons for the cheekiest alike, making it a favorite on hot summer days. Don’t forget a change of clothes—this is the kind of place where you almost always end up soaked, and no one minds.
The park features 25 attractions and playful experiences accessible to those at least 1 metre tall. Among them :
The park is open until November 1, 2026, starting at 10 a.m., with usual closing at 6 p.m., extended to 7 p.m. in the summer season. Tickets cost €23 for children aged 3 to 11 and €29 for adults. Tickets are available online at franceminiature.fr, with seasonal offers. France Miniature is accessible from Paris by Transilien Line N from Montparnasse or Line U from La Défense, to La Verrière station, then by bus lines 5120, 5122 or 5125 to the France Miniature stop. By car, there is on-site parking for €4, payable at the park’s cash desks.
Our take: France Miniature is a day out that clicks with all ages. Adults rediscover their geography with a fresh eye, kids claim the space like junior explorers, and heritage and miniature buffs will have plenty to marvel at for hours. The behind-the-scenes tour is clearly the smart move not to miss this season: if you love trains and want to understand how these scale models are built to stand the test of time, it’s an hour well spent. It’s also a great opportunity to discover French heritage treasures that aren’t always well known, giving you ideas for future trips. And not to overlook, the park offers many attractions for little ones that are a real hit, like the giant slide, the zip line, and Koh Lanta-style water games (bring spare clothes)… Teens, however, will likely find the overall experience a touch tame on the thrills front, apart perhaps from the boat ride that plunges on the lake and the zip line.
Who is this for? Primarily families with young children and primary-schoolers, along with heritage and model-building enthusiasts, and anyone seeking a unique outing within an hour of Paris.
Also worth a visit:
- Parc Astérix: 2026 program and new features, in Plailly, Oise, for a day of Gaulish adventures and family-friendly thrills.
- La Mer de Sable: reopening and 2026 updates, the family amusement park set in the Ermenonville forest, just 45 minutes from Paris.
Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.
Location
France Miniature
Boulevard André Malraux
78990 Elancourt
Prices
-3 ans: Free
Supplément parcours France des légendes: €4.5
adultes 12 ans et +: €22 - €28
4 à 11 ans inclus: €22
Recommended age
For all
Official website
www.franceminiature.fr
Booking
View the prices of this ticketing service
More information
France Miniature is closed every Monday, Tuesday and Friday in September and October. Opening hours vary from 10am-5pm to 10am-7pm.
