Amusement Parks: Futuroscope - a Potted History Blooloop

Futuroscope, or ‘Parc du Futuroscope’ to give it its proper French name, is an amusement park located about 6 miles north of Poitiers in France. It is a ‘state of the art’ futuristic amusement park based upon cinematographic, multimedia and audio-visual wizardry which results in a collection of ‘virtual reality’ rides which has the effect of making you feel as though you’re flying through the air or being catapulted into space.

There are 15 3D screens at the amusement park set amidst several acres of parkland and lakes which takes some time to get around so it’s best to set aside at least a full day if you want to take advantage of all the amusement park has to offer. You can also get a spectacular overview of the amusement park by taking La Gyrotour where you take a lift to the top of a rotating tower from where you can experience a breathtaking 360 degree panoramic view of the entire amusement park. Alternatively, take time to ride the oversized floating bikes perched above the amusement park’s lakes.

There have been a total of 35 million visitors to Futuroscope since it opened back in 1987 who have marvelled at spectacular virtual experiences where you will actually think you are flying futuristic aircraft, walking amongst dinosaurs and uncovering the mysteries of the River Nile to name just a few of the re-creations at the amusement park.

There are 2 new experiences for 2009 at the amusement park. ‘Fly me to the Moon’ lets you recreate the legendary Apollo 11 moon landing accompanied by 3 flies as your travelling companions. ‘The Future is Wild’ sees you riding along on a safari expedition but one with a difference. Here, you will discover and communicate with a whole new generation of animals and wildlife, the likes of which you’ll never have witnessed on Earth before but which could very well inhabit the planet millions of years from now.

A trip to this amusement park with a difference is not complete without seeing the nightly laser show focusing on the amusement park’s dancing fountains with music and spectacular colourful lighting effects.