Cite de l'Espace

The Cite de l'Espace opened in 1997 in the city that builds European satellites and much of Airbus, and its outdoor park is what people remember: a full-scale Ariane 5 launcher standing fifty-three metres upright, a replica of the Mir station's base block that visitors walk through, and a Soyuz module. Inside are real flown hardware, meteorites, a lunar sample, planetarium shows and an IMAX screen. Interactive stands cover weightlessness and orbital mechanics. It leans towards families but the collection of genuine spaceflight objects, and the connection to a city that actually builds this equipment, gives it more substance than a theme park.

What you actually see

• The Ariane 5 - a full-size fifty-three-metre launcher standing outdoors.
• The Mir module - a training replica of the station walked through.
• The planetarium and IMAX - dome and large-format space films.
• The flown hardware - real capsules, instruments and a lunar sample.

When to go

Year-round; it closes some Mondays in low season and for a January break. Much of the site is outdoors, so weather matters. School holidays are very busy.

Honest expectations

A large part of the visit is outdoors and unpleasant in rain or midsummer heat. Content is aimed largely at children and families. Planetarium sessions are timed and fill.

Nearby

Toulouse city centre lies west; Airbus tours run from Blagnac.