A Sweet Return to Imagination
In front of this carousel, the magic returned—the magic of childhood imagination. It caught me gently, like a sweet, unexpected aroma, the kind that carries you back in time. It was a balm, soft and sudden, that led me to a quiet corner of myself I had forgotten existed—a place where wonder lived unguarded, where belief came easily, and joy had no filter.
Bathed in the afternoon sun, the fantastical animals of Jules Verne seemed to come alive. They didn’t just spin—they danced with us, called to us, inviting us to join their story. In that moment, it felt as if we had stepped inside a dream, where reality blurred and we were transported inward—into a tender, impressionable realm where imagination still had room to bloom.
Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real.
— Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days
Mechanical Wonders & the Spirit of Jules Verne
On May 18th, old friends who live in France took us to a place unlike any other: Les Machines de l’Île Nantes. We weren’t quite sure what to expect. We had seen photos of the giant steampunk animals—mechanical elephants, fantastical birds, oversized insects—but nothing prepared us for the childlike awe they inspire. This isn’t just an attraction; it’s a steampunk amusement park where imagination towers above you on brass legs.
There’s an industrial soul to the park, wrapped in bronze, wood, and gears. But woven into every invention is the spirit of Jules Verne, the great visionary from Nantes himself. His books are the heart of this magical place. Walking through it felt like wandering into the pages of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea or Journey to the Center of the Earth, reimagined as a living mechanical world—one of the most unforgettable things to do in Nantes.
That Sunday, I became a child again. I climbed aboard wonder. I stood beneath a mechanical heron and watched it stretch its wings as if it might lift off. I walked beside an elephant that sprayed water on laughing strangers. And in that space—half fantasy, half machine—I remembered how it feels to imagine without limits. It’s as if the fantastical mechanical animals had the power to bring back forgotten dreams.
If you visit Nantes, don’t miss this place. Walk all the way through the park, right down to the river’s edge. Ride the double-decker marine carousel. Let your curiosity steer you. At Les Machines de l’Île Nantes, even adults are invited to dream out loud.
The earth does not need new continents, but new men.
— Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides.
— Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Where Wonder Stays Within Reach
I want to keep the memory of Les Machines de l’Île in the most reachable drawer of my mind—the kind I can open daily, whenever the mood strikes. Maybe while walking in the rain, or listening to music. Maybe when the scent of gardenias drifts by, or as I cradle a warm cup of tea. That Sunday left me something precious, something I don’t want to misplace.
Because in that place, play and imagination built a bridge—just for me. A bridge I intend to keep crossing, again and again, whenever life needs a touch of wonder.
Reality provides us with facts so romantic that imagination itself could add nothing to them.
— Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
If you ever find yourself in western France, make time for Les Machines de l’Île Nantes, located at Parc des Chantiers, Boulevard Léon Bureau, 44200 Nantes, France. It’s more than a park—it’s a portal into creativity, movement, and wonder. Let it be the beginning of your journey through Nantes, a city shaped by rivers, history, and imagination. And from here, let your footsteps take you further across France—where every region holds its own kind of magic, waiting to be discovered.
