If you’re looking for unusual things to do in Nantes with kids, this is your sign. We visited Les Machines de l’Île, saw the famous giant mechanical elephant and rode the most ridiculously unique carousel.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Nantes with a baby or toddler!
Planning to explore Nantes? The Nantes City Card includes unlimited public transport, free entry to attractions including Les Machines de l’Île, plus discounts on selected tours and activities.
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The giant mechanical elephant in Nantes
Let’s start with the obvious question.
WHY IS THERE A GIANT MECHANICAL ELEPHANT IN FRANCE?
The famous elephant is part of Les Machines de l’Île, an extraordinary attraction on the Île de Nantes inspired by the fantastical worlds of Jules Verne, mechanical engineering and some seriously imaginative minds.
It’s enormous. It walks. Its ears move. Its trunk sprays water. People can ride on its back.
The elephant is made from wood and metal, and watching it move around is genuinely impressive. It’s one of those attractions that makes you stop and stare, regardless of whether you’re two years old or a grown adult who thought they’d seen most things.
Roman got to experience something completely different from the usual playground outing, which is exactly what I love about travelling with children.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a nice hotel, a decent breakfast and a glass of wine as much as the next mum. I’d just rather not spend every family holiday watching my toddler throw himself down a soft-play slide for three hours.
A giant mechanical elephant? Now we’re talking.
If you’re planning a family trip to France, this is definitely one of the more unusual things to do in Nantes with children.
Les Machines de l’Île: basically someone’s imagination gone rogue
The elephant is the headline act, but Les Machines de l’Île has other attractions worth knowing about.
The site combines art, engineering and imaginative mechanical creatures, with the Galerie des Machines and the enormous Carrousel des Mondes Marins among the experiences you can explore, depending on opening times and availability.
It’s wonderfully weird in the best possible way.
You know when your toddler gives you a drawing and you have absolutely no idea whether it’s a dinosaur, a tractor or a picture of you having a breakdown?
Imagine if someone took that level of imagination and had a very substantial engineering budget.
That’s the general vibe here.
It’s a brilliant option if you want to take your children somewhere memorable without booking an entire theme park holiday.
Although I should point out that Roman is still at an age where an interesting-looking drain could compete with a world-famous attraction, so please don’t ask me to guarantee what your toddler will find most exciting.
We rode the giant carousel too
Obviously, one enormous mechanical creation wasn’t enough for us.
We also rode the Carrousel des Mondes Marins, which is every bit as wonderfully bonkers as it sounds.
Forget a little carousel with a few horses outside the local shopping centre. This is a huge, marine-themed attraction filled with imaginative sea creatures and elaborate mechanical designs.
Allow around 10 minutes for the carousel, based on our visit. It’s worth factoring that into your plans if you’re travelling with little ones and trying to organise the day around snacks, naps and the ever-changing emotional state of a toddler.
My favourite thing about attractions like this is that they feel interesting for the grown-ups too. We’re not simply taking the children somewhere to burn off energy while we stare into the middle distance wondering what we’re having for dinner.
We’re all getting to see something a little different.
The practical bits: parking, buggies and toddlers
As lovely as these family adventures look in photographs, someone needs to tell you the bits that matter when you’re travelling with small children.
Parking near Les Machines de l’Île
We managed to park really close by, which was a massive bonus because it was raining. But that didn’t spoil our fun. It was September it you’re wondering!
Anyone travelling with a toddler knows that the distance between your car and the attraction can determine the entire mood of the day.
We had to leave the stroller behind
One thing worth knowing if you’re visiting Les Machines de l’Île is that we had to leave our stroller at the entrance for both rides. It felt safe enough for us and we just took our bags with us.
If you’re visiting with a baby as well as a toddler, this is definitely something to factor into your plans.
A baby carrier is essential if you’re taking a non walker on board, Reggie came on both rides with me at 3 months old.
How long should you spend at Les Machines de l’Île?
We rode the carousel, which took around 10-15 minutes, and also spent time experiencing the elephant, probably 30 mins for that one.
Check the current elephant schedule and allow extra time for any queues, tickets or other attractions you want to experience. It was a quiet mid week day in September for us so we got straight on!
Is Nantes worth visiting with a toddler?
Honestly, if you’re looking for something a little different on a family trip to France, I’d definitely go. We plan on going back when Reggie’s a little older too!
The giant mechanical elephant is such an unusual attraction, and the carousel gives you another memorable experience while you’re there.
It’s a lovely way to spend part of a day doing something that feels genuinely different from the usual family activities.
Nantes is also worth exploring beyond the attraction if you have more time. You can wander around the city, find somewhere to eat and enjoy discovering somewhere new at your own pace.
I’m a big believer that having children doesn’t mean you have to stop travelling or suddenly become someone whose entire holiday revolves around a hotel kids’ club.
I’d still like the nice places, the interesting experiences that are fun for all the family and the occasional glass of wine in peace, thank you very much.
The children are welcome to join us.
My tips for visiting Nantes with a toddler
If you’re planning your own visit to Nantes with kids, here’s what I’d keep in mind:
- Check the elephant’s schedule. Don’t assume it’ll be operating whenever you arrive. Check the official website for current timings and ticket availability.
- Look into tickets in advance. Especially if you want to ride the elephant and visit the carousel.
- Allow around 15 minutes for the carousel and 30 minutes for the elephant. That’s how long ours took, so leave a little flexibility around your plans.
- Check the stroller arrangements. We had to leave ours behind, so think about whether a baby carrier would be useful.
- Make the most of nearby parking. We parked really close, which made getting to the attraction much easier.
- Bring snacks. This is not optional advice.
- Don’t overplan the day. One or two memorable experiences are better than rushing around trying to see everything while your toddler slowly loses the will to live.
Most importantly, check the official website before travelling for current opening times, prices, accessibility information and any age restrictions.
Final thoughts: would we recommend Nantes with kids?
If you’re looking for unusual things to do in Nantes with a toddler, Les Machines de l’Île is absolutely worth considering.
Where else can you see a giant mechanical elephant, ride an enormous sea-themed carousel and spend the day wondering why on earth someone came up with all of this?
It’s imaginative, memorable and a brilliant reminder that family travel doesn’t have to mean waterslides and baby shark discos.
That’s what family travel is all about, really. Making memories, discovering new places and occasionally spending your afternoon doing something so ridiculous that you couldn’t make it up.
Nantes, you’ve been a good one.
Now, if someone could invent a giant mechanical machine that folds laundry, I’d be considerably more impressed.
🎟️ Nantes City Card
Planning to explore Nantes? The Nantes City Card includes unlimited public transport, free entry to attractions including Les Machines de l’Île, plus discounts on selected tours and activities.
