- Closed since March 15, the Cité de l'Espace lost nearly 90,000 visitors during confinement, out of the 400,000 received each year.
- Until July 2, the theme park is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, under specific sanitary conditions.
- If the influx is far from a usual month of June, the visitors were however numerous to find Friday this high place of scientific culture.
“We come three to four times a year to the Cité de l'Espace with my son, so we are very happy that the site is finally reopened. Some activities are more supervised but it is very well organized, in total health security, ”confides Laurence, a Toulousaine accompanied by her 5 year old son.
It is finally the big day for the theme park dedicated to space which reopened its doors today, after two months of closure linked to the health crisis. Hydroalcoholic gel, mandatory mask from 11 years old in indoor spaces, unique direction of circulation and distance to the ground between visitors, the Cité de l'Espace has managed to adapt and offers almost 95% of its offer. To limit contact, a stylus is offered to each group of visitors or families as soon as they arrive for the use of touch screens.
Ground markings and protective visor
And until July 2, this high place of scientific culture opens gradually, three days a week: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10h to 18h. Groups are welcome on weekdays but only by reservation. "We are delighted to open with almost all of our accessible offers but we do not yet know if the public will return," said Jean-Baptiste Desbois, director general of the Cité de l'Espace, which lost nearly 90,000 visitors during the confinement period, out of the 400,000 received each year. Our advantage is to have 4 hectares of scientific gardens where visitors can move around without a mask. We also count a lot on the nocturnes organized in July, in connection with the future Martian missions ”.
DAY-D // Since this morning at 10am, the @CiteEspace is delighted to welcome you again with complete peace of mind 🚀🎉
▶ ️Consult all the information about our reopening on our site: https://t.co/nEJKqCrTWN
🕖Discover our new opening hours: https://t.co/CoN3jobxQp pic.twitter.com/YHnDGCBPg9
At the foot of the real size replica of the LM (lunar module), locations have for example been materialized on the ground to respect social distancing. An animator, wearing a protective visor, explains to the public the first moments of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon. Measures that reassure Michael, a Toulouse subscriber to the park. “I made the planetarium in a limited configuration, it is very well organized and the entertainment is always a dream. Usually there are a lot of people at this time of year but today I can fully enjoy it! It feels good after two months of confinement. ”
Support local cultural actors
In the hall dedicated to the temporary exhibition "Moon, episode II", many children and their parents relive the feat of the Apollo 11 mission. Fun guaranteed for the little ones who can put their feet in those of the astronauts, represented on the carpet where shadows and moon dust are reproduced. For Etiennette, a grandmother who came with her daughter and grandchildren, “coming back from the first day of opening is the best way to support local cultural players. There is so much to see that we come three to four times a year. And since my grandchildren couldn't get back to school every day, it's a smart and fun outing. ”
The closed events are the Terr @ dome, the Soyuz, the Cité des petits and the Mission Apollo entertainment. The restaurant is open but only offers take-out.
Society
Coronavirus in Toulouse: Live your confinement in astronaut mode with the fun tutorials of the Cité de l'Espace
Sciences
Does containment advance knowledge for future human spaceflights (and vice versa)?
- Moon
- Tourism
- Sciences
- Space
- Toulouse