Space & aeronautics museums tours in Toulouse

From the First World War , Toulouse developed an aviation industry. In 1917, the adventure began with the Latécoère planes . In 1927, Saint-Exupéry and Mermoz brought it its letters of nobility. Aéropostale was born! A little before the Second World War , the “ Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Midi ” was created. It will be renamed “ Sud-Aviation ”, before becoming “ Airbus ”. From the 70s, it will be the era of Aerospace , with the Concorde project, A320, A380 ...

Photo credit of the opening image: © Cité de l'Espace; Author: Manuel Huynh

The Aeroscopia museum

The ephemeral off the first machine in the late ^19th century until the A380 is a long history of over a century that you told in this extraordinary museum, located in Blagnac. It also presents a very rich collection of aircraft , made up of legendary planes , such as the “ Blériot ” or the “ Caravelle ”, from the gigantic A380 , to the current drones, these miniaturized technological gems . Between events, activities and workshops, it is a lively and fun museum.

For practical information, see our page on the Aéroscopia museum .

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The City of Space

At the Cité de l'Espace in Toulouse, you have a real experience in discovering space . At the foot of the “ Ariane ” rocket or the “ Sputnik ” satellite, you will be able to take the measure of these extraordinary machines . In the “ Imax ” cinema, the “ Planetarium ” and the “ Stellarium ”, you, as a family, enter the heart of the universe . Then you can admire real objects from space , understand the life of an astronaut , or learn how the weather forecast is from space, with a forecaster from Météo France ...

The planetarium of the Cité de l'Espace; Credit © Cité de l'Espace; Author: Julien DOMEC

Photo: Scale 1 replica of the Copernicus-Sentinel-3 satellite at the Cité de l'espace . Credit © Cité de l'espace; Author: Manuel Huynh

  
Credit: © Cité de l'Espace; Author: Manuel Huynh

Credit © Cité de l'Espace; Author: Laurent Garcia The alley of infinity; Credit © Cité de l'Espace; Author: Laurent Garcia

The Aeronautics Museum

In Bagnère de Luchon, the Aeronautics Museum is dedicated to Léon Elissalde. Nicknamed “ Léon du Blayais ”, he is an emblematic figure in regional aeronautics . He had the beginnings of history, in 1934 as a flight engineer, until the creation of this museum in 1991. The collection brings together equipment and remains of aircraft from the Second World War and the aftermath. war , but also period photos and documents.

The flight of the pioneers

The Flight of the Pioneers retraces the lives of these exceptional men, passionate and a little crazy, who braved the unknown to realize their dreams and explore the sky. Through models and reconstructions , accessories, documents and testimonies provided by the pilots, you will discover Montaudran's industrial history, the challenges and experiences, the path of these pioneers and the vocation of Aéropostale .

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The Garden of the Line

Centered on the Aéropostale line which linked Toulouse to Santiago-du-Chili, the Jardins de la Ligne follow this legendary track and travel back in time and space . Along the runway, you take off in 1918, with this first Toulouse-Barcelona flight. Then you fly over the continents through the discovery of these landscapes seen from above , according to the development of Aéropostale .

Let's Visit Airbus

Directly on the Airbus site, it is a very immersive experience that is offered to you. We explain the phases of design, tests and flight tests . You relive the first flight of the A380 , in a replica room. You visit the aircraft assembly site . Finally, you board a military plane to put yourself in the shoes of a parachutist . Specific visits are planned for children .

Airbus A380 at Aéroscopia

The machine hall

Here's a little bonus: Do you like machines, mechanisms, atypical gear? Do not miss a visit to the Halle des Machines in Toulouse. It is a magical place between imagination, legends and goldsmith's work, which reveals to you these true mechanical works of art . We tested it for you, here is a taste of your visit .

T
oulouse Machine Hall

Here is our tour of the aeronautical museums finished. Whether you are passionate, amateur or just curious, you will surely find your happiness there to discover, cultivate yourself, and learn lots of anecdotes on the subject.

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Article written by Stéphanie Tempier for the Toulouse Pyrénées Guide.

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