Located in the heart of the volcanoes of the Chaîne des Puys, in Auvergne, in the Auvergne-Rhônes-Alpes region, Vulcania invites you to explore the fascinating world of volcanoes and planet Earth.
Vulcania, a project of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Council
In 2002, a site unique in Europe opened its doors in the heart of the Chaîne des Puys… Both a science park and a family theme park, Vulcania was born of an initiative by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region.
Today, still with the support of the Region, Vulcania continues to innovate and renew itself to attract a wider public to discover the region and the fascinating world of the Earth sciences and the Universe.
With 7 million visitors, Vulcania is a major player in tourism in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and a real driver of the regional economy.
The park is one of 20 sites selected by the Region to join the network of Emblematic Tourist Sites, which contribute to the national and international reputation of our region.
As such, Vulcania, like all the other sites selected, is being supported in its development to take the modernisation of what it has to offer even further, with a focus on projects that are increasingly exemplary and sustainable.
The Vulcania adventure
1992
The Auvergne Regional Council decided to launch a scientific park and a museum of volcanism and to set it up in the heart of the chaîne des Puys, on the territory of the Regional Natural Park (a former military field of 57 ha).
1994
The project (architecture and scenography) was entrusted to the Austrian architect Hans Hollein. The investment, worth around €123 million, was financed at 85% by the Region, 10% by Europe and 5% by the State.
February 20, 2002
Vulcania, owned by the Regional Council, opened its doors to the public. Its operation was entrusted to the SEM Volcans, with two main objectives:
- To disseminate the latest know-how and knowledge in volcanology and the sciences of the earth and the universe;
- To be a tool for the economic, cultural and tourist development of the Auvergne region, i.e. the 4 departments.
This twofold objective sums up the particularity of Vulcania:
- A Scientific Park, with content developed with the Park’s scientific team and under the control of an external Scientific Council made up of the greatest European specialists in Earth Sciences
- An Attractive Park to bring the largest possible population to Auvergne and retain them there.
The balance between these two requirements, both a scientific park and a family attraction, although not always easy to achieve since the park opened, is what makes Vulcania so special and gives it its identity.
February 20, 2022
The Park is celebrating its twentieth birthday, with a special programme for visitors throughout the 2022 season.
Vulcania in figures…
325 862
number of visitors in 2019
+ 7 millions
number of visitors since the opening in 2002
80%
share of visitors from outside of Auvergne
10 millions €
turnover achieved in 2018