Mirapolis was created to rival Disneyland Paris when it opened in 1987, but within four years, the ambitious project became one of the country’s most infamous failures as it now lies abandoned
Once heralded as France’s answer to Disneyland Paris, designed to bring French literature to life, Mirapolis now stands as a ghostly and desolate landmark.
Initially celebrated as “France’s first large amusement park,” the site is now eerily deserted. Strategically located less than an hour from Disneyland Paris, Mirapolis opened its doors in 1987 with high hopes of immersing visitors in the wonders of French literary classics.
However, the lofty dreams were short-lived, as within a mere four years, this bold venture turned into one of France’s most notorious flops.
Created by architect Anne Fourcade, Mirapolis was intended as a cultural foil to Disneyland, marrying historical literature with thrill-seeking. Backed financially by Saudi businessman Ghaith Pharaon, the whopping construction cost was $600 million – a figure that would translate to around £1.3 billion today considering inflation, the Express reports.
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Even Jacques Chirac, then Prime Minister of France, graced the park’s opening and kicked off the excitement surrounding its 29 attractions. According to AD magazine, the new amusement park had high hopes of welcoming as many as 600,000 tourists a year.
Yet despite the buzz, problems loomed from day one – relentless rainfall marred its debut season, leading to frequent closures of its open-air rides.
Mirapolis did find a silver lining in its theatre, which hosted a popular children’s musical with grand puppetry, but insufficient foot traffic persisted. Seemingly lacklustre market research and overzealous financial predictions meant that the park was destined for closure, sealing its fate in 1991 without ever turning a profit.
It is said to have been sensationally labelled one of the biggest financial failures in France.
By 1993, the demolition process had started, with most of its structures being removed or sold off. The park’s iconic centrepiece, a towering statue of Gargantua from French folklore, stood firm against dismantling until 1995, when its head was finally destroyed with dynamite.
Nowadays, all that’s left of Mirapolis is some entrance fences, pathways leading to former attractions and a park featuring a small lake. Over time, various plans to breathe new life into the site have been proposed and then abandoned.
Many residents of France still remember the amusement park today, with various comments emerging on X, formerly Twitter, over the years. One former visitor wrote: “This is the France we love”, while a second added: “With Gargantua as the figurehead. I went there once with my school. It was pretty awesome. And the ruins remained for years.”
A third noted: “I remember this park offering wins on TV shows like The Price Is Right and others. It was a dream come true…” Another penned: “Apparently the characters scared children and that’s understandable.”
In response, someone added: “It was awesome, I went mainly for the ‘gravitron.’ I don’t remember being scared of the characters, but they probably terrified others.”
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