Le Puy du Fou

Le Puy du Fou ([pɥi dy fu]) is a historical theme park in Les Epesses, in the Pays de la Loire region of western France. It receives more than 2 million visitors every year, making it one of the most popular theme parks in France. In 2019, 2020, and 2022, it was the fourth most visited theme park in France, behind Walt Disney Studios, Disneyland Paris, and Parc Astérix.
The idea of Puy du Fou originated in 1977, when Philippe de Villiers, a 27-year-old student, decided to create an original show named "Cinéscénie".
On 13 June 1977, Villiers discovered the ruins of an old Renaissance castle in the village of Les Epesses, near Cholet, and wrote a story about a (fictitious) local family named Maupillier (the real name of a soldier of Vendée at the time of the conflict between Vendée and the French Republic during the French Revolution), detailing the family's history from that period until World War II.
Philippe de Villiers organized an association of 600 members (3,650 today) named "l'Association du Puy du Fou", whose current president is his son, Nicolas de Villiers. When Cinéscénie first started in June 1978, the show did not have great success. But during the first season, it flourished and continued to grow from there. It has since spawned its own micro-industry of actors, prop-makers, and trainers for horse riding and sword fighting, which both feature in the show. Since 1988, the "Académies Junior" have organized yearly showings of Cinéscénie, such as at the Paris Paname in the "Halle Renaissance" of the Grand Parc in March 2008.
The Grand Parc of the Puy du Fou was opened near the Cinéscénie in 1989, and is today one of the most popular theme parks in France. In 2011, the Grand Parc hosted the team presentations before the Tour de France, which was set to begin in the Vendée.
On 13 August 2018, the Grand Parc launched a program where specially trained rooks fly around the park to pick up cigarette butts and other small pieces of litter. Christophe Gaborit, the park's Head of Falconry, originally trained the birds to participate in the park's falconry show, but later was inspired to teach them how to pick up rubbish left by the park's visitors. By using a specially created box, inspired by a magician's prop, he taught six of his birds—Boubou, Bamboo, Bill, Black, Bricole, and Baco—to deliver bits of trash to the box and exchange them for food. The goal of the project is both to teach the park's visitors about the birds and to discourage littering.
In 2019, the project expanded abroad with the night show El sueño de Toledo ("The Dream of Toledo") about the history of Spain in Toledo, Spain. It is the first stage of Puy du Fou España. In 2021, it expanded into an entire theme park with five shows and four villages.
In 2024, plans were unveiled for a similar park (called Puy du Fou UK) in the UK near Bicester. The plan currently consists of 4 period villages, 6 outdoor shows and 7 indoor shows. The current timeline projects an opening date in 2029.
Puy du Fou is split into 26 main shows, each running for approximately 30–40 minutes:
The above shows are presented in French, but electronic translators are available. Immersive shows, especially those relying on live actors, are only available in French. These include:
Other smaller shows are also available only in French:
The main show takes place in the evening on an outdoor stage. It tells the story of 700 years of history in the area. The Cinéscénie is the largest stage in the world, having 1,200 actors, hundreds of horses, and about 800 fireworks per performance. All of the dialogue is in French, but translation headsets are available in five different languages. All of the actors and actresses, including the children, are volunteers from the local villages. The Cinéscénie is only performed during peak season. It is bookable separately and has a separate entrance.
In 2007, the park opened its first hotel to encourage guests to stay on property for longer periods of time. Over the years, the hotels have grown in number, and now form a resort southeast of the park named La Cité Nocturne (The Nocturnal City). There are six themed hotels, each allowing guests to choose a century to sleep in.