Far from being the best-known département in the Paris region,Essonne stands out for its wide open spaces, picturesque châteaux and immense gardens, some of which have been classified as " Jardins remarquables".
From the Chamarande estate to Milly-la-Forêt (home of Jean Cocteau), via Courances and its pretty Japanese gardens, or Winnoland, the family theme park... A land of history, sport and nature, Essonne is above all home to numerous hiking trails, to be discovered in the Gâtinais nature park and the Haute Vallée de la Chevreuse regional park, which also covers part of the Yvelines.
The Essonne department offers a wide range of family outings combining sport, culture and heritage to discover with the kids!
Heritage, cultural outings & walks
Fête de la Science 2024 at École polytechnique: tours, workshops and escape game on the program
École Polytechnique is opening its doors to us for the Fête de la Science on Saturday, October 5, 2024. In the hall, a science village and many other fun activities are on offer to raise awareness of scientific research. [Read more]
Heritage Days 2024 at Château de Villiers - Draveil (91): free guided tours
The town of Draveil and its Château de Villiers invite you to join them for the Journées du Patrimoine, on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September 2024, with a program of visits for young and old! [Read more]
Heritage Days 2024: tours and events planned in Corbeil-Essonnes (91)
There's no shortage of great places to go out in Corbeil-Essonnes this Heritage Days weekend! Discover the places to visit on September 21 and 22, 2024. [Read more]
Heritage Days 2024 in Orsay (91): the program of visits in the town
On the weekend of September 21 and 22, 2024, head to Orsay, in Essonne, for the European Heritage Days. It's an opportunity to discover this small town, but above all, to get behind the scenes and into the secret places of the town's scientific and heritage treasures! [Read more]
Festival Les Primeurs de Massy 2024: Eesah Yasuke, Claude, Saint DX... here's the line-up
The Festival Les Primeurs de Massy is back from Wednesday October 30 to Saturday November 2, 2024, at Massy's Espace Paul B, with a new, highly eclectic program. On the menu this year? Eesah Yasuke, Claude, Saint DX, Train Fantôme, Astral Bakers, Meltheads and The Doug. [Read more]
Pop Central: the museum for fans of vintage movie cars and arcade games
Who hasn't dreamed of getting behind the wheel of the Batmobile or reliving the atmosphere of the arcades of the 90s? In Étréchy (91), the Pop Central Museum awaits you on Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends, for a total immersion in pop culture, with legendary movie cars and vintage arcade machines galore. [Read more]
KCorp Arènes Opening: Karmine Corp's first eSport show in Evry
Karmine Corp invites you to discover its first eSport show at the Arènes d'Évry, with the "KCorp Arènes Opening", on September 20 and 21, 2024. On the program: the League of Legends Coupe de France and the Rocket League Normal Player Cup! [Read more]
Mennecy Metal Fest 2024: complete program and concert times
Metal music is back in Essonne with the latest edition of the Mennecy Metal Fest. Join us on Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September 2024 at Parc de Villeroy to vibrate to the powerful sounds of Eisbrecher, Lordi, Korpiklaani, Ill Niño, Dark Funeral and Les Tambours du Bronx. [Read more]
Manga Book Festival at Brétigny-sur-Orge shopping center (91)
Attention manga fans, the Aushopping shopping center in Brétigny-sur-Orge is organizing its very first book festival around Japanese comics, with a host of events on the program, from August 31 to September 7, 2024! [Read more]
Journées du Patrimoine 2024: free discovery for young people at Cyclop in Milly-la-Forêt (91)
During the Journées du Patrimoine 2024 (Heritage Days 2024), you'll discover a host of interesting sights in the Ile-de-France region, particularly in Essonne, where the Cyclop, a huge, astonishing sculpture, is hidden in the heart of the Milly forest. [Read more]
Parc Caillebotte, the large free landscaped park that inspired Gustave Caillebotte in Yerres (91)
Just 30 minutes from the Gare de Lyon railway station, on the Yerres side of the Essonne département, Maison Caillebotte is home to one of the region's most beautiful green spaces: Parc Caillebotte, the garden that inspired the famous Impressionist painter Gustave Caillebotte. [Read more]
Heritage Days 2024 in Viry-Châtillon (91): The Nymphée nymphée, the shell grotto
The Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days) are making a comeback on the weekend of September 21 and 22, 2024 in Paris and the Île-de-France region. This is your chance to explore the Nymphée Nymphée, a mysterious shell-covered grotto awaiting you in Viry-Châtillon, Essonne. [Read more]
Heritage Days 2024 at the Trajan Tower (91): visit to the ancient column
Did you know that a Roman monument overlooks the Essonne? Take advantage of the Heritage Days on September 21 and 22, 2024 to discover this curiosity in the town of Méréville! [Read more]
Heritage Days 2024 at the Garden of Pagan Divinities (91)
The Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days) are an opportunity to discover the curiosities that abound in the Ile-de-France region. Head for Fontenay-lès-Briis, in Essonne, on September 21 and 22, 2024, to wander through a garden of sculptures that are, to say the least, astonishing... [Read more]
Heritage Days 2024 in Gif-sur-Yvette (91): discover the town's many treasures
The 2024 edition of the European Heritage Days takes place on the weekend of September 21 and 22, so this is your chance to discover heritage treasures near you or at the other end of the region, as here in Gif-sur-Yvette, Essonne. [Read more]
Spots where to sleep and have fun with the kids
Zoos and aquariums
Janvry, a picturesque village with a free wildlife park and events in the Chevreuse Valley
Nestled in the heart of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse in the Regional Nature Park, Janvry in Essonne is an undiscovered nugget. With its farmland and heritage, including the Louis XIII-style château and the church of Notre Dame du Mont Carmel, this village of 600 inhabitants knows how to surprise its visitors. In fact, to everyone's surprise, it offers a free animal park and great events all year round. [Read more]
Amusement parks and fairgrounds
Winnoland, the affordable theme park in Essonne reopens for the 2024 season
Winnoland, formerly Babyland-Amiland, the human-sized amusement park in Essonne, is set to reopen for its 17th season on March 30, 2024. Now the most visited amusement park in the 91 region, it has plenty to delight families in search of entertainment. Each year, the park renews itself and has decided to lure older visitors with new, more adapted attractions. [Read more]
Dundee Parc, an indoor playground for young and old in Corbeil-Essonnes (91)
Welcome to the children's (and teenagers') paradise of Corbeil-Essonnes! Here, young and old alike can let off steam in Dundee Parc's 2,500 m² of covered play areas. A program as fun as it is playful, perfect for families. [Read more]
Mysterland, the indoor adventure playground in Montlhery (91)
In Montlhery, in the Essonne department, Mysterland is the indoor playground that welcomes you and your children all year round, for hours of family fun! [Read more]
The TFOU park, the covered play area at the Evry 2 shopping center
In the heart of the Evry 2 shopping center, a 2,600 m² TFOU Parc welcomes you and your family for a crazy afternoon of fun in the inflatables, games and activities offered! [Read more]
Sports outings, parks and gardens
The Domaine de Chamarande, Essonne's largest public garden, for a day in the fresh air
The Domaine de Chamarande is one of the most beautiful gardens in Essonne, and only an hour's ride by public transport, or just as much by car. Located in the town whose name it bears, we'll take you on a stroll to discover it. [Read more]
The Maison Jean Cocteau in Milly la Forêt, a bucolic interlude between art and history in Essonne
We're off to Essonne, and more precisely to Milly-la-Forêt, to discover the former Maison du Bailli, a place steeped in history that was once the home of Jean Cocteau. Now a museum and a "Maison des Illustres", the house awaits you for a new season from May 2 to November 3, 2024. [Read more]
Parc Lejars-Rouillon, for a bucolic stroll in Dourdan (91)
Just a few minutes' walk from Dourdan town center, nestles a pretty tree-lined square. With its tall trees, playground and pretty flowerbeds, discover the Parc Lejars-Rouillon! [Read more]
The Japanese garden at Château de Courances: a bucolic and exotic stroll in the Paris region
The Japanese garden at Château de Courances is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Japanese gardens around Paris, and particularly so in France. Located in the fabulous Courances estate in Essonne, this Anglo-Japanese garden delights us with its exotic landscapes. [Read more]
Aventure Floreval, the family adventure park just outside Paris
Aventure Floreval is a huge accrobranche park that welcomes young and old adventurers in the middle of the forest, with lots of fun activities! In addition to 400 workshops on 22 tree-climbing courses, accessible from age 3, an outdoor escape game, mini golf, an animal farm and a catering area await you. Open until November 3, 2024. [Read more]
The accrobranche course at the Etampes leisure park (91)
The Etampes leisure park, in the Essonne département, boasts a large accrobranche (tree climbing) course for thrills and spills. After a winter shutdown, it is due to reopen for the Easter vacations, from Saturday April 6, 2024. [Read more]
Atout Branches, the tree-climbing course in Milly-la-Forêt (91)
Atout Branches is the accrobranche course located in Milly-la-Forêt, in the Essonne department. In the heart of the countryside, you'll have fun moving from tree to tree on a course combining thrills and balance. A progressive course that takes you from the easiest to the most difficult circuit at your own pace, to be tested from April 1, 2024 after a winter closure. [Read more]
Current activities
La ferme du Bel Air, for a family outing in the countryside near Villiers-le-Bacle (91)
At Villiers-le-Bâcle, in the Essonne département, Ferme du Bel Air invites you to meet its little furry and feathered residents for a family outing in the fresh air. [Read more]
Tip: go boating in the bucolic marshes of the Domaine de Chamarande (91)
Come aboard! The Domaine de Chamarande invites you to take a seat aboard one of its boats for a bucolic stroll along the water in the largest public garden in the Essonne department. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From July 17, 2024 to December 31, 2027
