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.
Born from the initiative of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, Vulcania opened its doors on February 20th 2002 with a double objective:
Nowadays, thanks to the support of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, Vulcania continues to evolve with the aim of attracting more visitors to discover our territory and to raise public awareness of local and global geological issues through fun and educational activities.
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).
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.
Vulcania, owned by the Regional Council, opened its doors to the public. Its operation was entrusted to the SEM Volcans, with two main objectives:
This twofold objective sums up the particularity of Vulcania:
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.
number of visitors in 2019
number of visitors since the opening in 2002
share of visitors from outside of Auvergne
turnover achieved in 2018