Halle de la Machine — Attraction in Toulouse

Halle de la Machine is an excellent day out for young and old alike. We purchased tickets in advance for the museum and to ride the Minotaur. If you only want to visit the Halle, I don't think prebooking is essential, however, if you want to combine it with a Minotaur ride, definitely book in advance to take advantage of a combined ticket offer. The website said to allow 1.5-2 hours, although we stayed much longer. You'll receive a hand stamp, so you can go in and out as you please. Opposite, there are some restaurants and also an Auchan, if you want to get some food. There is a cafe at the Halle but we couldn't see any food being served there on the day we visited. The staff all look like they absolutely love their jobs, which isn't surprising, when they get to demonstrate bizarre contraptions all day. This is not hi-tech stuff, there's more of a steam punk vibe going on. (The Minotaur and his companions, though, are extremely technical but you just don't see it when you're observing because the detailing to bring them to life is so very impressive.) The exhibits range from the gigantic and awe inspiringly impressive Minotaur and dragon, down to frankly ridiculous but highly entertaining devices, such as the fishing rod sugar lump dispenser. Many of the exhibits had a Heath Robinson quality about them - watching the demonstration of Nutella being applied to bread has never been so curiously slow and yet entertaining! We rode on the Minotaur, which was a really fun experience and well worth doing, I think moreso to watch the reactions of people watching it go by! There were families of all ages and every single person seemed happy and awestruck in various ways. If you're in Toulouse, don't miss this fantastic day out. If you have guests with disabilities in your group, reduced rates and free carer tickets are available. We took a Bolt from the city centre, which...

I recently visited the Halle de La Machine in Toulouse and, unfortunately, the experience was highly disappointing. We paid €83 for entry for five people, which felt extremely overpriced given what was offered. One of the biggest frustrations was the complete lack of English explanations throughout the visit. None of the staff members we encountered spoke English, and there was little effort to accommodate international visitors, even though it is clear that many tourists do not speak French. This made it very difficult to understand the stories, history, and context behind the machines, which are supposedly central to the experience.

The most frustrating part was the Minotaur ride. Despite having already purchased entry tickets, visitors are discouraged from going on the ride, and in our case, it proved to be a poor decision. The ride itself was underwhelming, provided little additional value, and felt like a tourist trap designed to charge extra. Remaining on the ground and observing the machines from below actually offered a far better experience than the ride itself.

Overall, the visit did not justify the cost or the time. Without multilingual support or clear explanations, the attraction fails to be accessible or engaging for international visitors. For the price charged, I expected a much higher level of service and quality. I would strongly advise others to reconsider before spending their money here, as there are far better ways to...

What a unique and special day out! My girlfriend and I really enjoyed viewing many interesting and strange devices as we walked around inside the hall! We found the machinists to be full of energy and their passion for what they do really shone through!

Yes, you cannot touch, but isn't this the case with any museum? I feel that such works would be easily damaged if left to the public to mess around with! And yes, the descriptions are written in French, which I should expect, seeing as we are in France! People who have left one-star reviews obviously lack the patience and creative imagination to enjoy such a collection of curiosities.

We got to try out the catapult game and the iron slider, plus we were treated to displays of the various musical contraptions, the smoke ring blower, the odd apple biting machine (and it's hilarious operator) and the firework shooters! The gem of the crown though is the giant minotaur that casually strolls around outside and occasionally enters the warehouse to spray unsuspecting guests with water! A classic!

The key to enjoying this attraction is to take it all in slowly and be patient as the limited number of operators make their way around the museum to show the various attractions in action. Simply popping in and walking around quickly will surely lead to your own personal dissatisfaction.

Great for little kids and big kids (like...