1) CAP FORM LOISIRS : Ten Pin Bowling and indoor Go-Karting
Looking for activities for a rainy day in the Mayenne? Keep the kids happy and dry at this indoor centre. Adrénaline junkies can race each other at speeds of up to 40km/h. Adult karts and children’s karts are available. Please note that adult karts cannot be driven with children’s karts, but an adult can go back to childhood by driving a children’s kart! A maximum of 8 karts is allowed per session. If you don’t have a GT3 in your garage, you can always try your hand at 5 cylinder racing simulators with force feedback in the steering wheel as if it were real! Solo or in a team. You can even take to the air with a flight simulator. Cap Form loisirs also offers bowling with a vintage 80s feel (don’t worry, the machines are from 2022, and yes, they’re brand new for you)! There’s no minimum age, as we start the shoe size at 22 (which corresponds to 2-3 years) and don’t panic, thanks to the bumpers (barriers), slides and lighter balls, your child will score more points than you.
64 rue Henri Bâtard
53000 Laval
Tel: 02 43 02 89 89
2) The Memorial of the Deportees
https://www.memorial-des-deportes-mayenne.fr/welcome/
The Memorial of the Deportees pays homage to all deported persons from the department of Mayenne, sent to concentration or extermination camps during the Second World War.
OPENING TIMES :
From Tuesday to Saturday and on the first Sunday of each month from 2 pm to 6 pm.
Closed on bank holidays (jan 1, may 1, may 8, jul 14, aug 15, nov 1, nov 11, dec 25) and during christmas holidays and in january.
VISIT LENGTH
1H TO 1H 30
RATES
Admission: 5 euros ; per adult. 3 euros for job seekers and students. Free for children under 12 years old.
Guided visit 6 euros. 4 euros for students and jobseekers.
3) Chateau of Mayenne & Museum
Built shortly before the year 1000, the castle has a Reception room, tower and cellar which are remarkably well preserved. The dungeon and ramparts, built in the 13th century dominate the river and the town of Mayenne. The chapel dates from the 19th century.
Now a museum, the castle regularly changes their exhibitions and hold various activities throughout the year.
You will find a medieval inspired garden with aromatic and medicinal plants in the castle’s courtyard.
The castle houses a museum featuring extraordinary collections from the Middle Ages related to the site, the town of Mayenne and the Département. These artefacts bear witness to the daily life of the lords and knights who followed one another in Mayenne. During the excavations of the castle, a real treasure was brought to light: a collection of a hundred game pawns dating from the 10th-12th centuries. Unique, for the quality of workmanship as for the quantity found, these chess and backgammon pawns constitute the most important collection discovered in France.
4) Cité du Lait: a history of milk, butter and cheese production in the Mayenne.
GUIDED VISIT/ Guided tours are available in English for groups. A minimum of 10 visitors is necessary, reservations required.
To know the availability of dates please contact (Tel.: +33 (0)2 43 59 51 90 – Email: musee.lacitedulait@fr.lactalis.com)
Adults: €10 / 12 to 17-year-olds: €7 /Reduced Price : €7 / childs 5 to 11-years-old: €3 / FREE for childs under 5 years-old
REGULAR SELF-GUIDED VISIT* Schedule available https://www.lacitedulait.com/visite-libre-du-musee/
Adults: €7 / 12 to 17-year-olds: €5 / 5 to 11-year-olds: €3 / FREE for childs under 5 years-old
*Ask for their free written guides available in English, Spanish, German and Italian.
5) Le Monde des Petits Loups
http://www.mondedespetitsloups.fr/home.html
A soft-play centre offering a total of 1200 m2 indoor, air-conditioned play area. This indoor adventure park is dedicated to children aged 0 months to 12 years, with a forest theme. A friendly place to discover with the whole family: Tunnels and frames to climb, trampolines, electric mini go-karts… Relaxation area for parents, magazines available, board games, wooden games…. Cafeteria for lunch, crêpes and waffles for snacks.
ZAC des Bozzé, Rue de Bruxelles, 53000 Laval
6) Saulges Caves & Museum
Open to visitors from mid-March to mid-November. The rest of the year, they are reserved for hibernating bats. Guided tours in English available on request.
| Musée libre | Musée guidé | 1 grotte | 1 grotte + musée | 2 grottes | 2 grottes + musée | Activités extérieures et virtuelles | ||||||||||
| Adulte | 5€ | 6€ | 8€50 | 12€ | 14€ | 16€50 | 3€ | |||||||||
| Réduit | 3€50 | 4€ | 6€ | 8€50 | 9€ | 11€50 | 3€ | |||||||||
| Jeune enfant (3-4 ans) | Gratuit | 4€ | Gratuit€ | Gratuit | / | / | / |
July-August Daily: 10.00-18.00
1 September to 14 November Weekdays: 1.30pm to 5pm
Weekends, public holidays and school holidays: 10am-12pm and 1.30pm-5.30pm
Musée de Préhistoire
La Roche Brault
53270 Thorigné-en-Charnie
Tél : 02 43 90 51 30
7) Aquabulle Swimming Pool, Laval
Full price adults €5.50
Reduced rate – 1 admission – child under 18, student, unemployed, RSA, disabled person, senior citizens over 60 €4.50
8) Refuge de l’Arche
13 quater Rue Félix Marchand,
53200 Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne
Open every day
from 10 am to 7 pm
Age 12+: 13€
Ages 4-11: 8€50
Under 4s: Free
For almost 50 years, the Refuge de l’Arche’s primary mission has been to rescue and rehome exotic wild animals.
It takes in and cares for almost a thousand animals seized by the authorities or abandoned. They come from circuses, laboratories, zoos, private individuals or illegal trafficking.
9) Chateau de Lassay
Guided tours will show you how a 15th-century military garrison functioned. You can visit the furnished rooms, bedroom, arms room, and the kitchen with its curious granite kitchen garden and a fine collection of antique copperware… On the first and last tours of the day, the public is invited to open or close the drawbridge.
Opening times and periods:
Easter weekend, Sunday 23 April, every weekend and bank holiday from 29 April, 2.30pm to 6.30pm – tours depart every hour
every day except Monday from 1 June to 10 July and from 1 to 30 September, 2.30pm to 6.30pm – tours depart every hour.
every day from 11 July to 31 August, from 1.30pm to 7.30pm – tours depart every hour.
10) Chateau de Craon
From 1 July to 31 August, Craon Castle opens its doors. With the tourguide, you’ll discover the interior of the castle and the chapel, as well as the history of its inhabitants.
Guided tours of the castle from 1 July to 31 August, at 2.30pm, 4pm and 5.30pm. Closed on Saturdays.
Meet on the château steps to buy tickets from the guide.
Children can dress up as princesses or knights for free during the tour.
A booklet entitled “Visit Craon Castle and have fun” is provided for all children aged 6 to 12.
TOUR PRICES
The entrance ticket entitles the holder to a guided tour of the château and a self-guided tour of the 47-hectare park, with the help of a paper guide with a detailed map of the park and access to the treasure hunt for children.
Standard rate for adults aged 18 and over: €10
Reduced rate for under-18s, students, large families and people with disabilities: €8
Free for children under 6
Group rates for 15 people or more
Cinema: English Language films
Our cinema page (in the directory) is updated every week, with all the latest English Language films being shown throughout the department: https://mayenne53.com/directory/cinemas/
Whatever the weather in the Mayenne, you’ll always find something to do…. Just check out the What’s On pages here: https://mayenne53.com/whats-on/