Les Poussins, Parc de la Citadelle

Les Poussins, Parc de la Citadelle was a small family amusement park for young children located at the entrance of the Parc de la Citadelle in Lille, northern France. It was established in 1986 by André Meunier and his wife, both children of fairground families, who bought the refreshment kiosk at the park entrance and the adjacent municipal land. The only pre-existing attraction was a small train driven by "Nounours", which had operated since the 1960s. André Meunier's uncle, whose surname was Poussin and who ran the Jardin d'acclimatation in Paris, helped launch the project, giving the park its name. Meunier wanted to turn the site into a city park modelled on his uncle's garden. The park was aimed at children aged 1 to 10. Entry was free, and ride tickets cost €2, purchased at a central ticket office. Attractions included a small train, a playground, a carousel, a junior Ferris wheel, galloping horses, trampolines, a shooting stand, duck fishing, a baby carousel, bumper cars, air hockey, aeroplane rides, vintage car rides, and a junior log flume added in 2008, alongside free play structures such as a castle and slides. Over 25 years, visitor numbers tripled. In 2011 the park celebrated its 25th anniversary with eight weekends of events including carnival, puppetry, ecology themes, a drawing competition, mussels and chips during the Lille braderie, and Halloween. That same year, Arnaud Meunier succeeded his father André as director, and the park introduced its first mascot, KinKin le Poussin, made in Manchester and designed by Arnaud's wife Laura, also from a fairground family; the name was inspired by the song "Le P'tit Quinquin" by Alexandre Desrousseaux. After 31 years, the park closed on 5 November 2017. The Meunier family, which operated the Citadelle rides, lost the municipal tender, and the site was replaced in spring 2018 by the Cita-Parc, run by Thierry Fééry, organiser of the Grande Fête lilloise du cirque. The official website domain lespoussins.fr is no longer available for registration, reflecting the park's closure.

Les Poussins, Parc de la Citadelle was a children's amusement park situated at the entrance of the Parc de la Citadelle in Lille, France. It was founded in 1986 by André Meunier and his wife, both from fairground families, who purchased the refreshment kiosk at the park entrance and the adjacent municipal land. The site already had one attraction: a small train driven by "Nounours", which had been operating since the 1960s. André Meunier's uncle, whose surname was Poussin and who ran the Jardin d'acclimatation in Paris, assisted in setting up the project, and this family connection gave the park its name. Meunier's ambition was to transform the site into a city park inspired by his uncle's garden. At the outset, the park was in poor condition, with zoo animals and amusement rides mixed together. Over the following 25 years, visitor numbers tripled. The park catered to children aged 1 to 10, with free entry and ride tickets priced at €2, sold at a central ticket office. Its attractions included a small train, a playground, a carousel, a junior Ferris wheel, galloping horses, trampolines, a shooting stand, duck fishing, a baby carousel, bumper cars, air hockey, an aeroplane ride, vintage car rides, and a junior log flume added in 2008, as well as free play structures such as a castle and slides. In 2011, the park marked its 25th anniversary with eight weekends of themed events, including carnival, puppetry, ecology, a drawing competition, mussels and chips during the Lille braderie, and Halloween. That year also saw a change in leadership: Arnaud Meunier succeeded his father André as director. The park introduced its first mascot, KinKin le Poussin, manufactured in Manchester and designed by Arnaud's wife Laura, who also came from a fairground family. The mascot's name was inspired by the famous song "Le P'tit Quinquin" by Alexandre Desrousseaux. After 31 years of operation, the park closed on 5 November 2017. The Meunier family, which had operated the Citadelle rides, lost the municipal tender launched by the city. The site was replaced in spring 2018 by the Cita-Parc, taken over by Thierry Fééry, the organiser of the Grande Fête lilloise du cirque. The official website domain lespoussins.fr is no longer available for registration, reflecting the park's closure.

• 2018

  Cita-Parc replaces the park in spring.

• 2017

  Park closes on 5 November after 31 years.

• 2011

  Park celebrates 25th anniversary; Arnaud Meunier becomes director; mascot KinKin le Poussin introduced.

• 2008

  Junior log flume (Les bateaux) added.

• 1986

  André Meunier and his wife establish the park on the Citadelle de Lille site.

A free-entry, family-oriented amusement park for young children in Lille's Citadelle park.

• Small train

  The original attraction, driven by Nounours, operating since the 1960s.

• Carousel

  A classic carousel ride.

• Junior Ferris wheel

  A junior Ferris wheel (La roue).

• Galloping horses

  A galloping horses ride (La galopade).

• Trampolines

  Trampoline attraction.

• Shooting stand

  A shooting gallery (Le tir).

• Duck fishing

  Duck fishing game (La pêche).

• Baby carousel

  A baby carousel (Le baby 3000).

• Bumper cars

  Bumper cars (Les tamponneuses).

• Air hockey

  Air hockey (Le palais).

• Aeroplane ride

  Aeroplane ride (Le baron rouge).

• Vintage car ride

  Vintage car ride (Les tacots 1900).

• Junior log flume

  Junior log flume (Les bateaux), added in 2008.

• Free play structures

  Castle, slides, and other free play equipment.

1. 1Les Poussins, Parc de la Citadelle - Wikipediafr.wikipedia.org
2. 2Les Poussins, Parc de la Citadelle - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Official websitelespoussins.fr