Parc Ange Michel
Family-owned amusement park in Normandy, France, opened in 1991 with around 40 attractions on 10 hectares of wooded hillside.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
Parc Ange Michel is a family-owned amusement park located in the delegated commune of Saint-Martin-de-Landelles, part of Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët, in the Manche department of Normandy, France. It sits on a hilly, wooded 10-hectare estate beside the Sélune river, on land that originally offered a view over the artificial lake formed by the Vezins dam. The park opened to the public on 14 July 1991 and has grown steadily since, adding roughly one new attraction per year and reaching around forty attractions by 2023. The park was founded by Pierre Gouvenou, a former masonry entrepreneur who bought the 10-hectare wooded property in 1989. The site already contained a large Swiss-style chalet built after the Second World War and a small chapel, which Gouvenou restored. After two years of clearing the overgrown land, he first displayed his collection of vintage vehicles and tractors, then, with his wife, began installing family attractions that he largely built himself — a fitness trail, mini-golf, swings, spinning rides, slides and a bumper-boat pool. A small tourist train was built by a local company and three ponies were bought for rides. The chalet was converted into a bar-crêperie with a bowling alley, billiard tables and table football. Management passed to the next generation in 1998, when Christine Gougeon, Pierre Gouvenou's eldest daughter, became manager; she became owner in January 2006. The business remains family-run: her husband Patrick and their children Thomas, Élodie Leroux and Maryse Gougeon all work in the park, covering attraction installation and maintenance, communication, group and works-council (CSE) clients, the shop, catering, reception and seasonal recruitment. Today the park markets itself as "sensations for the whole family" across its 10 hectares of nature, with more than 40 unlimited activities. Its ride lineup spans family and thrill attractions, including the 40-metre Flash Tower, the inverting Escadrille, the family rail coaster Tacot en folie, flying sidecars, the Carrousel 1900, La Déferlante and the children's Les Grenouilles se marrent. It also operates La Ferme d'Angy, a 2,000 m² mini-farm with cows, sheep, goats and pigs, and offers group and CSE packages from 20 people, birthday parties and stag/hen party packages. The park is a notable visitor site in the Manche department: it welcomed 20,000 visitors in its opening year and 110,000 in 2018, was among the ten most-visited sites in the Manche in 2011, and exceeded one million euros in revenue the following year. Since 2015 the Gougeon family has sought to theme the attractions and spaces more strongly, notably around piracy and the 1900s.
History
Parc Ange Michel traces its origins to 1989, when Pierre Gouvenou, a masonry entrepreneur, bought a 10-hectare wooded estate at the lieu-dit "l'Ange Michel" on the hills of Saint-Martin-de-Landelles, beside the Sélune river and the lake formed by the Vezins dam. The land was not initially intended to receive the public; it contained a large Swiss chalet built after the Second World War and a small chapel that Gouvenou set about restoring. Two years were needed to clear the overgrown site. Gouvenou first exhibited his vintage vehicles and tractors there, then quickly decided, with his wife, to occupy part of the space with family attractions. He built the first rides himself, including a fitness trail, a mini-golf course, swings, spinning rides, slides and a pool for bumper boats. A small tourist train was built by a local company and three ponies were bought for rides. The chalet was fitted out as a bar-crêperie with a bowling alley, billiard tables and table football. L'Ange Michel opened to the public on 14 July 1991, occupying about 7 hectares of the estate. In the early years an agricultural and craft museum let visitors discover old trades and equipment, a passion of Gouvenou's. Thereafter a new attraction was built every year. By 1996 the park, now landscaped and floral, occupied the full 10 hectares and included an electric motorbike circuit and the Dragon des kamikazes (slides). That year also saw the opening of a 220-metre summer toboggan run through the trees. In 1998 Christine Gougeon, Pierre Gouvenou's eldest daughter, became the park's manager; she became its owner in January 2006 and that same year opened the Pentagliss, a giant slide with four parallel lanes. By then the park also offered quads, a carousel, a ball pool and a museum of vintage automobiles. Visitors could access the restored small chapel, once a stop on the pilgrimage route to Mont-Saint-Michel. In 2007 L'Ange Michel counted around thirty attractions across 10 hectares. That year an investment of €150,000 covered a flying-chairs ride, a new carousel (Carrousel 1900) and a junior acrobatic course (Accro-junior). In 2008 the family brought family roller coasters by manufacturer Soquet from Fraispertuis-City park, renaming and re-theming them around the vintage car as Tacot en folie. A collision occurred on a ride in August 2010, seriously injuring a 42-year-old woman and slightly injuring a 4-year-old child. In 2011 a 2,000 m² mini-farm area (La Ferme d'Angy) was built in the lower part of the park, housing cows, sheep, goats and pigs as well as a new attraction, la Ferme foldingue. In the following years members of Christine Gougeon's family also worked alongside her: her husband Patrick and eldest son Thomas helped with installing attractions and maintenance; her second daughter Élodie Leroux handled communication, group and CSE clients, the shop and catering; and her youngest daughter Maryse Gougeon worked during the season in reception, catering and staff recruitment. In 2013 the park added a new attraction, the Tornado, from Italy; this Wild Mouse was installed in place of the flying chairs and the small-car circuit, which were moved elsewhere in the park to free the necessary 60 m². A Zamperla Jump Around, renamed Les Grenouilles se marrent, was installed in 2015. The new family attraction of 2018 was the Tourbillon, by manufacturer Gosetto. Between 2017 and 2020, as the park prepared to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary, the nearby Vezins dam was progressively demolished and the artificial lake drained, for notably ecological reasons. The park lost the panorama that had originally motivated Pierre Gouvenou to buy the land. This change of environment does not appear to have significantly affected attendance, which remained growing between the park's opening and the health crisis period. It welcomed 20,000 visitors in its opening year in 1991 and 110,000 in 2018. In 2011 Parc Ange Michel was one of the ten most-visited sites in the Manche, and it exceeded one million euros in revenue the following year. Since 2015 the Gougeon family has considered theming the attractions and the park's different spaces more strongly, notably around piracy or the 1900s.
- 2023
Park offers around forty attractions.
- 2018
New family attraction Tourbillon by Gosetto; 110,000 visitors.
- 2017
Demolition of the nearby Vezins dam begins, progressively draining the lake.
- 2015
Zamperla Jump Around installed as Les Grenouilles se marrent; family begins considering stronger theming.
- 2013
Tornado Wild Mouse from Italy installed.
- 2012
Park exceeds one million euros in revenue.
- 2011
La Ferme d'Angy mini-farm (2,000 m²) built; park among the ten most-visited sites in the Manche.
- 2010
A collision on a ride seriously injures a 42-year-old woman and slightly injures a 4-year-old child.
- 2008
Family roller coasters by Soquet brought from Fraispertuis-City and re-themed as Tacot en folie.
- 2007
Around thirty attractions across 10 hectares; €150,000 invested in a flying-chairs ride, Carrousel 1900 and Accro-junior.
Products and positioning
Family-friendly amusement park in Normandy offering unlimited rides and nature, with attractions for small children, families and thrill-seekers.
Flash Tower
40-metre-high thrill tower.
Escadrille
Inverting thrill ride.
Tacot en folie
Family rail coaster themed around vintage cars.
Sidecars volants
Flying sidecar family ride (from 95 cm).
Carrousel 1900
Carousel for small children.
La Déferlante
Thrill ride (from 120 cm).
Les Grenouilles se marrent
Zamperla Jump Around for small children (from 90 cm).
La Ferme d'Angy
2,000 m² mini-farm with cows, sheep, goats and pigs.
Pentagliss
Giant slide with four parallel lanes, opened 2006.
Tornado
Wild Mouse coaster from Italy, installed 2013.
Tourbillon
Family attraction by Gosetto, added 2018.
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