Located in the heart of the Mervent forest (Vendée), the Pierre Brune Park is a real space for leisure and discovery which celebrated its 65th anniversary this season. Opened in 1959, the park has remained in the hands of the same family, today managed by Emmanuel Normand, representative of the fourth generation.
With almost 40,000 visitors this season, the park continues to attract audiences of all ages around a quarantine of activities recreational, with this year an equestrian show which was a great success. A longevity which can be explained by the singularity of this site at the same time green, authentic, vintage et preserved from new technologies.
In avril 2025 for its reopening, the Vendée leisure park plans to create a brand new show outdoors.
“We have a real uniqueness compared to other leisure sites in the region: a vintage style”
Considering the capricious weather, the results of the 2024 season are “ largely positive » underlines Emmanuel Normand, with nearly 40,000 visitors including more than 20,000 visitors for the month of August alone, representing an increase of 15%. “ One of the highlights of this season was the launch of a new outdoor equestrian show called “The Epic of Miguel”, created for all audiences, which took place in an arena specially designed for the event. » adds the park director. Spectators were able to delve into the story of Miguel, a young Spanish rider and horse trainer, who, in search of a new life, crosses France. This show aimed to reach the public by highlighting the unique relationship between trainers and their animals. For its reopening at the beginning of April 2025, the park will present a brand new show entitled “Pierre de Lune”. The latter, carried by “Echo”, the park mascot, will aim to “ surprise visitors with its crazy and immersive approach ».
The 2024 season will also have been marked by a third year of evening events, which will take place again in July and August 2025. These evenings extend access to certain attractions with thematic entertainment in the park restaurant: karaoke, board games , blind tests, hypnosis shows… as well as concerts on Saturdays.
A reasoned choice of new technologies to “reconnect visitors to reality”
« The Vendée players offer a great diversity in terms of leisure activities. Here, we want to mark our uniqueness with entertainment that resists with little or no new technology. It's the full of authenticity that undoubtedly makes our site one of the most vintage and charming leisure parks in France. » immediately accepts his young director. So here, no connection to the internet is possible. for a reconnection with reality with frank laughs and moments of emotion » promises Emmanuel Normand.
Nestled in the heart of the green Mervent forest, the park offers dozens of activities and games, including several panoramas over the valleys of southern Vendée. Thrill-seekers can embark on the spectacular “Grand Saut”, a bungee jump that catapults them 15 meters into the air, while all generations come together around more authentic games, the oldest dating back to the 70s.
Other top attractions include the “Battle of the Elves,” where groups board bumper boats armed with water guns, and the traditional “Voltigeur” ride, which spins visitors on flying chairs. The “Plaine des Gonflables” offers various inflatable structures, such as castles and courses, while the “Waterball”, reintroduced in 2024, allows participants to walk on water inside a bubble .
65 years of Pierre Brune: the story of a Vendée family for four generations
It all starts with coffee and souvenirs offered to pilgrims. Indeed, a few steps from the park is the Grotte du Père de Montfort, once a popular place of pilgrimage. It is near this cave that Valentine, the great-grandmother of Emmanuel Normand, director of the park, ran a small business, now the cave café, where she sold souvenirs to pilgrims. Then in 1959, Robert, Emmanuel's grandfather, had the idea of creating a Little Train, the park's first attraction which is still present 65 years later. His two sons, Yves (Emmanuel's father) and his brother Jean-Marie, then took over by developing the leisure activity around this emblematic attraction, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each season.
In the 1970s, a series of mechanical games was added to the park; today they constitute the most authentic part and amuse all generations. This addition marked a real turning point for the park, which experienced significant growth thanks to these new activities. “ I joined the park in 2012 alongside my father, where I learned the workings of this world. It was in 2020 that I took over the management of the park, driven by the same passion and desire to guarantee its sustainability. » explains Emmanuel Normand.
