La Coupole

Built from 1943 by the Todt Organization as a V2 rocket launch base targeting England, it was bombed by the Allies before becoming operational. Today, it houses a History and Memory Center that attracts over 130,000 visitors annually. With the HistoPad, available since July 2024, visitors can enjoy a unique augmented experience. Through augmented reality and immersive reconstructions, they can relive crucial moments in La Coupole’s history, such as the construction of the site in 1944, a recreation of Saint-Omer during the war, or the life of resistance fighters in the North. The HistoPad also unveils geographically distant sites connected to La Coupole, such as the Mittelbau-Dora camp and the Peenemünde testing grounds. Visitors can explore historical simulations of the site as it might have operated had construction been completed, including the V2 unloading station “Ida,” storage areas in the unfinished galleries “Anna” and “Hugo,” the preparation area for rocket launches, and a simulation of a launch from Wizernes to London. Finally, the visit concludes with the Space Conquest, featuring archival footage and a reconstruction of all the stages of Saturn V’s mission, from its launch to the moon landing and return to Earth. In addition to these historically validated interactive scenes, visitors can participate in a family treasure hunt, searching for Saturn V components within the reconstructions. The enriched tour, available in seven languages, also includes tailored versions for visitors with reduced mobility and visually impaired individuals, ensuring accessibility for all.