From Toulon to La Villette: the Argonaute's final voyage

On 10 October 1989, after 24 years of loyal service in the Toulon submarine squadron, 2,147 days at sea and 32,700 hours underwater, the Argonaute reached its final resting place in the Parc de la Villette, opposite the Cité des Sciences.

In 1982, the Argonaute was retired from active service. After persevering for 7 years, the Amerami association eventually saved this prototype from the scrapyard and restored it, so that it could provide firsthand evidence of the fascinating history of the submarine. From Toulon, it was towed via Gibraltar all along the coast of Spain and Portugal to Le Havre.

On 25 September 1989, the Argonaute made its way through the seven locks of the Saint-Denis Canal, borne along on floats. Once it had reached the quay on the Canal de l'Ourcq, the 400-tonne submarine was lifted from the water by giant gantry cranes. It was then transported to its new berth on a 96-wheel trailer. In 1991, the Argonaute was ready to reveal its technological mysteries to the public.