Every year, no fewer than 300,000 visitors pass through the doors of the sublime Musée des Arts Forains in Paris. A museum in its own right, it showcases the beauty of our fairground heritage through enchanting, immersive scenography. Centuries-old rides, antique attractions, curiosities... Here, relive the magic of Belle Époque-style funfairs, as you plunge into a fantastical and marvellous universe…
Once upon a time, the incredible Musée des Arts Forains in Paris…
Young and old alike owe this exceptional museum to Jean Paul Favand, director of the heritage of show business and the fairground arts. The first singularity of his life? Being the only Jean Paul whose first name is written without a hyphen. Is that a coquetry? No, a detail that already sums up the character’s taste for the unexpected. As he grew up, Jean Paul (no hyphen) made his way off the beaten track. Sometimes a secondhand dealer, curiosity monger, master of the merry-go-round or master of ceremonies… this jack-of-all-trades was self-taught. In the 1970s, he hunted tirelessly, accumulating rare objects, antique sets, wax statues and… forgotten merry-go-rounds.
His interest in the unusual led him to cross paths with iconic artists such as Salvador Dalí and Robert Doisneau, whom he met at exhibitions of curiosities. Doisneau, fascinated by his collection, even devoted a photo essay to it. As his collection grew to colossal proportions, Jean Paul Favand dreamed of an exceptional place to bring these festive objects back to life, restoring their sparkle and movement. The result was a crazy but brilliant idea: to create a living museum. A place where visitors would not just be spectators, but actors in a re-enchanted world.
Les Pavillons de Bercy: an 11,400 m2 living museum, where spectators become actors
And so the Musée des Arts Forains was born. After a stint in Gentilly, then in the15ᵉ arrondissement, it was finally in the Bercy district that this marvelous museum found its home, in 1996, in former wine cellars dating from theXIXᵉ century. These red-brick buildings, steeped in history, have been carefully rehabilitated, preserved, without being devoid of whimsy.
Now Les Pavillons de Bercy – Musée des Arts Forains, the venue highlights festive traditions, spectacle and entertainment. What makes it special? Its claim to be a living museum. A museum where it’s possible (and even advisable) to touch the objects, operate the rides, and become an integral part of the scenery. In this way, thanks to innovative scenography, the visitor becomes an actor in his or her own right. They can take a ride on an 1897 velocipede, play period games, or listen to the melodies of old musical instruments.
“Laughter and celebration didn’t have a museum, whereas there are many museums that show war. I’ve created a dream world that would be nothing without the audience that brings it to life.” Jean Paul Favand
At the heart of the museum: an authentic 1897 velocipede merry-go-round, still in working order.
Among the “wows” guaranteed: an authentic velocipede merry-go-round dating from 1897 (one of the few still in working order in the world), a wooden horse carousel from the 1900s and an unusual waiters’ race. Not to mention German swings, a 1935 shooting and massacre game, a billiards stand that was once very popular at fairs, and fairground photographic collections. In all, the museum covers more than 11,400 m², divided into four thematic areas. The Théâtre du Merveilleux, the Musée dees Arts Forains proper, the Salons Vénitiens and the Théâtre de Verdure. Each offers its own universe, its own animations, and its own poetry…
In the run-up to Christmas, don’t miss the magical Festival du Merveilleux. A magical interlude in the heart of the Musée des Arts Forains in Paris.
The annual highlight at the Musée des Arts Forains is, of course,the Festival du Merveilleux. In the run-up to the festive season, the museum opens its doors to the public without guided tours, offering shows and a wide range of activities, from costume parades to free access to vintage rides. Adorned with a thousand lights, the museum and its garden are transformed into magical spaces, worthy of the most beautiful Christmas tales.
Yes, the Musée des Arts Forains is undoubtedly one of the most enchanting invitations to daydream that Paris has to offer. A magical and marvellous place, to be discovered with our eternal childlike eyes.
📍 Musée des Arts Forains, les Pavillons de Bercy – 53 avenue des Terroirs de France, 75 012 Paris