The Museum of Fairground Arts (Musée des Arts Forains) in Paris, Bercy district, offers a vivid glimpse into the world of Belle Époque funfairs. With more than 3,000 restored objects, from carousel figures and game booths to mechanical marvels and theatrical sets, it brings together one of the richest collections of historic fairground art anywhere. Although only minutes from central Paris, the atmosphere here feels removed from the modern city
The museum can only be seen on 90-minute guided tours, which turn the experience into a lively performance. Visitors move through immersive halls filled with color, sound, and playful illusions. The tone is informal: guides set the scene and share anecdotes, but guests are encouraged to wander, touch, and try things. Many of the old fairground games and carousels still work, so the tour often includes a few spins, a bit of dancing, and several rounds of competitive play.
Thematic Halls of the Museum of Fairground Arts
Each hall explores a different part of historic fairground culture:
- The Pavilions of Bercy date from the neighborhood’s reputation as a place of entertainment. Once just outside Paris’s city limits, the area drew crowds with untaxed wine and a spirited nightlife.
- Les Salons Vénitiens evoke the atmosphere of Venice’s famous carnival. A carousel, operatic motifs, and theatrical décor create an almost cinematic world inspired by masquerades and festive pageantry.
- Salons Carousels celebrate the great mobile fairgrounds of the early 20th century. These traveling worlds carried ballrooms, bars, giant organs, and electric lighting from town to town. The original salon represented here had a 40-meter façade and required 18 wagons to move. It is a reminder of how elaborate these temporary pleasure palaces once were.
- Le Théâtre du Merveilleux blends curiosities, illusions, and mechanical games. Horse races, target shooting, a ballroom, and the extraordinary bicycle carousel reflect the ingenuity and spectacle that defined Belle Époque fairs.
Although family-friendly, the museum reflects the original focus of historic fairgrounds: adults looking for amusement. The sizeable carousel horses, the dance halls, and the theatrical illusions all point to entertainment that once catered to grown-up crowds, but children today clearly enjoy it just as much.
Fairground Insights from the Guides
The guides sprinkle their tours with light historical remarks rather than formal lectures. Electricity, for example, first dazzled many Europeans at funfairs. So did magical scientific experiments, mechanical theaters, moving pictures, lotteries, and feats by traveling showmen. Fairgrounds were places of spectacle long before modern theme parks.
The tradition of large carousel horses is partly practical: for many early visitors, this was the closest they would ever come to riding an actual horse. French and continental carousels turn anti-clockwise, so the horses face right; English ones rotate clockwise, so the animals face left.
Music added to the excitement. The Mortier organ from 1932 could replace a dozen musicians, while the powerful Hooghuys organ of a mobile salon could announce the fair’s arrival from several kilometers away.
A Memorable Moment at the Musée des Arts Forains
One standout attraction is the bicycle carousel, built in Belgium in 1897. It is entirely pedal-powered, with British mechanics (hence its clockwise rotation), French paintwork, and an Italian organ. At full speed, it could reach an astonishing 40 mph (60 km/h) — breathtaking for an era when most people had never come close to such velocity.
Riding it remains an unforgettable part of the tour, a rare chance to feel Belle Époque thrill technology firsthand.
→For a more detailed description see also Visit the Fun Paris Museum of Fairground Arts (Musée des Arts Forains) in Bercy.
Tickets and Tours for the Museum of Fairground Arts in Paris
The 90-minute tours can only be booked directly online at the Museum of Fairground Arts (Musée des Arts Forains) official website. English tours sell out fast, but the French tours are fun too. Tickets are around €20 for adults and €15 for children aged 4 to 11 years old.
Arrive at the museum at most ten minutes before tours — there are no cafes, shops, or waiting areas at the museum itself.
Transportation to the Museum of Fairground Arts (Musée des Arts Forains) in Paris
The Museum of Fairground Arts (Musée des Arts Forains) in Les Pavillons de Bercy, 53 Av. des Terroirs de France, 75012 Paris, France, is only a few minutes’ stroll from the metro station Cour Saint-Émilion on the Metro Line M14. (Traveling time from Les Halles Chatelet is only 6 minutes.)