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The city of light, Paris, never falls short of its glory. Its endless tales of heritage promise not only to be sights to behold, but experiences to cherish.
One such gem that has been turning heads around since 1996, is the Musée des Arts Forains, nestled at the heart of the Bercy District.
The humble yet renowned museum takes the mantle as the first and only museum to host little wonders all year round. Since before its inception, Jean-Paul Favand, the mind behind it all, had been gathering art heritage from the 19th and 20th centuries to create a singular entity filled with performing objects.
Dedicating his life to producing a place where culture, conviviality and curiosity collide, Musée des Arts Forains has firmly placed itself as Pavilions de Bercy’s prime location of funfair.
Conserving art heritage
The Musée des Arts Forains is an exceptional space devoted to preserving history, transforming each attraction into a reflection of the past for today’s modern thinkers.
With inspiration derived from the 19th century, when funfairs held supreme, the Bercy-based museum cradles even the most niche forms of entertainment alive. Such as puppeteering, jugglers, acrobats, wax museums and most notably, a nod to the iconic merry-go-rounds.
As it pays homage to the history of funfairs, the museum houses centuries-old artistic artefacts that have been preserved in near-perfect condition for over 27 years. Some of the oldest fairground pieces have required a total of 20,000 hours of meticulous conservation to maintain their ideal state.
A Timeless getaway
This entertaining museum is different from traditional cultural institutions. It can be disconcerting to discover a museum without labels or display cases; where it is possible to touch the art pieces which are staged around the visitors.
In order to make these objects accessible to visitors and bring about a dialogue with the public, each item has been carefully selected among thousands in kept in storage. They were then meticulously positioned and illuminated to tell their story to the viewer.
The visitors are also invited to be a part of the scenography by walking through theatre curtains to enter each room, as actors enter a stage.
To fully comprehend the special nature of the place, visitors are guided in order to immerse themselves in these timeless sceneries. No walk-in visits are possible in this special museum but the golden rule for is to keep your eyes wide open. It is a timeless getaway into the themes of curiosity cabinets, carnivals, incredible gardens and Belle Epoque funfairs. Access by reservation only.
