Pavillons de Bercy, Paris

Pavillons de Bercy houses the Musée des Arts Forains, a private museum where historic fairground machines, games, and theatrical objects fill former wine-storage buildings. The collection began with Jean Paul Favand, an actor and antiques dealer, and opened to visitors in 1996. Its objects date from 1850 to 1950, including 14 rides, 16 fair stalls, 18 historical sets, and 1522 individual works.

The museum occupies 11,400 m2 and unfolds through three main themed rooms. In the Fairground Art Museum, you can ride a restored bicycle carousel made in 1897, or propel painted café waiters along a racing track by throwing balls into target holes. The Theatre of Marvels uses an automatic orchestra, 12 projectors, and 800 light sources to turn wall decorations into moving scenes, including Captain Nemo’s Nautilus.

In the Venetian Lounges, automata perform an opera-inspired spectacle, while a gondola carousel brings the fairground version of Venice to life. Between the buildings, the open-air theatre extends across 2,500 m2. Ivy, suspended antique lights, and a unicorn sculpture continue the theatrical atmosphere outdoors. Visits are guided and available by prior reservation, so this is a museum designed to be experienced rather than simply viewed.