Les Pavillons de Bercy - Musée des Arts Forains

Easily one of my favourite museums in Paris! The child in me was completely absorbed by the fairground rides and theatrical sets, while the adult in me admired the craftsmanship, history, and sheer care taken with each antique piece. For such a niche focus, the collection is surprisingly expansive and impeccably maintained. Being able to actually ride the attractions transforms the experience from passive to immersive. It feels alive, joyful, and communal. A rare museum that leaves everyone smiling.

EDIT: A big thanks to the museum for their reply! I was not aware that the venue acted more like a museum the rest of the time. I visited by coincidence at the time of an event. For people coming across this review, make to read their reply as well for details on visits outside of the festival time. -- Original Review -- I expected a museum from the name, but I'd say this is more of a set of live performances with some fairground props and rides available to try. If you want to get your money's worth here, you need to spend at least half a day here and see all of the performances, following the schedule. I will say these are are probably the highlight of the experience. The rides look like they may be fun, but you may find that there's a long wait to get on them. A few performers roam around entertaining people in the queues with musical or mildly acrobatic performances to help with the kids patience, which is a nice touch. Your tickets only cover two rides per person. Any more costs extra. We didn't get to do any of these, more on this later. The exhibits include a 19th-century merry-go-round and some stage costumes from the 70s and 2000s, amongst other things of unknown origin. We found that while the costumes were labelled most of the scattered fairground bits and pieces were not, which would have made this place a better museum. I don't recommend this place for wheelchair users. You only get a somewhat reduced tariff, and your accompanier pays full price. Despite this, you won't be able to go on any of the rides, which are half of the activities to do here. Additionally, it's pretty hard to get around, with large crowds and roaming performers that block the way and cobblestones in the main courtyard. In conclusion, I think the best target audience is parents with able-bodied kids and at least a half-day to spend queuing and watching live performances.

What an utterly splendid experience. The guided tour was nothing short of a theatrical performance, riveting from start to finish. The young lady conducting the tour delivered over an hour of engaging and impassioned narration. To call it a “guide” would be an injustice; it was, in essence, a masterclass in performance art. Though the commentary was primarily in French, I was able to glean roughly half the content through real-time translation. Alas, my grasp of French is limited, but even so, the quality and charisma of her delivery were unmistakable, far superior to any written English guide. This lady possessed a captivating charm, commanding the room with a magnetic presence not unlike a leading actress in a period film. Her energy transported us into the whimsical world of the vintage amusement park with such vivacity that one felt entirely immersed. Within the grounds, one finds a treasure trove of antique delights: a beautifully restored carousel, a mechanical horse-racing game, and a rotating bicycle contraption, all singular and enchanting experiences one seldom encounters elsewhere. A veritable jewel of a museum. Highly recommended for those with an appreciation for charm, artistry, and a touch of nostalgia.

The most fun museum I’ve ever been to. After visiting it, everyone will be back to a 12-year-old kid I promise. Our guide Manon is super knowledgeable with great humour so the whole visit was just pure joy. She explained all the classic objects in the venu and answered everyone’s question patiently. The English tour is much less frequent than French one so be sure to book in advance (I think you can only visit this place in guided tour). Highly recommend!! Again, thank you Manon for making this tour so memorable :)

What a magical experience. You'll see - and ride! - a one-of-a-kind pedal-powered carousel and see other antique carousels and historic amusement delights you've only seen in movies or perhaps in some slightly scary (but fun) dreams. The tour (we went on an English language tour) was geared a bit to the children in the group, but that was fine. Our guide was upbeat and fun and allowed us a number of hands-on experiences. Marvelous artifacts and magical buildings and environs.

I enjoyed a lot during my visit. Though I couldn’t understand French, I could feel the passion from the tour guide. She was a lovely lady! The museum is gorgeous and I has an impressive experience. If you plan to visit, please make your reservation earlier. Besides, guided tours in English are only available in specific period of time.

For a long time I have been wanting to visit Les Pavillons de Bercy... and it finally happened! This is a one of a kind place which takes you back in time when life was simpler. The owner has quite the collection all beautifully curated. I was in awe of all it's beauty. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. The tour was in French, but that did not bother me one bit. I feel honored to have experienced such an incredible collection. I highly recommend people visiting. This should be a national treasure!

A true gold nugget hidden from mass tourism. The mandatory reservation makes sense because you truly need to be touring with a guide and discuss the history of every game and ride. It is not made to just walk around but to be experienced It is so fun for grown ups and kids to try the rides! We had a blast and our guide Libere was so personable and funny. Loved this museum. I

Unbelievably cool museum. I checked back to their website multiple times to get a reservation and it was worth the trouble. My teen daughter said the last ride was the best ride she has ever been on. I won't say more: just go.

Truly a gem off the beaten path! Check-in was easy, and the tour started on time! Would recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time so you can pick a specific time slot that would work with your schedule. It's limited to about 20 people per slot, so that's something to keep in mind. You can only only go on the grounds through a tour, and they are mainly versed in French. On certain holidays, I do see they offer English tours. Regardless, you can get an English pamphlet that talks about the main areas the tour goes in. Our tour guide was great, as she was able to converse with us in English when we had some questions, and even in French, you could tell how passionate she is about this unique art form. We got to ride old Merry-go-rounds, listen to a haunting carnival organ, played old mechanized carnival games, and rode a unique bike ride that spun all of us in circles This collection is also on enchanted grounds, covered in ivy and read brick, so the space in itself is quite magical. It is off the normal path just east of Paris, but if carnivals, merri-go-rounds, and history your thing, you might enjoy this whimsical museum! We walked back toward Paris and ate lunch at a cafe called Le Cafe de Chats- which was a charming lunch in itself, surrounded by napping cats and good food!

An absolute gem off the beaten tourist path. You must buy your tickets in advance online. The tour is entirely given in French. Non-french speakers are handed an English print-out to follow along. Our tour guide was absolutely enchanting and she led the tour with whimsy and humor. I didn't realize that visitors would actually get hands on with these historic pieces, so you get to ride on a century old merry go round, a bike carousel, and play with the ancient arcade games. You really do step into another world and another era. Covid protections are in place with everyone wearing masks and hand sanitizer stations spread throughout. Highly recommend this remarkable site.

This place is epic. So worth going to. We only speak English but did the tour in french. Most of the museum is visual and interactive. It is not necessary to book the English tour. They also have Brocher in English if needed. The rooms and buildings have some truly unique and creative items. Each new area you enter gets more and more impressive. Everything still works, moves, lights up, plays music and many of the games and rides you get to interact with. If I lived in Paris I would absolutely book any of these spaces for a privet event. Out of everywhere we went in Paris this will be my number "DO NOT MISS" suggestion to any of of my friends family.

Every year over the holidays, this private museum will open for general public. But be sure to purchase tickets well in advance or you may not be able to get in. You will need to show prebooked tickets at the door. It's not hard to get to because Google is your friend. There are rides and food inside, there are performances from 10:30 to 17:45, some repeats, and some really amazing one of kind performances that are so French that you'd not want to miss it. Imagine you are on on HBO new television series set, or better yet, do you remember HBO series Carnivale? Think it's that set but it's a throw back to 1800s France. Yep, just like that your world is once again transformed. Because no matter where you look at, up on the tree on the ground near and afar there are dressed up actresses and actors entertaining you. There are also games and carnival rides you can purchase - 1 euro per ticket. And you can also buy food ticket. The crepes are better than many other places. I really like the make belief street performances. It's got some very complicated set that you'd never see elsewhere. In France, unlike Germany, children's entertainment (adults', for what it is worth) are quite different. If you read my reviews of Germany amusement parks, epecially those that are around Berlin, you will know it's very organic, mechanical, properly organized and well engineered rugged beauties. very manly so to speak, in France, it's the exact opposite. It's more fantastical, feminine, and quite enchanting. This is a good representation of a bygone era of carnivals. Anything and everything happened back then. I would not skip this one if you are holidaying in Paris during late Dec through early January. Hard to describe it, but it's a must do on New Years day in Paris. And everyone speaks English of course. Paris has always been the friendliest metropolis to me, and this place will make you welcomed immediately. Just remember, book your tickets online, and in advance before you come. And do come over the holidays. The rest of the year is just private tour on selected days and you don't get to try any of the rides as it's closed to public.

They claim they are open every day, but when I showed up at opening time (10a), the lady on the inter phone said "no open today". ?!!??!! Waste of my time to get into this remote neighborhood of Paris. To the establishment : if you claim open hours , then it's just respectful to your potential visitors to be open ! Otherwise, it's just frustrating and confusing.

Went to a trade association dinner event here. It is a great space for events, acoustics are good and the ambiance is really quite nice. I did not see all of the museums items but much was available for the event, and there were performers as well. It was a lot of fun. I recommend going here if you have a chance

Way too many crazy kids on the tour, they were touching and climbing on everything! The tour guide was singing non stop and was way to long, would be much better if you could just walk around in quiet and enjoy the collection, much of which was not on display :( Not good for people with physical disabilities, lots of pointless standing and trying to avoid other tour, that if they just staggered the start times wouldn't happen.

I love carousels they make me happy. I purchased tickets in advance for Musée des Arts Forains as I wanted to celebrate my Birthday here. I cannot describe how much fun this museum is! You need to experience all the vintage games and carousels. Midnight in Paris was filmed here. It's worth the trip and experience. They have tours in English!

A must see!!! You must book your ticket in advance online. We purchased ours online the night before. There are only certain days that have English tours and we did not go on one of those days. They do provide you with a handout in English to try to help follow along on the tour. The woman at the ticket booth said to me with a smile, "Don't worry, you don't have to speak French to enjoy the carousel" She was right! Our tour guide was very enthusiastic and I wish I understood more French. This place will absolutely make you feel like you time traveled a hundred years to a carnival. All of the rides and art are beautiful, not to mention fun to ride! This place was a highlight of Paris for me.

This museum is perfect for Xmas! Not only can you try the attractions, but you can also have fun by playing the fun games available for the audience. This place is just magic, and you will feel delighted by the scrumptious decorations and the funny staff that makes his best to make you spend a fantastic day!

I got a chance to visit this unique site during a conference and fell in love with the ambiance!

Upon arriving home from Paris I told everyone who would listen about Musee des Arts Forians. As an English speaker on a French language tour our guide was above accommodating from informing us about highlights from the conversation to ensuring that we partook in the activities at hand. This experience was wildly magical and one that I will never forget. Be sure to book in advance and that the tour will be longer than anticipated, all of this is well worth the cost.

We took Velib bikes from Marais to the Musee and it was easy to find, easy to ride to with dedicated bike paths 95% of the way, with great views of the Seine. The staff are welcoming, friendly, and light-hearted (As we checked in with our reservation, "Are you Pokemon hunting? "No, we're not, just here for the tour." "Oh thank goodness!!") The Musee is very cool, in an old wine warehouse and our guide gave us an interesting overview and history of the area. While I would have preferred more signage and interpretive material over a guided tour I get that they operate on a limit budget, and our guide was really good. She operated an old caliope for us, then old carousels and let us ride them. The highlight was the restored bicycle carousel that we all pedaled and it went like crazy -- they claim to have had it up to 40 mph but I bet that we were doing barely 20 while having a total blast -- and made a racket. Everyone had the biggest smiles on their faces. It was very fun to be on a quaint, 100-year-old ride that both worked and would give insurers on this side of the Atlantic the hebejebees. There was plenty of opportunity to actually touch the exhibits (though some are restricted) and see how the mechanicals worked, if you're into that sort of thing (we are). The hour-and-a-half tour was solid content, for the most part, and well worth the money. If you like off-beat scenes then you can't beat the Musee des Artes Forains.