Les Pavillons de Bercy - Musée des Arts Forains

Musée des Arts Forains is unlike any museum most families have ever visited. Housed in four converted nineteenth-century wine pavilions along the Seine in Bercy, the collection belongs to antique fair collector Jean-Paul Favand, who has spent decades gathering extraordinary pieces from European funfairs and traveling circuses. The guided tour — the only way to visit — takes families through rooms filled with hand-painted carousels, venetian gondola rides, fortune-telling machines, mechanical orchestras, and ornate theater stages, all in operating condition.

The magic of this museum is that it is participatory: guides invite children and adults to ride the carousels, crank the old music boxes, and spin the pedal-powered whirligigs. The atmosphere is candlelit and theatrical, with golden light bouncing off gilded horses and mirrored cabinets. Kids experience genuine wonder here because everything is real, old, and actually works.

The museum is only open to the public during specific periods — typically during Paris Carnival season and by guided tour year-round — so booking ahead is essential. The venue also hosts private events, so public access windows can be limited. For families who love history, design, and the unexpected, this is one of the most memorable Paris experiences available, particularly for children aged 5 and up who have the patience for a guided format.