New life for old carousels

Heritage

A restoration campaign for a 1920s children’s carousel is currently underway at the Venetian Piazza of Musée des Arts Forains.

The goal of the project is to give a new life to this mythical piece acquired in 1990 in the Loire by Jean Paul Favand, creator and director of the museum. Until then, the carousel belonged to André Chenard’s private collection, inherited from a family of showmen.

Built by Coquereau and Maréchal during the Folly Years, it was restored for the first time in 2016. Recently, it was taken out of the museum’s storage, reassembled, and compared to it’s original mechanical plan, and it now functions just as it did in the good old days.

Thanks to the meticulous work of the restorers at the Pavillons de Bercy, the subjects (horses and gondolas) have regained their colors, the floor has become more sturdy and very soon the mast and ceiling will be restored to a new youth, all for the pleasure of the visitors.

After this is completed, this roundabout will be dismantled and go back to storage, and another fairground piece will take its place in another restoration campaign.


Festival du Merveilleux 2024

<h4>From December 27 to January 5, discover the Festival du Merveilleux! </h4>
Many new shows will amaze young and old, all in a friendly and warm atmosphere. This is an opportunity for the public to discover the museum at their own pace, to be amazed by the exceptional heritage preserved in the museum’s various rooms and to attend many impromptu shows.

<strong>Purchase of tickets in advance recommended.</strong>

We recommend that you <a href=”https://arts-forains.tickeasy.com/fr-FR/accueil”>buy your tickets</a> online in advance. These tickets are not queue-jump tickets but guarantee you can attend the festival. If the on-site capacity is reached on site, we will no longer be able to let visitors in without tickets. Favor the mornings.

The usual guided tours of the museum will resume after the holidays.

<h4>Vigipirate Emergency Attack Plan</h4>
Suitcases, large bags and scooters are not accepted in the establishment. Please note that we do not have left-luggage facilities. Our teams reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone who refuses a visual inspection of their belongings.<br /><br />