The Musée des Arts Forains - Collection Jean-Paul Favand is a private museum of funfair

Funfair

A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...

 objects located within the Pavillons de Bercy in the XIIe arrondissement

XIIe arrondissement

The 12th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France....

 at 53, avenue des Terroirs de France, Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, with temporary exhibition space at 64, rue des Pirogues de Bercy. It is open to the public by prior reservation.

The museum was created by Jean Paul Favand, an actor and antiques dealer, from his private collection. It opened to the public in 1996, and now contains a variety of objects dating between 1850-1950 including 14 amusement ride

Amusement ride

Amusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...

s, 16 fair stalls and restored attractions, 18 sets of historical works, and 1522 independent works. The collections include merry-go-rounds and carousel

Carousel

A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...

s, German swings, hundred-year-old bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

s, Japanese billiards, a Parisian Waiter Race and a Hooghuys Organ, and the grand vizier Ali Pasha.

The museum is composed of two major parts: the permanent collection and the temporary collection.

Permanent Collection

This collection is composed of three thematic rooms (each of about 2000 square meters): "The Venitians Lounges" (Les Salons Vénitiens), "The Marvelous Theater" (Le Théâtre du merveilleux) and "The Fairground Art Museum" (Le musée des Arts forains). Mainly used for companies events (product launching for instance), it's also possible to visit as simple guest (by reservation only).

Throughout the tour (or the event), the guests are invited to discover three universes:

• The Marvelous Theater: A glimpse to the biggest world fair
  World fair
  World Fair can refer to:* Expo , a large public exhibition* This World Fair, an American rock band...
  
  s of the beginning of the 20th century (especially Paris'1900). An automatic orchestra (controlled by computer) or a "reatmosphering show" are likely to be seen here: thanks to 12 projectors, the walls are methamorphosing into Captain Nemo
  Captain Nemo
  Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
  
  's Nautilus submarine, or a coral reef.

• The Venitians Lounges: In a typical venitian atmosphere, find in that room an Italian opera based show, performed by some automaton
  Automaton
  An automaton is a self-operating machine. The word is sometimes used to describe a robot, more specifically an autonomous robot. An alternative spelling, now obsolete, is automation.-Etymology:...
  
  s, or go for a ride on a gondola
  Gondola
  The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in...
  
   merry-go-round.

• The Fairground Art Museum: A special tribute to the 19th century funfair: ride a bicycle
  Bicycle
  A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
  
  merry-go-round or play at a Parisian Waiter Race stand.

Temporary Collection

This 150 square meters room has already welcomed some temporary exhibitions, like a model funfair at the 1/20th scale, composed of 39 moving rides and 25 funfair booths.

This area is not home to any exhibition yet.

Venues

Permanent collection : 53, avenue des Terroirs de France, 75012 Paris (by appointment only)

Temporary collection : 64, rue des Pirogues de Bercy, 75012 Paris

Phone number: + 00 33 (0)1 43 40 16 22

Metro Station:

Website of the museum