Come one, Come all.   

After being at the Musée Arts des Forains, I can imagine the call to festive folks.  

One reason I love Paris is that it isn’t  a “once and done” kind of city.  I find new things to do every time we go.  Sometimes the discoveries are magical like a recent experience at the Musée Arts des Forains, a fantastic fairground museum in an area called Bercy far from the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. 

Festival

We saw circus oddities, magic show paraphernalia and personal eccentricities. 

I admit, I’ve seen it listed in guide books, but alway accompanied with words explaining that you need an appointment to go. 

I never did that but, when researching holiday time in Paris, I discovered the temple of fun was hosting a Festival during the time we were going to be there. No appointment needed.  Off we went.  

Housed in a low slung brick building, once a wine warehouse built by a pupil of Gustave Eiffel,  I knew we were onto something special when we walked in the main entrance. 

Lush. Mysterious.  Maybe a  little creepy

We made our way down a dark hall into  dark rooms with displays highlighted.  The darkness helped to create a atmosphere of mystery.  Secrecy.  The Underworld. 

Collection of Fairground Memorabilia

The fabulous museum houses the private collection of merry-go-rounds and carousels in an old music hall setting.  

Very little English was spoken, in fact we didn’t see obvious English speaking tourists.  This was a French Family festival. Love it. 

Velocipede

We particularly liked a bicycle powered carousel called a Velocipede built in 1890.  Yep, the riders pedal furiously to turn us around with great joy.  I read where there are only two velocipedes left in the world.  I’ve ridden one and it was exciting. It can get up to 40 miles an hour. 

Yes, this was a festival so we saw a “clown” band unlike any other.  Funny and Fun. 

Other participants  kept us amused and happy as did the man making bacon sandwiches and the Circus Street Food Stand. 

The Course des Garçons

We watched while people played a pin ball type game with  wooden waiters moving on tracks to declare the winner.  Not sure how that worked but The Course des Garcons (The waiter race) took me back in time and then comparing to today. Imagine this instead of Nintendo. 

Musée Arts des Forains

The building made me laugh.  Half of a horse coming out of a wall and funny heads perched on window sills.  How about this lady decorating the entrance to one of the rooms beckoning me in?

The commands of historic  circus barkers echoes in my ears:   “Come One. Come All.”