Festival du Merveilleux 2024 at the Musée des Arts Forains

Here's a great way to spend the Christmas vacations... The Musée des Arts Forains in Bercy invites you to discover its new edition of the Festival du Merveilleux from December 27, 2024 to January 5, 2025. It's an opportunity to discover this unusual museum, designed by Jean-Paul Favand, a private collector who has decided to share his fantastic world of fairground rides and arts with us. For more than a week, the museum will be open to the public, with or without a reservation (but we strongly advise you to make a reservation), and will be transformed in the colors of Christmas. This magical place, decorated and illuminated, promises great shows and a crazy atmosphere, with the music of the era.

This year, the festival invites us to take part in its"Joyeux Bercy": we discover a special program that honors the guinguettes of our grandparents, and revives Bercy's past, when it was considered the world's largest wine and spirits market.

Here we are, back in the 19th century, when Bercy was an important market and Parisians came here to have fun, feast and dance. Photos and antiques bring the era to life, while visitors are invited to try their hand at the waltz, polka, java or mazurka. Workers, artists and strollers mingle in this timeless little world, creating a joyous and convivial celebration.

Free shows and entertainment are organized throughout the day. On the program: hypnotists, dancers, musicians, puppeteers, tightrope walkers and acrobats. Enthralling entertainment for young and old!

Even better: for each admission ticket, visitors receive two attraction tickets: now's the time to have fun and try out one of the museum's many century-old rides! The institution specifies that "it will of course be possible to buy attraction tickets on site, but we recommend that you take advantage of the shows. "

Don't miss the illuminated garden, where you can experience the enchantment of a festive village, far from the hustle and bustle of the modern world outside.

• To be read
• What to do in Paris this Christmas? 10 must-see outings 2024
• The programme of funfairs and amusement parks for Christmas in and around Paris 2024
• What to do with children during the Christmas vacations in Paris 2024

In addition to the special festive events and illuminations, you'll be delighted to discover the extraordinary sets and attractions of this unique museum in Paris. Take part in a daydream and stroll through these fantastic, childlike worlds! Feeling peckish? Let yourself be tempted by the famous onion soup served by the food trucks on hand.

The museum is divided into five grandiose areas dedicated to the art of performance:

• La Fête foraine
  This large 1,800 m² area is home to magnificent attractions, vintage rides and games dating back to the 1900s. The velocipede and wooden horse rides are open to us, for our greatest pleasure.
  
  
• Le Théâtre du merveilleux
  Discover the palace of illusion and dreams with a video show that mixes the real and the virtual for an unusual experience.
  
  
• Les Salons Vénitiens
  Discover 800 m² of rides, fairground attractions and automaton shows. The ride is set to operatic arias, plunging you into a timeless, baroque Venetian world.
  
  
• Le Théâtre de Verdure
  This large, extraordinary, modular garden is populated by amazing creatures and elements, giving us the impression of plunging into the most whimsical tales of our childhood.
  
  
• The Magic Mirror
  Enter this former ballroom from the Roaring Twenties, where live shows using reflections and optical effects make our heads spin!

An experience we were able to discover at a sneak preview. When it comes to entertainment, you're in for a treat! There's something for every taste and age. Introduction to hypnosis, zazou dancing, whirling dervish... there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Visiting the museum is also a matter of interacting with the animations on offer, for an unparalleled immersion experience. And the rides should keep older children happy (remember that fairs in those days were for adults, not children as they are today. The Musée des Arts Forains continues this "tradition", although families are of course welcome). A great vacation visit.

The Festival du Merveilleux offers one of the rare opportunities to visit the Musée des Arts forains. Take advantage of this chance to discover unusual Paris. Tickets should be available soon, so stay tuned.