The Museum of Fairground Art (Musée des Arts Forains) in Paris hosts an excellent collection of old fairground equipment & attractions from the historic period of 1850-1950. It all started thirty years ago when Jean Paul Favand, an actor and antiques dealer, began collecting objects from fairgrounds and the entertainment world, appreciating their cultural and aesthetic qualities. The building housing the museum, Les Pavillons de Bercy, has been turned into a “Carousel-Salon” with restored historic pieces like restored games, German swings, merry-go-rounds, Parisian waiter races, Japanese billiards, sculpted wood horses, Gypsy wagons, carousels and 100 year old bicycles on display. Visits are by appointment only, and after reading reviews of the place on-line it sounds like a must-see.
Museum of Fairground Art (Musée des Arts Forains) in Paris
