Back to April Paris visit day 2, part III - a visit to the enchanting Musée des Arts Forains.

On our visit to Paris we decided to check out a museum that had been on my radar for a while now - Musée des Arts Forains. So after a coffee break and short walk around Bercy Village we stepped into a whimsical, glittering world where time literally seems to spin backwards.

As soon as we walked under the arched entrance and into the courtyard, the outdoor 'Théâtre de Verdure' between the rows of pavilions, where we met up with our guide (*French), we knew we were going to enjoy the experience.

The museum is housed within beautifully restored former19th-century wine warehouses of Bercy.

After a brief introduction we were led into the museum proper.

This magical place brings back to life the golden age of fairs, carnivals, and Belle Époque entertainment. Here, antique carousels, mechanical barrel organs, mirrored halls, painted backdrops, and vintage fairground attractions create an immersive experience that feels more like stepping onto an enchanted film set than visiting a traditional museum.

Instead of silent displays behind glass, visitors wander freely among the treasures. The knowledgeable guide brought the collection to life with lively demonstrations - cranking up the organs, spinning the carousels, and sharing fascinating stories behind these beautifully preserved pieces of popular entertainment from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

It’s pure joy for both adults and children alike, a joyful, nostalgic escape into a bygone era of wonder and spectacle.

The numbers are restricted so as to allow everyone to join in with the accessible rides and games. You had the chance to play the classic derby horse racing game (we lost) and to ride the beautifully restored carousels.

 When we entered the large ballroom (?), where Hooghuys' (Belgian) street organ sits, as soon as the music started up our fellow French visitors all started to dance and we joined in - now I wonder had it been the English tour would this have happened? Lovely moment!

Then it was into the 'Salons Vénitiens' where mechanical puppets (automatons) dressed in Venetian costume gave an opera performances from balconies high above us.

The final ride of the tour was on an original velocipede carousel dating from 1897 (one of the oldest in the world) where the riders propel themselves around by pedal-power. We left that to the young'uns as it went really fast with even some of the youngsters having to lift their feet of the pedals! 

We left with big smiles on our faces and the fact that we had a French *guide did not take anything away from the experience,we would highly recommend a visit here. Book a morning visit followed by lunch in Bercy village and then take a walk through the Parc de Bercy,the makings of a lovely day out!

Les Pavillons de Bercy - Musée des Arts Forains

Paris visit April 2026 day 2...part II. Visiting Bercy Village: Paris’ Historic Wine Cellars Reborn.

With time to kill before our visit to the 'Musée des Arts Forains' so we decided to revisit Bercy Village which is in the same set of former wine cellars. We had last visited way back in 2013.

Once a bustling 19th-century wine hub, 'Cour Saint-Emilion' which was home to the cellars, fell silent in the 1960s. Today, the cellars (42 apparently) have been beautifully converted to form Bercy Village.

Saved from decay and listed as a Historical Monument, the site underwent a major transformation in the late 1990s. The result is a lively, all-generation destination blending history with modern energy set in the 12th arrondissement of Paris.

There are around 30 shops and probably too many restaurants with sunny terraces, plus fun leisure spots: a climbing wall, games bar, and immersive Science Experiences. We started our visit off at one of the coffee shops and finished it with a light lunch at another spot. We did no shopping as we had planned to also visit the nearby Parc de Bercy.

A popular 18-screen cinema and year-round cultural events complete the mix here.

Atmospheric, welcoming, and refreshingly different, Bercy Village proves old cellars can become one of Paris’s coolest hangouts, according to the official website - it does have a good vibe but 'coolest hangout', not so sure.

 Bercy Village is best accessed by taking metro Line 14 to station Cour Saint-Émilion. This brings you out directly at the main entrance to the 'village'.

 

Paris visit April 2026 day 2...part 1. A metro ride down to Bercy from the 19th.

Quick burger before heading down the Metro (only joking) - entered the network at station Stalingrad (line 7) which was only 10 minutes from our hotel. As you know we like to walk when we are in Paris but we had booked a time slot to visit the 'Musée des Arts Forains' (more later) down in Bercy so to make the most of our day we decided to add a visit to Bercy Village before the museum and take the metro to get us there early.

Our charged Navigo passes should have made the journey easier but they fell at the first hurdle, or should that be turnstyle. I got through with mine but Pauline's failed to work and left her stranded behind bars! Fortunately,or not,we had the same issue on an earlier journey where it was explained to us that there was a call button to summon help/allow you access. The system still has 'teething troubles' apparently. 

Our destination station was 30 mins away with one change at metro station 'Pyramides' where we changed onto line 14. 

The station we were headed for wasn't the obvious 'Bercy' but the one following that 'Cour Saint-Emilion' which takes you directly to the entrance of Bercy Village.

Line 14 is the newest in the network which, since June 2024. now goes all the way to Orly Airport.

It is always worth checking your map/metro map or Sat/Nav to check for the less obvious destination stations relative to where you want to end up in the city. Must do something on this on my Paris site.

Paris visit April 2026 day 1...part 2 , Ending in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Our walk down from our hotel in the 19th arrondissement ended at our intended destination '1925-2025 – One Hundred Years of Art Deco' at the Museum of Decorative Arts. This temporary exhibition closed yesterday so we were happy to have made it. You can see more here on my Paris site.

After our visit to the exhibition we headed down rue de Rivoli and across Place du Carrousel in front of the Louvre.

Then onto Quai Voltaire where you can capture the fabulous Musee d'Orsay on the other side of the Seine.

Then over Pont du Carrousel to Quai Voltaire.

Looking back over the bridge towards the Louvre.

We were heading to the Latin Quarter in search of a restaurant for dinner. We headed down toward rue de Seine with one of the city's domes,that of the 'Institut de France', acting as a beacon.

From rue de Seine we continued onto rue de Buci, a popular choice for tourists looking for a restaurant in this part of the city. The street entertainers were out for them but it proved too busy for us. 

We turned up the quiet rue Grégoire de Tours and were 'accosted' by the friendly proprietor of 'Gavroche' just around the corner. Normally we would not be drawn in by this approach but we were ready to eat and he seemed like a nice guy. So we entered the the restaurant which had a few customers spread around. We ended up in the 'window' so as to attract others in!

It proved to be a great choice with great service very tasty food at a good price. It didn't take long for the place to fill up - probably the attractive couple in the window!

Rue de Buci took on a different vibe after dark.

After dinner we headed over to the legendary 'Caveau de la Huchette' to check out the jazz on offer as recommended by a friend. 

There was already a long queue outside the venue and as we joined the end only to be told that this was in fact queue number two - the other, even longer, one was across the road! We decided that maybe we will try agin on our next visit.

We decided to take the metro back up to the 19th catching it over the river at the Hôtel de Ville, passing the illuminated Notre Dame. It was interesting to see that the 'love locks' have reappeared - not sure how long they will be allowed to stay.  

Crossing the Pont d'Arcole was magical.