Paris Carrousels
Permanent carrousels
Below you will find the addresses of 15 of the 20 carrousels-merry-go-rounds located in Paris.
1-The Carrousel de Paris, located in the Trocadéro Gardens, with its two old-fashioned platforms, is a traditional style merry-go-round. Children can ride traditional wooden horses, various vehicles, and even take to the air into a superb hot-air balloon.
Directions: 16th district – Palais de Chaillot – Jardins du Trocadero – Metro Trocadéro on Line 9
2-The Carrousel de la Tour d’Eiffel, located at the foot of the tower, is solar-powered and offers a wide selection of wooden horses and vehicles, including a miniature train.
Directions: 7th district – Eiffel Tower – Closest Metros Ecole Militaire on Line 8 or Trocadéro on Line 6 or RER Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel
3-The Carrousel du Jardin des Tuileries is a single-platform merry-go-round with charming wooden horses and carriages. Its central pillar is covered in mirrors that give it a magical atmosphere.
Directions: 1st district –Jardins des Tuileries – Metro Tuileries, Concorde, Palais-Royal-Louvre – Rivoli on Line 1
4-The Carrousel du Métro Saint-Paul is the most modern and colourful of them all. Instead of animals, children can ride on various types of cars, planes, and ships.
Directions: 1st district – Metro St-Paul exit on Rue St-Antoine on Line 1
5-The Manège du Dodo was built in 1992, is one of the most unusual carrousels! With its retro 1930s style, it resembles a real Noah’s Ark. It doesn’t have any vehicles, but rather animals. Thus, children can ride a giraffe, a lion, a tortoise, an ostrich, and an elephant, as well as rare or extinct species, such as a Tasmanian wolf, a dodo, and even a triceratops!
Directions: 5th district – Jardin des Plantes Metro Gare d’Austerlitz on Lines 10 or 5
6-The carrousel des Jardins du Luxembourg is the oldest in Paris. It was designed in 1879 by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Opéra de Paris!
Its decoration, more understated than that of other Parisian merry-go-rounds, gives it a unique charm. It consists of a rotating wooden platform topped with a green and yellow dome. It has few gondolas, but features a variety of animals, including wooden horses, deer, and giraffes.
Directions: 6th district – Jardins du Luxembourg – closest Metro Notre-Dames des Champs on Line 12
7- The carrousel du Parc de Bercy is another traditional merry-go-round, offering children the chance to ride wooden horses, carriages, and even a mischievous cow that sticks its tongue out!
Directions: 12th district – Parc de Bercy – Metro Bercy on Line 6
8-The Carrousel des Impressionnistes, located in Place Montparnasse, is renowned for its wooden horses and carriages that gracefully circle the central column, adorned with reproductions of paintings by the Impressionist painters Monet, Manet, and Renoir.
Directions: 14th district – Along Avenue du Maine at Gare Montparnasse – Metro Montparnasse-Bienvenüe on Lines 4/12/13
9-The Jardin d’Acclimatation, nestled in the Bois de Boulogne, is the oldest amusement park in Paris. Children have access to several themed rides, each offering a unique attraction such as swings, Disney figurines, and aeroplanes. There is something for everyone.
Directions: 16th district – Jardin d’Acclimation in Bois de Boulogne – Metro Porte Maillot on Line 1 or RER Maillot Neuilly-Porte Maillot
10-The small carrousel du Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is the second most modern and playful in Paris. It indeed offers rides on various whimsical vehicles and creatures, such as a penguin, a goldfish, a crocodile, a fire truck, and a motorcycle.
Directions: 19th district – Parc des Buttes Chaumont – Metro Buttes Chaumont on Line 7bis
11-The traditional carrousel du Parc de la Villette has two platforms, each offering a unique experience. On the upper platform, children can enjoy classic wooden horses, while the lower platform offers more adventurous attractions, such as a hot air balloon, a plane, a Tintin-style rocket, and a tram.
Directions: 19th district – Parc de la Villette – Metro Corentin Cariou on Line 7
12- If your children dream of a ride in a minibus, then a visit to the carousel in the Square des Batignolles is a must!
Directions: 17th district – Place Charles Fillion Rue Cardinet – Metro Brochant on Line 13
13-The Manège du Parc is located near the splendid rotunda that marks the entrance to Parc Monceau.
Directions: 8th district – Parc Monceau – Boulevard de Courcelles – Metro Monceau on Line 2
14-If your children are looking for unusual vehicles, such as a miniature Harley, they will be delighted by the carousel in Saint-Mandé – Bois de Vincennes.
Directions: Bois de Vincennes facing Rue Granvile – Metro Mandé on Line 1
15- Finally, one of the most popular carousels is located in the charming merry-g-round on Place Saint-Pierre, at the foot of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre. This Italian-made carousel is adorned with painted ceilings reminiscent of Venice’s picturesque canals. However, its horses, though made of plastic, not wood, are inspired by the American Wild West, with its stagecoaches and Native Americans, which add a touch of adventure to its whimsical charm.
Directions: 18th district – Place St-Pierre – Metro Anvers on Line 2
Seasonal carrousels
You’ll also find many carousels set up temporarily during the summer season or at funfairs, but two are always favourites with the public when they’re in operation.
Le Supersonic is located in Place Voltaire and features exclusively miniature spaceships, a theme that’s a favourite among young children!
Directions: 11th district – Place Voltaire – Metro Voltaire on Line 9
The second is set up in Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville for special occasions and festivities.
Directions: 4th district – Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville – Metro Hôtel-de-Ville on Lines 1/11
Keep your eyes peeled for other seasonal carrousels scattered throughout Paris!
