The Jardin d'Acclimatation () is a children's amusement park located in the northern part of the

Bois de Boulogne The Bois de Boulogne (, "Boulogne woodland") is a large public park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine. The land was ceded to the city of Paris by t ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, alongside other attractions.

History

Opened on 6 October 1860 by

Napoléon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

and

Empress Eugénie An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

, this

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes. The term ''zoological g ...

was originally known as ''Jardin Zoologique d'Acclimatation'', where plants and animals from the colonies could acclimatise to France's weather conditions. It was directed by

Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (16 December 1805 – 10 November 1861) was a French zoologist and an authority on deviation from normal structure. In 1854 he coined the term ''éthologie'' (ethology). Biography He was born in Paris, the son ...

, son of the naturalist

Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (15 April 177219 June 1844) was a French naturalist who established the principle of "unity of composition". He was a colleague of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and expanded and defended Lamarck's evolutionary theories. ...

, until his death in 1861. Jardin_d'Acclimatation_Hottentots

During the

Siege of Paris (1870–1871) The siege of Paris took place from 19 September 1870 to 28 January 1871 and ended in the capture of the city by forces of the various states of the North German Confederation, led by the Kingdom of Prussia. The siege was the culmination of the ...

, many of the animals in the zoo were cooked and served by chef Alexandre Étienne Choron due to wartime deprivation. From 1877 until 1912, the Jardin Zoologique d'Acclimatation was converted to ''l'Acclimatation Anthropologique''. In mid-colonialism, the curiosity of Parisians was attracted to the customs and lifestyles of foreign peoples.

Nubians Nubians () (Nobiin: ''Nobī,'' ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the region which is now northern Sudan and southern Egypt. They originate from the early inhabitants of the central Nile valley, believed to be one of the earliest cradles of c ...

Bushmen The San peoples (also Saan), or Bushmen, are members of various Khoe, Tuu, or Kxʼa-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer cultures that are the first cultures of Southern Africa, and whose territories span Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, ...

Zulus Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ...

, and many other African peoples were "exhibited" in a

human zoo Human zoos, also known as ethnological expositions, were public displays of people, usually in a so-called "natural" or "primitive" state. They were most prominent during the 19th and 20th centuries. These displays sometimes emphasized the sup ...

. The exhibitions were a huge success. The number of visitors to the Jardin doubled, reaching the million mark. In 1931, around 100 other New Caledonian Kanaks, were put on display at the Jardin d'Acclimatation in Paris, and then sold to another zoo. From 1931 on, the last anthropological exhibition was closed down and since then the zoo - now the ''Jardin d'Acclimatation'' - has become a family-oriented leisure park, focusing on children's activities. Among the attractions are many fair-like activities, including mini-rollercoasters, swing rides, and a collection of farm animals and birds. A miniature road system for children operated by the Paris police was closed in 2008.

Attractions

Jardin d'acclimatation, Paris - OSM 2020

The park includes an archery range, house of mirrors, miniature-golf course, narrow-gauge train, pony ride, carousels, puppet theater, shooting galleries, and an

art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own Collection (artwork), collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. A ...

for children (the

Musée en Herbe The Musée en Herbe is an art museum for children, located at 23 rue de L'Arbre-Sec in Paris, France. It was formerly in the Jardin d'Acclimatation, Bois de Boulogne, Paris. The museum was established in 1975 by Sylvie Girardet and Claire Merlea ...

Notes

External links

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Jardin d'Acclimatation. From Human Zoo to Disneyland avant la Lettre
{{authority control Tourist attractions in Paris Zoos in France Buildings and structures in Paris Amusement parks in France 1860 establishments in France Zoos established in 1860 Buildings and structures in the 16th arrondissement of Paris LVMH brands