Jardin d'Acclimatation

Jardin d'Acclimatation

Inside the park
Date opened 6 October 1860
Location Bois de Boulogne, Paris, France
Coordinates 48°52′39″N 2°15′47″E / 48.87750°N 2.26306°E / 48.87750; 2.26306Coordinates: 48°52′39″N 2°15′47″E / 48.87750°N 2.26306°E / 48.87750; 2.26306
Website www.jardindacclimatation.fr

The Jardin d'Acclimatation (French pronunciation: ​[ʒaʁdɛ̃ daklimatasjɔ̃]) is a 19-hectare (47-acre) children's amusement park with, the Exploradôme museum, and other attractions located in the northern part of the Bois de Boulogne, in Paris.[1]

History

Opened on 6 October 1860 by Napoléon III and Empress Eugénie, the Jardin d'Acclimatation de Paris or the Jardin Zoologique d'Acclimatation as it was first called was a Paris zoo (not to be confused with Paris Zoological Park in Bois de Vincennes). It was directed by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, son of the naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, until his death in 1861.

During the Siege of Paris (1870-1871), many of the animals in the zoo were cooked and served by chef Alexandre Étienne Choron.

Poster for an anthropological exhibition

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, Bushmen, Zulus and many other African peoples were "exhibited" in a human zoo. The exhibitions were a huge success. The number of visitors to the Jardin doubled, reaching the million mark.[2][3]

In 1931 the last anthropological exhibition was closed down and since then the Jardin has become a family-oriented leisure park, focussing on children's activities. [4] Among the attractions are many fun-fair like attractions, like mini-rollercoasters and swing rides, as well as a collection of farm animals and birds.

A miniature road system for children operated by the Paris police was closed in 2008.

Attractions

The park includes an archery range, house of mirrors, miniature-golf course, narrow-gauge train, pony ride, puppet theater, shooting galleries, a science museum (the Exploradôme), and an art museum for children (the Musée en Herbe).

Notes

  1. ↑ "Jardin d'Acclimatation". frommers.com. Frommers. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  2. ↑ "The Human Zoo: Science’s Dirty Secret" (PDF). usd116.org. Channel Four Television Corporation. 2009. p. 2. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  3. ↑ Bancel, Nicolas; Blanchard, Pascal; Lemaire, Sandrine (August 2008). "Racist Theme Parks for Europe's Colonialists: Human Zoos". mondediplo.com. Le Monde Diplomatique. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  4. ↑ "Jardin d'Acclimatation- From Human Zoo to Disneyland avant la Lettre". Minor Sights. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.