France: ˮLa Toupie“ – New Kid’s Carousel Now Open at Le Jardin d‘Acclimatation

The Parisian amusement park Le Jardin d’Acclimatation, which has been extensively renovated and modernized in recent years (cp. EAP 5/2019 & 6/2017), has opened up a new attraction for the start of the new season last Saturday. The new ride is called “La Toupie” (Eng.: the top) and makes children’s hearts beat faster. The design of the new carousel was created by the park’s own ride designer Thierry Rétif and was implemented by the French manufacturing company Picard Someplas. Founded in 1963 in Amiens, the company today employs 22 people and has manufactured more than 1,000 rides since its inception.

In keeping with the steampunk design of the rest of the more than 40 attractions in the park, the twelve passenger gondolas feature a colorful and playful design and appear either in the form of an airplane of the French Acrobatic Patrol, a space capsule, a submarine in the Nautilus look, a racing boat, a helicopter or a fire engine. Considered as the oldest amusement park in France, Le Jardin d’Acclimatation is located in the 16^th arrondissement of Paris and is operated by a joint venture between the LVMH group and Compagnie des Alpes. (eap)