Gingerbread: This Passage Jouffroy shop hides a miniature world and old-fashioned toys

In the heart of the Passage Jouffroy in Paris, Pain d'épices invites children and adults alike to discover a world of dollhouses, traditional toys, soft toys and miniatures. A shop in the 9th arrondissement where the details take on astonishing proportions.

A chair just a few centimeters tall, a kitchen small enough to fit in your hand, a tiny tea set... No, you haven’t shrunk! You’re simply at Pain d'épices, at 29-33 passage Jouffroy, in Paris’s 9th arrondissement. This toy store is unlike any other, with a soft spot for dollhouses, miniature objects and little treasures from days gone by. It’s a world sure to bring back childhood memories, even for grown-ups.

Founded in 1972, the store opened beneath the glass roof of the famous 19th-century covered arcade, just a stone’s throw from the Musée Grévin. Spread across two floors, the shop retains its old wood panelling and shelves lined with toys, dolls and accessories. The place has the slightly old-fashioned charm of a store where browsing is more enjoyable than following a set route.

Pain d'épices specializes primarily in dollhouses and their 1:12-scale miniatures. Here, you can choose furniture, tableware, lighting, staircases, wallpaper, flooring, and even tiny kitchen or haberdashery accessories. There are even electrical components to light the rooms and bring the settings to life.

There’s plenty to keep model-making and arts-and-crafts enthusiasts busy for a good while. The houses are assembled, decorated and customized, sometimes with impressive attention to detail. The shop also occasionally runs miniature-making workshops for those who want to learn how to make their own tiny furniture and accessories.

But Pain d'épices is about more than just these miniature houses. Among the thousands of items in its catalog, you’ll also find collectible Steiff bears, stuffed animals, dolls, Maileg characters, music boxes and accessories for working with wool roving. New-baby gifts sit alongside traditional toys and pieces for collectors. So little ones aren’t the only ones who’ll find something to love!

The shop is also open on Sundays, making it a handy stop after a stroll beneath the glass roofs of the Passage Jouffroy. And it’s worth setting aside a little time: the smaller the objects, the more you’ll want to linger over them!