Did you know that the Moulin Rouge wasn't just a cabaret, but also a high-speed thrill ride? And with good reason: when the cabaret opened in 1889, "Montagnes Russes" were already offering thrill-seeking Parisians the chance to get scared while having fun. This foot-to-floor merry-go-round featured winding wooden courses, including a double eight over some 200 m of track. Located in the garden of the Moulin-Rouge, these attractions complemented the festive, family-friendly offering alongside the famous French cancan.
The Moulin-Rouge's designers, Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, were inspired by aerial rides, a type of roller coaster popularized in Paris as early as 1816. In 1887-1888, Joseph Oller had a 200 m-long double-eight circuit built, which could be dismantled and adapted to the garden space. This attraction offered both a panoramic view and an adrenaline rush for Parisians seeking new thrills.
From its very inception, the Jardin du Moulin-Rouge offered a wide range of activities: donkey rides, an open stage, an art gallery and those convivial roller coasters. This bucolic setting in the heart of Montmartre attracted families and young people, in the tradition of the Parisian jardin-manèges of the Belle Époque.
The technical set-up was based on gravity-powered carriages on structured rails. These structures could often be dismantled to free up space in winter or for special events. In the surrounding area, visitors enjoyed a lively atmosphere in which artistic and socialites mingled with fans of popular entertainment.
A few details too: these roller coasters are part of a tradition dating back to Paris in 1816, when the first roller coaster was installed in Belleville, then completed by the"Promenades Aériennes", an even older closed circuit. The Oller-Zidler duo had already put their expertise to good use in other locations, such as theHippodrome and the Jardin de Paris. The roller coaster on Boulevard des Capucines in 1888 was the prelude to the Moulin Rouge.
Quickly associated with the image of the funfair mixed with the modernism of the show, they gradually disappeared with the Moulin-Rouge 's evolutions at the beginning of the XXᵉ century, gradually replaced by other attractions, before the garden gave way to the expansion of the cabaret and its scenic installations. Today, the Moulin-Rouge pays tribute to this fairground past at Europa Park, through an attraction designed in collaboration with the cabaret, the CanCan Coaster.
The Montagnes russes du Jardin du Moulin-Rouge, a striking illustration of the fusion of cabaret, technological innovation and popular entertainment during the Belle Époque. Although forgotten today, they are nonetheless part of the Moulin-Rouge 's rich and vibrant history in Paris.
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