Museum of Amusement Rides and Popular Shows

Bergantino in the Veneto is an international centre for the manufacture of rides and games for fairs and amusement parks. Two local bicycle mechanics, Umberto Bacchiega and Umberto Favalli, saw the first electrified racing circuit for ‘bumper cars’ and built their own ‘Autodromo’ in 1929. The town now has around 70 companies supplying the international fun-fair market. The museum opened in 1999 and was extended in 2011 as a collaboration between the local authorities and national institutions. It sets Bergantino’s story in the context of amusement shows through history: from medieval and Renaissance fairs to 19^th-century travelling shows and permanent ‘Luna Parks’ to the technological advances since the mid-20^th century. The displays include original artefacts, models, posters, photographs and videos. It presents puppet shows, circus exhibits, a 19^th-century carousel, a section of a witches’ tunnel, early arcade games and displays about rollercoasters, hydraulic carousels and high-technology rides.