Paris Gets New Theme Park From Brand Behind Louis Vuitton

Luxury lovers will want to head to Paris next year. LVMH, the high-end power player known for brands like Louis Vuitton, is opening something a little different … a $70 million theme park.

The park is set to sit on what is now the Jardin d’Acclimatation, a 47-acre children’s amusement park with a history dating back to 1860, when it was a zoo created by Napoleon III.

The current attraction has an interesting back story (such as, when the zoo was shut down just a decade after its opening, the animals were cooked and eaten). The space held anthropological exhibits afterward (including a human zoo, attracting millions). In 1931, the atrocity was shut down, though, and a children’s theme park put in its place.

LVMH plans to give the venue new life, but it won’t be as luxurious as its other offerings. Instead, the new theme park is designed with a steampunk feel. A few of the original structures will receive facelifts (such as the stables and aviary), and a total of 17 new attractions are in the works.

The construction is expected to last through mid-2018, and the park remains open during this time. In a press conference, representatives said they’re hoping the new park ranks as second in the country, following Disneyland Paris. The goal? Three million visitors per year by 2025.

If you’re not keen on spending the day running around a steampunk fantasy world, you can head next door, to the Louis Vuitton Foundation and its on-site museum.