🤯 Unusual Things to Do in Paris (That Are Totally Worth It)

Forget the Eiffel Tower and Mona Lisa for a minute — Paris is also wonderfully weird. Beyond the romantic boulevards and iconic landmarks lies a city full of eccentric museums, forgotten rituals, taxidermy oddities, and theatrical oddball magic. If you’re the kind of traveler who prefers the curious over the conventional, this guide is for you.

Let’s dive into some of the most unusual, quirky, and totally worth-it things to do in Paris — complete with locations, booking options, and insider tips.

🎭 1. Catch a Puppet Show at Jardin du Luxembourg

📍 6th arrondissement
🕰️ Shows on weekends and holidays
🎟️ Entry: ~€6, cash only

Since the 1930s, the Théâtre des Marionnettes in Luxembourg Gardens has delighted kids and adults alike with traditional French puppet shows. Think Guignol, mischievous antics, and nostalgic charm in a real vintage theater.

✅ Why it’s unusual: A throwback to Parisian childhood magic that still lives on.

💩 2. Visit the Paris Sewer Museum (Musée des Égouts)

📍 Pont de l’Alma, 7th arrondissement
🎟️ €11–€15
🕒 Open Wed–Mon

Yes, it smells. But yes — it’s strangely fascinating. Descend into Paris’s underworld and explore the real-life tunnels and engineering that keep the city flowing. Interactive, historical, and surprisingly clean (mostly).

✅ Why it’s unusual: A museum dedicated to poop pipes… and it’s actually amazing.

🔗 Book on GetYourGuide →

🦉 3. Browse the Taxidermy at Deyrolle

📍 46 Rue du Bac, 7th arrondissement
💸 Free to enter

Step into Deyrolle, a 19th-century shop filled with taxidermied tigers, butterflies, and bizarre oddities. It’s part art, part science, and part museum — and totally Instagrammable.

✅ Why it’s unusual: It’s a real store where you can buy a zebra… or just admire the displays.

📚 4. Explore the Alchemical Bookstore: Librairie du Merveilleux

📍 5 Rue du Trésor, 4th arrondissement

A bookstore like no other, this occult-themed shop is filled with esoteric books, tarot decks, crystals, and old maps. The staff is friendly, and the vibe is pure Parisian mystery.

✅ Why it’s unusual: Where else can you get lost in ancient texts on magic and mythology?

💃 5. Go to a Parisian Cabaret… Without the Tourists

📍 Lapin Agile, Montmartre

Skip Moulin Rouge and head to Lapin Agile, a bohemian cabaret where artists, poets, and musicians perform French chansons in an intimate room. Picasso used to come here. It’s raw, real, and magical.

✅ Why it’s unusual: Zero glitz, all heart — and singing in candlelight.

🚇 6. Find the Secret Metro Art at Arts et Métiers

📍 Line 11, Arts et Métiers station

Step into a steampunk submarine — no, really. The Arts et Métiers metro station is a copper-coated tribute to Jules Verne. It’s one of the coolest underground spots in the world.

✅ Why it’s unusual: A sci-fi dreamscape… under your feet.

🕯️ 7. Take an Occult Walking Tour

Join a guided tour of occult Paris, diving into the lives of alchemists, mystics, Freemasons, and medieval astrologers. Tours often stop by hidden symbols on buildings, secret temples, and haunted sites.

🔗 Book a Secret Paris Walking Tour →

✅ Why it’s unusual: It’s Dan Brown meets urban legend — with real historic roots.

🐾 8. Adopt a Parisian Pet Rock or Plush at Merci Concept Store

📍 111 Blvd Beaumarchais, 3rd arrondissement

Inside this ultra-cool concept store, you’ll find quirky French design, odd toys, and once — yes — pet rocks and cloud-shaped pillows that had locals in a frenzy.

✅ Why it’s unusual: It’s part boutique, part weird museum, part “what did I just buy?”

🧘 9. Attend a Midnight Yoga Session in a Former Church

Several event companies host yoga, meditation, and sound bath experiences in re-purposed historical chapels around the city. Check Airbnb Experiences or GetYourGuide.

🔗 Book a Paris Night Yoga Experience →

✅ Why it’s unusual: Spiritual, architectural, and very Paris.

🧭 Final Thoughts: The Weird Side of Paris Is the Real Paris

If you’ve already done the major landmarks — or if you want your first trip to feel truly original — these unusual activities reveal the unexpected heart of Paris. Quirky, hidden, and unforgettable.

🎟️ Affiliate CTA: Offbeat Tours on Viator or GetYourGuide

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