# Cirque d'Hiver

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Canonical page: https://mytuur.com/en/city/paris/spot/cirque-d-hiver/

Content updated: 2026-06-22

Cirque d'Hiver stands in Paris as a twenty-sided polygon that appears almost oval from outside. Corinthian columns mark its angles, while steep seating surrounds the arena like a small indoor Colosseum. Jacques Ignace Hittorff designed the building with a low, self-supporting roof that keeps views unobstructed.

The building opened in 1852 as Cirque Napoléon, inaugurated by Emperor Napoleon III. Circuses, dressage exhibitions, concerts, exhibitions, and fashion shows have filled its interior across generations. James Pradier added exterior bas-reliefs of Amazons, while Francisque Duret and Astyanax-Scévola Bosio created panels showing mounted warriors. The Bouglione family has operated the establishment since 1934, continuing a performance tradition that began under evening limelight.

A name change in 1870 gave the building its present winter identity. Its original 4,000 seats became 2,090 under fire-safety requirements, changing the scale without removing the steep arrangement. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Georges Seurat found inspiration here, and Richard Avedon photographed Dovima with the Elephants inside in 1955. The American Legion also held its organizing meeting beneath this roof in 1919.

- City: [Paris](https://mytuur.com/en/city/paris/)

## Photos

- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_CirquedHiver_67853a61ebe7a333a71d3962_0.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cirque_d'hiver_poster.jpg)
- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_CirquedHiver_67853a61ebe7a333a71d3962_1.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paris_-_Cirque_d'hiver_01.jpg)

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