For years, this amusement park has punctuated the weekends and vacations of many families. This familiar decor is about to disappear, piece by piece, during an auction which sounds like a final farewell.
This is a page that is suddenly turning for the leisure landscape in the French department of Marne. For years, this amusement park was the scene of family weekends and the first emotions of many children. Today, silence has replaced laughter, and this familiar setting is about to be dispersed, room by room.
The end of this entrepreneurial adventure is a reminder of the fragility of these human-sized structures. Designed as an unpretentious place, anchored locally in Sept-Saulx, the place offered simple pleasures: boat trips, shows and gentle attractions. Closing the doors in September, followed by the cancellation of flagship events like Santa’s House, left a certain void among regulars.
Now it is time for judicial liquidation. What constituted the magic of the place has become a material inventory intended for sale. All of the entertainment, from the famous little train to the 500 m² western decor, including the plane ride, the pirate ship and the flying chair carousel, is being offered for auction. The particularity of this sale lies in its format: a “single lot”. It’s not just a question of buying a ride, but of taking over an entire universe, including elves’ costumes as well as office furniture and kitchen utensils. If the price, estimated between 30,000 and 40,000 euros, may seem accessible for such a volume, it is primarily aimed at buyers capable of planning a second life for this equipment.
The hope remains that a professional in the sector can save this playful heritage and bring it back to life elsewhere. Indeed, Alexandre Duval, already known in the world of amusement parks in the region, could position himself to buy the equipment and give a second life to Grinyland. The owner of Zig Zag Parc hopes to develop his business: “It is important to us to revitalize this park and preserve the soul of Grinyland, it is very sentimental. We can already imagine being able to reopen Santa Claus House next year“, he told the newspaper Le Parisien. The auction is scheduled for Reims on January 23.
