Exhibition. “Saint-Cloud in the Clouds, an Aeronautical Adventure”
Until July 5, 2026, embark on a unique adventure just outside Paris. Head to Saint-Cloud, to the Musée des Avelines, for a retrospective dedicated to the role of the Hauts-de-Seine town in the history of aviation.
This is an event not to be missed! Since the era of major industrial advances, the city of Saint-Cloud has been a permanent fixture in the history of aeronautics. This exhibition aims to recount the beginnings of ballooning (with the flight of the La Caroline balloon in 1784, a few years before the… Revolution), the first clubs and the very first air competitions, the exploits of Alberto Santos Dumont (this Brazilian, a true “gentleman of the skies,” flew from Saint-Cloud to the Eiffel Tower in a balloon and was the first to hold three pilot’s licenses, namely for balloons, airships, and airplanes), the pioneering involvement of women… We should also mention the development of Dassault Aviation (headquartered in Saint-Cloud), with the establishment of a factory in 1937. This event pays tribute to a list of daring pioneers, engineers, patrons, and inventors through black-and-white photos, paintings, posters, and more.
Throughout the exhibition, there will be conferences, readings, meetings, and much more! Among these events, we would like to highlight a meeting on Sunday, May 3, 2026, with Luc Berger, historian at Dassault, who will be delighted to retrace the aircraft manufacturer’s journey from its beginnings to the present day. In addition, a special room will be dedicated to Dassault Aviation for the duration of the event, featuring a flight simulator at the controls of the Rafale. Guided tours will also be available every Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. In short, this is an exhibition for the whole family that highlights the vital role of Saint-Cloud (and Dassault Aviation) in the rise of aviation!
Exhibition: “Saint-Cloud in the Clouds: An Aeronautical Adventure.” Musée des Avelines. 60 rue Gounod, 92210 Saint-Cloud. Until July 5, 2026.
