How To Find The TikTok Famous Vintage Photo Booth In Paris

Gone are the days of heavy, old-school cameras and capturing memories through analog film — or so you thought. Hidden away in Paris' labyrinth of boutiques and boulangeries is a viral sensation reminiscing on the days of old-school photography. A recent social media obsession over a series of vintage photo booths by Instagram and TikTok users suggests a step back in time to the pre-selfie era. While photo booths are a common addition to elevated gatherings and events, these Parisian kiosks are exciting to stumble upon (or hunt down), translating into one of the latest travel trends. The Eiffel Tower and Seine River may never lose their status as Paris' most popular attractions, but these newly discovered photo booths sit at the top of Paris' most Instagrammable hot spots.

The vintage photo booths scattered around Paris have become a social media sensation, with several viral videos circulating. The tag #oldphotoboothparis results in 15.2 million videos posted by Tiktokers tracking down these old-school photo booths, and one video by @ischtarisik reached an incredible 1.1 million views. Fotoautomat is the company responsible for restoring and distributing the booths around the city.  While there are several of these viral photo booths hidden in the streets of Paris, there's one in particular that's received more attention than its siblings, located in the city's 18th arrondissement. 

Fotoautomat has been on a quest to restore and maintain some of the world's last remaining analog photo booths in France since 2007. Each of the booths is deconstructed and then refurbished with a unique custom model guided by the framework of the first original black-and-white photo booths. The majority of the booths are located in Paris, but Tiktokers can also find a handful in Nantes, France and Prague, Czech Republic. With fewer than 50 working analog photo booths left in existence, Fotoautomat is on a mission to preserve the heritage of pre-digital film through its creative efforts. The most famous of these public vintage booths is the black-and-white kiosk found at the Fotoautomat Studio on 53 rue des Trois Frères, in the Montmartre district. Featuring solid oak and photoshop glass, it's an aesthetic addition to this trendy Parisian neighborhood.

Photo booth guests receive a strip of four black-and-white photo squares that take an estimated four minutes to develop for just a few euros. Printed from a traditional film camera, the photos retain their quality for at least 100 years, creating a memorable timesake. While Tiktokers receive much of the credit for this iconic booth's fame, the Montmartre booth was also featured in the 2001 film, "Amélie."

While the 2016 Montmartre booth is the most famous of the collection, the unique styles of each of the booths mean they're all worth a photo (or four)! The first of these vintage kiosks established in 2007 can be found in the Palais de Tokyo. Constructed mainly of golden wood with a heavy velvet curtain draped over the entrance, it's the perfect image of a restored photo booth. Imported from Montreal, the photo booth in Puebla Pavillion in Buttes Chaumont Park is the perfect addition to your stroll in this picturesque green space. 

Fotoautomat's 2008 photo booth is hidden well inside the Le Centquatre building, a cultural center in Paris. Photo booth seekers will have to enter through Café Caché to find this hidden kiosk. The last two most recent additions to Paris' vintage photo booth scene — imported to Paris in 2018 — can be found at La Cité de la Musique and the La Maison Rouge film studio. No matter which one you visit, each of these artsy hidden gems is among the most Instagrammable destinations on the streets of Paris.