The château has changed hands many times, with the chief huntsman for the brother of Louis XVI, the Comte Chimay, first buying the property around 1770. Chimay then sold the decaying château to the Comte d’Artois (later Charles X) around 1772. The Comte d’Artois was to demolish the château upon a wager of 100,000 livres from his sister-in-law, Marie-Antoinette , that he would not be able to rebuild the house within two months. Within sixty-three days, he completed the elegant ‘folly’ (a small country house used for entertainment), along with a beautiful landscaped park. The project, designed by architect François-Joseph Belanger, was estimated to cost over two million livres. The harmony of the château’s bricks and stones, the painted woodwork, furniture and decoration is delightful. Bagatelle is nestled in a setting of beautiful greenery, unique to even France.

Around 1765, an extra floor was added as well as a grand staircase and a Mansard roof (named after the French architect who created it). During the French Revolution, Bagatelle was sold, the house was closed, and its gardens turned to farmland. In 1810, Francois de Wailly bought the property after an addition of a music room and a wing for living quarters. Bagatelle was then purchased by Lord Seymour in 1835, and the park was extended with a grand entrance, new stables and an organgerie. The remaining part of the 19th-Century saw the château and its surroundings transformed into the Jardin Napoléon III.

Sir Richard Wallace, the adopted son of Lord Seymour, built the Trianon of Bagatelle, as well as two terraces and sentry pavilions that are still present today. In 1905, the city of Paris acquired Bagatelle and the Commissioner of Gardens, Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier began to redevelop the gardens and collect horticultural plants. In fact, he built Bagatelle’s famous rose and iris gardens, with over 9,000 plants. He also designed the pond which inspired Monet’s 'Water Lilies.' In 1907, Forestier even organised the first international competition for development of new roses, which still is conducted each year, in June.

During World War II, in 1944, Château de Bagatelle was bombed, and its roof riddled with bullets and burned. However, Bagatelle’s originality was restored, and in 1963 André Malraux awarded Jacques de Wailly the first State award, ‘Masterpiece in Peri’, for preserving the château. The château still houses its 18th-century furniture, painted wood panels and the stairs that lead to the heart of the folly. The dining room and winter living-room, as well as the library and music room can also be visited.

Concerts, exhibitions and cultural events are held in the fifty-nine acre Bagatelle gardens and castle. The Festival de Chopin à Paris, established in 1983, is held each June and July at the Orangerie de Bagatelle. Visitors love the rosebushes and the linden trees surrounding the peaceful lake. Voltaire, Saint Säens, Sedaine, Perronneau and Mrs de La Platière were some of the most famous guests at the Château de Bagatelle.