Museums and places to discover

Food for curious minds

With more than 20 museums, the city has a wide selection of places to visit, which means that the only difficulty is making a choice! Lyon’s museums focus on very different themes, so it all depends on the tastes and interests of your clients.

Museums that can only be found in Lyon

Musée des Tissus: With the number one collection devoted to textiles in the world, the museum presents 4500 years of textiles production. It offers a chance to discover the history of the silk industry in Lyon and the skills of the canuts (Lyon’s silk workers). Closed for renovation until 2026.
Musée Lumière: Located in the Lumière family home, which was built in 1899, the Musée Lumière retraces the story of the invention of the cinematograph. By perfecting photographic equipment and techniques, Auguste and Louis Lumière developed a new process in 1895 and cinema was born!

Museums that look at the history of Lyon

Lugdunum: Located next to Fourvière’s Roman theatre and odeum, the Lugdunum Museum explores Lyon’s ancient history through items that are representative of this amazing period. Sculptures, mosaics and everyday objects transport visitors back to Roman times!
Musée d’Histoire de Lyon: Housed in Lyon’s largest Renaissance building, this museum looks at the history of Lyon from the Middle Ages to the present time.
Centre d’Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation: Located in the former Gestapo headquarters, this museum pays tribute to Lyon, capital of the French Resistance, and retraces the history of the city during the Second World War through objects and eyewitness accounts from members of the Resistance.

Art museums

Musée des Beaux-Arts: In a former seventeenth-century abbey, the museum of fine arts boasts one of the most important collections of artworks in Europe (with works by masters such as Veronese, Rubens, Rembrandt, Poussin, Gauguin and Monet), ranging from Ancient Egypt to the present day.
Musée d’Art Contemporain: Exhibitions at the contemporary art museum feature artists from the international contemporary art scene. Please note that the museum is only open during exhibition periods.

Museums for the whole family

Musée des Confluences: Inaugurated in 2014, the Musée des Confluences offers a journey through the history of humanity in a futuristic building. Take your clients all the way back to the time of the dinosaurs, as they discover different species, human inventions and the beyond.
Musée des Arts de la Marionnette: This museum explores the art of puppetry. In the city of the famous French puppet Guignol, you can discover puppets from all over the world, past and present.
Musée Miniature et Cinéma: In a Renaissance building in the heart of the old town, film sets and places are recreated with miniature models, while retired film sets and costumes are given a new home. A perfect museum for the whole family!

TOP 5 most visited museums in Lyon:
1- Musée des Confluences
2- Musée des Beaux-Arts
3- Musée Lumière
4- Musée Miniature et Cinéma
5- Musée d’Art Contemporain (only open during exhibition periods

Entry to all of these museums is free with our special tourist pass – the Lyon City Card.

Places to discover

For days out as a family, these three places welcome kids and adults to dive down to the seabed, discover miniature worlds and explore space!

Mini-World: Covering 2500 m², three different worlds depict scenes of daily life with a touch of humour. Thousands of little characters go about their daily lives, hundreds of vehicles move around and magical lights mark the passing of day and night.

Planétarium: For those fascinated with space and infinity, the Planétarium offers total immersion with its exhibitions and astronomy sessions.

Aquarium: Where the Rhône and Saône meet, the Aquarium’s 40 tanks and 3500 fish from 300 species offer an amazing aquatic journey, from the surrounding rivers and lakes to the tropical waters.