Local Guides World
Top Museums in Lyon, France
Top Rated Museums in Lyon
Top Reviewed Museums in Lyon
Musée des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs
Artshow
Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon
La Maison des Canuts
Musée des Confluences
Reviews
Some interesting exhibits. For me, the permanent exhibits were more interesting than the temporary ones (forrest, love, geology, epidemics) although all were well presented. I liked that they had iyems that were specifically marked as able to be touched, for example a meteorite they think came from a star. There are two ticket machines in the foyer (on the left, not well signposted). You have to exit to the south past the giftshop, even though the public transport is to the north.
I recommend for tourist / visitors. The museum is really interesting with different focus on science, human history, biology.. I would suggest to visit it in two steps
I was more interested in looking at the building from the outside than the inside. At 9€ entry, I won’t complain.
They have a super small cafe, but no seats, which was a drag after walking over an hour to get there. (Just wanted to sit for a bit before exploring the building, so could not be bogged down by tired feet. But my fault, so not a big deal)
The exhibits had lots of things going on and had layouts that were a bit confusing when I wanted to leave.
None of the exhibits really wowed me, nor had very interactive pieces. Which is just a personal preference.
A lot of items only had French text, so lots to kind of just skip over. I spent maybe an hour there, but was bored by 20 minutes in.
I thought given the massive/intricate outside that the exhibits would be larger, but I always felt a bit cramped.
They have a super small cafe, but no seats, which was a drag after walking over an hour to get there. (Just wanted to sit for a bit before exploring the building, so could not be bogged down by tired feet. But my fault, so not a big deal)
The exhibits had lots of things going on and had layouts that were a bit confusing when I wanted to leave.
None of the exhibits really wowed me, nor had very interactive pieces. Which is just a personal preference.
A lot of items only had French text, so lots to kind of just skip over. I spent maybe an hour there, but was bored by 20 minutes in.
I thought given the massive/intricate outside that the exhibits would be larger, but I always felt a bit cramped.
Ok museum with educational themes. As a tourist, I found some sections/articles without English translation which was a bit disappointing. The employees speak English very well and are very kind and helpful. Yet, there are a lot of kids at the museum which kinda make the atmosphere very noisy at points. Some galleries like the African section could have been more attractive. Some galleries also have a very long waiting queue. Try to get yourself to the fifth floor because you get a gorgeous view of the city. It’s a must-see, especially at sunset. Overall, I give this museum a 6.5/10.
Very rich experience.
You can spend an entire journey moving from one subject to another.
Decent and proper toilets.
On the GF level you find a small snack and a big restaurant on the outside near the water.
Great view from the highest level.
You can spend an entire journey moving from one subject to another.
Decent and proper toilets.
On the GF level you find a small snack and a big restaurant on the outside near the water.
Great view from the highest level.
This was a highlight of my trip to Lyon. A very well done museum with several temporary and permanent exhibits. My favourite was the taxidermy/tree of life/exciting animal exhibit. Notable things include the skeleton of a mammoth, massive whale, dinosaur, pterodactyl’s, dodo bird and elk. The temporary exhibit of the photographer Marc Riboud was very interesting showing some very real moments throughout history. Worth noting to spend more time in the permanent exhibits than the temporary ones to make sure you have enough time to see the important things.
Visited in December 2023 There are temporary and permanent exhibitions. Some of the exhibits are interactive. I really liked "Africa, thousand lives of objects" (The life of 230 objects, from their design to their various uses) and "Secrets of there Earth" (Penetrate the depths of the Earth and discover the planet's mineral riches). In fact, to see all the exhibitions of the museum one should spend a day there.
We really loved our visit to this museum. It offers a wide variety of subjects and perspectives on the universe, our planet, humans and what unites us. I especially loved the temporary exposition about the discovery of the Antarctic (those visuals and sounds 😲). Also the permanent exposition on the birth of our universe was amazing. Special shout-out for adding the short documentary of Cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo... it's heartbreaking 💔
For a delve into the history of the silk industry of Lyon it is well worth a visit to La Maison des Canuts. Aside from the gorgeous scarves and shawls they have (100% made in Lyon) there is a lovely collection of old pieces, from looms and spindles to the tiny tools of the trade from the early ateliers. The staff are lovely, very helpful and knowledgable about their products, and the history of silk in their beloved Lyon.
The museum itself is fine, but leaves much to be desired in terms of content. All the exhibits are in French, but you are offered a translation booklet in English when you enter. I was very hopeful for the tour, but 90% was in French with little to no translation.
An excellent art museum. Very interesting selection of modern art many from artists I'd not heard of. Very well curated. Some great modern ceramics too as well as many sculptures from Rodin. Also nice and cool on a hot day with a lovely garden.
I love this museum, specifically the collections of statues and impressionist paintings! Ceramics and other items are great as well. I visited it several times, never had any problems with queue (less than 5-10 minutes), but nowadays maybe better to book in advance. The cafe is decent and the shop is nice as well.
The museum is nicely made and focuses on the history of the workers and the revolution. Maybe we should have waited for the guide to walk us through and explain the things
The machines are really cool! Two small museum rooms with a laminated self tour. Nice reception lady. It was warm inside in September.
It has a great collection. You need 2 to 3 hours to visit all of it.
Unfortunately, the audio guide was enabled only for a few pieces. On top of that, there wasn't much English explanation next to the art pieces.
Unfortunately, the audio guide was enabled only for a few pieces. On top of that, there wasn't much English explanation next to the art pieces.
The main idea I had is that the museum deserves greater laud. It has 3 main cathegories: paintings, sculptures, and fine art, I can say goods. It's not too big, not too hard to understand the idea, and with important historical periods and art directions. This is the museum for different "grades" of observing and enjoing. You know...I would like to come again, so you should come too, and ✔️ your first time.
Beautiful museum and home of the famous Perseus vs. Medusa statue. In this interpretation Perseus is right about to behead Medusa, and you can see the pain and horror in her eyes. In contrast, Perseus appears focused and committed in finishing the task, and there is no sense of remorse. Compare this statue to the one in Florence where Perseus has already beheaded Medusa and is raising her head in victory.
Excellent museum, it ranges from older paintings to more modern stuff, excellent sculptures and other interesting history, including coins, an Oman exhibition and some vintage furniture. All very interesting!
Interesting to find out how the silk weaving looms worked and some of the history. Not very English friendly though. Felt a bit second class because we didn’t speak French. English explanations were very brief and the guide’s attitude made us think we were inconveniencing him.
Fascinating but short tour. Very little English in the “English ticket” tour — as advertised. A bit difficult to get to. Staff was helpful. Their site may need a bit more info to clarify how much English is provided; as you can see, many customers were confused, not just us. Hopefully they do not reply to this review in the same way as many other reviewers (as doing the same thing will only get the same result).
A huge museum with really beautiful art pieces and some good interesting brochures to get u organized. I loved the fact that there was no need for booking in advance and still, no people was waiting in line and inside it wasn't crowded at all so u could admire the art at your own pace with quality.
I knew that the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon offered the largest art collection outside of Paris. And yet I seriously underestimated the length of the tour through the halls of this beautiful 17th century abbey. The ticket price alone would justify the walk around the amazing building. It's good to know that access to the heavenly inner garden is completely free. The museum is literally in the heart of the city. Next to it is the Bartholdi Fountain and Lyon City Hall.
My friend was disappointed by the lack of world-famous masterpieces. I, on the other hand, happily went through the cultural history of five millennia. I paid particular attention to the works of Rubens, Rembrandt, Rodin, Gauguin and van Gogh.
The Museum of Fine Arts met me with artifacts from every single major civilization from antiquity to the present day. This is probably the most valuable jewel in Lyon.
My friend was disappointed by the lack of world-famous masterpieces. I, on the other hand, happily went through the cultural history of five millennia. I paid particular attention to the works of Rubens, Rembrandt, Rodin, Gauguin and van Gogh.
The Museum of Fine Arts met me with artifacts from every single major civilization from antiquity to the present day. This is probably the most valuable jewel in Lyon.
It was interesting but as an English speaker -even though the tour was advertised as in English, only about half of it was English. Second half was all French. It was interesting to see the looms though and the demonstration of how jacquard is woven was pretty amazing. And the shop next door had some beautiful silk scarves and other silk items.
The museum was closed . Instead of that, there was a very nice workshop in its place. The people were young , polite and cheerful. It was a European cultural and modern cultural experience
Quite an interesting museum, even if I expected a little bit more.
Petite galerie d'exposition. De très bons choix d'artistes. Cette idée de regrouper plusieurs exposants avec un choix pertinent de thèmes. Bravo! Merci pour les explications professionnalisme de Claire PARISEL qui explique et présente très bien les artistes qui sont exposés 💪
Malheureusement les horaires n'étaient pas visible sur la boutique mais l'œuvre en exposition (voir photo) était décrite depuis l'extérieure. Ici un Cloud de 0 et de 1 pour sensibiliser à la pollution liée au numérique.
Une sympathique petite galerie qui vaut la peine d'être découverte.
Super nice museum - went there for the temporary exhibition of british designer Vivienne Westwood. Incredible exhibition very well made. Absolutely worth a visit!
If you're interested in fabric especially silk this is the place for you
As at October 2019 the decorative arts section is closed. The signs are many in French but still worth visiting.
As at October 2019 the decorative arts section is closed. The signs are many in French but still worth visiting.
Very unique. The visiting route is a little unclear but they layout isnt too complicated. I wish there are more information in the labels because I don't know much about the history of European textiles. The artefacts are just beautiful in their own right.
It is a very interesting place, worth to vist. Realy nice argumnts of the famous lyonaise tissue fabrics. One tickets for all day - 10 Euros. Kid under 12 is free with an adult.
Lovely small museum - well laid and labelled - highlighting Lyon’s role in the silk industry, with some splendid costumes and tapestry, and a remarkable punch card Jacquard loom.
Lovely! It was a stroke of serendipity... didn't even know that Lyon had a textile history
A nice museum! I really enjoyed the focus on the Lyon silks in the Musée des Tissus. The Napoleonic-Era clothes were very interesting, and the temporary exhibits were fascinating and impressively-curated. The history behind everything was well-documented and accessible. The Decorative Arts were really interesting too, though I found the crowded arrangement of each room a little overwhelming and things were not clearly labeled.
I would recommend this museum to people who are curious about the fabric history of France and Lyon. If you're short on time and are not interested in textiles or the process and the products, I would suggest checking out some of Lyon's other museums first. That said, I've been to many museums in Lyon... if you know what to expect and have the time to come by, you certainly won't lose anything from the experience. A fascinating, unique museum experience. Again, really enjoyed the temporary exhibit.
I would recommend this museum to people who are curious about the fabric history of France and Lyon. If you're short on time and are not interested in textiles or the process and the products, I would suggest checking out some of Lyon's other museums first. That said, I've been to many museums in Lyon... if you know what to expect and have the time to come by, you certainly won't lose anything from the experience. A fascinating, unique museum experience. Again, really enjoyed the temporary exhibit.