This was one of the highlights of our visit to Lyon. It's a great museum for movie buffs due to…read moreall of the genuine props and exhibits about cinema, spanning 8 floors of a historic Renaissance building in the heart of old Lyon. But even more impressive are the mind-bogglingly detailed miniature dioramas on the top floor (which are standalone, not related to movies). There are miniatures from several different artists, but by far the most amazing are the ones by Dan Ohlmann, who founded the museum. People have looked at the photos I took of some of those scenes and found it hard to believe they weren't real world images. I read some negative comments about the price of admission, but I felt that the 16 Euro fee for adults was well worth it, considering the quality of the exhibits and how much time I could spend there (we took about 2.5 hours to look through the whole place). I would highly recommend coming here if you visit Lyon -- it's ok to see things besides ancient churches and Roman ruins! :)

This is an amazing museum that you cannot pass on. At first when I was researching Lyon, I came…read moreacross this museum and was confused. How is this a cinema museum with actual props from movies around the world, yet also miniature version? No, that is incorrect. Yes, the props are actual props from movies around the world. This is the majority of the museum. And on the top floor, they have a separate exhibit of mini items that has absolutely nothing to do with movies. They're just really fun display cases to look at, and fun miniature items with lots of detailing. The cinema museum is great for any movie lover and even non-movie lovers like myself. They have several panels along the walls throughout the museum describing movies alone - how they are filmed, whether on a set, where environment is controlled, or real life setting, where it's accurate but they may have trouble with paparazzi, weather, or camera placement. They have several costumes from spider man, batman, etc. Then it takes you to different levels of the museum, featuring other random props from famous movies, including: -Mrs. Doubtfire - the original mask that Robin Williams wore! -Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - the letter that was sent to Harry! -Hoverboard - from Back to the Future II -Dinosaurs from Jurassic Park -Umbrella from Mary Poppins -Mirror from the Matrix etc. etc... it's a very impressive collection, and very nicely displayed. They also have a special exhibit on the top floor, which rotates periodically. My fiance and I were lucky to catch a Jean Pierre Jeaunet themed floor, with props from the Amelie movie. It was so incredible - we saw her dress, her tin box with small toys inside, and the photo albums of torn photos. They were also playing the movie and music on the side. The miniature part of the museum is impressive for its detail, but overall a little underwhelming after you see all the props from movies you've watched in the past. It is fun to note that if you film one of the miniature dioramas from your camera, it looks like you're filming a movie in real size! Very neat. Excellent museum for all to see - random that it's in Lyon of all places, but great for all ages. You can buy tickets online as well. I wish the gift shop sold more interesting things like postcards or trinkets - it only has books.

I loved this museum! But I love the ancient Romans. If this is not your thing, then you should…read morenot put it on your must see list. It it is your thing, then I think you will consider this time time well spent. It is treasure trouve of ancient artificacts that are smartly organized by different subjects such as commerce, architecture, the trades, honorary monuments of gifts bestowed by wealthy citizens, and headstones of people from all walks of life. There is also a special exhibit at the bottom of the museum that takes the lives of four people and through both historical evidence and a little imagination helps you to better understand the culture and way of lives of these representative people who lived in Lyon but some of them came from different parts of the Empire. Also, as others have explained much better than me, the architecture and ingenuity of the design of this museum is definitely worthwhile as well. I had read a little about it before my visit but to see how grand and structurally creative this museum is could not be truly appreciated until seen in person.

A must see if you enjoy Roman history as I do. Unique pieces from Lyon's past as the Roman…read moreprovincial capital known as Lugdunum are displayed with plenty of room to admire the artistry. The museum starts at the top and ramps down through time. Some English signage on displays helps guide you along from 7000 BC to 197 AD. Numerous exhibits aimed at kids throughout, plus an activity corner.

We visited the Museum. If one is interested in the technical development/invention of moving…read moreimages, as well as color still images, or in the brothers Lumiére, this is a worthwhile stop. The reception is a bit laid-back and un-customer-friendly. When we arrived we waited for the two people at the ticket desk to complete their conversation. We then showed our LyonCard and were provided entry, but not offered audioguides. No brochure was provided. We found that most of the signage on the displays is in only French, so we went back to the reception to ask if there was a brochure available. They looked surprised by the question, and offered an English brochure, which had limited info and was thus of limited help.

My father is a Cinephile (and thinks that everyone else should be one) so he dragged me to this…read moremuseum. This visit was my first and his ninth or tenth. Initially, I had no expectations because I could careless about cinema. HOWEVER, Upon walking around the museum, I became quite interested. I learned a lot of new things. In a beautiful old home, just looking at the architecture itself was a treat. The Lumiere family certainly knew how to live it up in Lyon ! There is one guided tour a day in the afternoon. Not to worry though, for a small charge, you can borrow an earphone (?) to have a self-guided tour with explanations. They have many languages - the first time ever in my life that I was first asked if I needed a GERMAN or ITALIAN earphone as it's usually SPANISH or JAPANESE. The staff were very friendly and entertained all my father's questions/observations/comments (we were in this museum about triple the time that an average visitor would be here because my father was having too much fun). This might explain the price of tickets that we were given ... there is a TARIF REDUIT (discount) for the following groups: UNEMPLOYED, STUDENTS, and SENIORS. It was probably assumed that we were in the first group. If in Lyon, I would definitely recommend a visit to here, cinephile or not. A solid four stars.

Beautiful clean cool exhibits…read more Friendly staff. Lots of escalators. Modern architecture.

I am so glad this museum was free for me as a student (non-EU). I must say, it was weird. Not…read morebecause any specific exhibits were weird, but because the exhibits seemed so random. When I walked in, it seemed like a natural science museum. I saw a geology exhibit, dinosaur exhibit, something about space, and one about the origin of humans. There was an exhibit about the importance and science of water, and there was an aesthetic vibe to it which I enjoyed. I thought the Africa exhibit seemed kind of random. I did not expect an exhibiting exploring death. There was an exhibit with some old technology as well. There were some more social and political exhibits in there too. I'm not doing a good job of how random it was, but there was a great disconnect between exhibits. I'm glad other reviewers have said the same. I think it's great for children, not so much for adults unless you're bored or love this kind of stuff. I wouldn't prioritize it in Lyon, but I had a bit of time for some French quirkiness.

Very, very average and all the writing is in french only!! Some generic WWII stuff like invasion…read moredates and some short interviews of how people 'felt' during the occupation. Like 'I didn't feel hungry I felt insecure' and other vague shite like that. Save yourself the time and go to the African museum.

From the owner: Un lieu de mémoire Lieu d'histoire et de mémoire, ce centre comprend une galerie d'exposition…read morepermanente jalonnée de supports audiovisuels, une galerie d'exposition temporaire ainsi qu'un centre de documentation et une vidéothèque. Dans ce musée d'ambiance, c'est une véritable leçon d'histoire des Résistances, notamment française et lyonnaise, et de la déportation durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale qui nous est proposée. Ouverture le 8 mai.

Very nice destination lots of info about the heritage of Lyon, tours may only be in french however…read morestill very interesting ose the silk proses. Lovely products as well

From the owner: Bienvenue chez les canuts!…read more Au cœur de la Croix-Rousse, l'association Soierie Vivante vous invite à pousser la porte des derniers ateliers-logis de canuts. En effet, toute une partie de la production de tissus qui ont fait la renommée de Lyon était faite à domicile, jusqu'à la fin du 20ème siècle... Ce sont deux ateliers de tissage - logis de canuts, appartenant à la Ville de Lyon, que vous pourrez visiter: - dans l'ancien atelier-appartement de Mme Letourneau les métiers ont fabriqué des rubans en fils d'or, d'argent et de soie pendant plus d'un siècle - poussez aussi la porte de l'ancien atelier de la famille Ressicaud : tissage à bras (Jacquard) et sur métiers mécaniques dans un cadre familial du 19ème siècle (cuisine et soupente) D'un atelier à l'autre, vous pourrez admirer les immeubles canuts de la Croix-Rousse, ancien berceau du tissage de la soie. Soierie Vivante est la seule association de sauvegarde du patrimoine de la soie à Lyon. C'est une association loi 1901, reconnue d'intérêt général. Si vous voulez tout savoir sur le tissage et la mécanique Jacquard, visitez nos ateliers ! Visites guidées avec démonstrations sans réserver du mardi au samedi, toute l'année dans les 2 ateliers: départ à 14h ou à 16h de l'atelier municipal de passementerie, 21 rue Richan.

From the owner: Histoire lyonnaise et personnages Ce musée revient sur l'histoire de Lyon du Moyen-Age au XIXème…read moresiècle avec des collections d'archéologie, de meubles, de faïences, d'orfèvrerie, d'étains, d'estampes, de dessins, de peintures et de sculptures. C'est également un musée qui possède une exceptionnelle collections de marionnettes du monde entier. Le musée est installé dans une superbe demeure Renaissance rachetée par une famille de banquiers florentins, la famille Gadagne. Entièrement rénové et restauré au cours de travaux ayant duré plus de 10 ans, il s'agit de l'un des plus beaux musées de la ville.

This was a maybe on list of things to do in town and it turned out to be a highlight of my stay…read more The presentation of the materials was beautifully done, you could get really close to them because they were behind glass but well lit. Lots of pieces that span a range of time with information about how the processes changed over time. Including a loom. My chief complaint, and the reason for 4/5 stars, is the lack of English. I struggled through with my rudimentary French, but my companions were really disappointed. A pamphlet in English would go a long way. Entrance fee included a second museum about interior decoration that was also pretty interesting but didn't hold a candle to the main museum for me. I really wish I'd have gotten a scarf as a souvenir, so if you're on the fence about that I suggest going for it.

From the owner: Musée des Tissus de Lyon Documents d'histoire et sources d'inspiration pour la création…read morecontemporaine, les collections du Musée des Tissus de Lyon retracent quelque 2000 ans d'histoire du textile. Orientées selon deux grands pôles, l'Orient et l'Occident , elles comptent parmi les plus belles collections textiles au monde. Complément du Musée des Tissus, le Musée des Arts décoratifs, aménagé en salles d'ambiance propose un ensemble remarquable de meubles, pendules , pièces d'orfèvrerie ancienne et contemporaine ou encore de céramiques.

Disclaimer: I visited the Maison des Canuts in 2003, and there's a lot that could have changed in 8…read moreyears. You can't appreciate the history of Lyon without a visit to the Croix Rousse, the historical heart of the silk industry of the city. The Maison des Canuts may be small, but it's chock full of historical artifacts from the height of the silk working period - Jacquard looms, a ribbon weaving machine, plaques from textile worker unions, demonstrations of how the silk is refined, etc. They've packed a lot into a small space, so I would try to go with as small a group as possible. They have guided tours, though ours was in French, so I'm not sure how much of it could be done in English. If you've got someone who understands French in the group, it's a great little museum.

Great museum to learn about the silk industry that used to dominate Lyon. Very informative exhibit…read morethat offers english translations. They even demonstrate the giant looms that were used and still are used to produce the most expensive tapestries.