Region

Museums, galleries and heritage in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

690 places to discover across Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

264 museums329 galleries44 castles47 religious sites6 heritage

Including Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière, Musée des Confluences and Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon.

60 of 62 places, sorted by distance from the center

Museum

Musée et sites archéologiques de Saint-Romain-en-Gal

Saint-Romain-en-Gal

Museum

Salle du Patrimoine

Vienne

Museum

Musée lapidaire Saint-Pierre

Vienne

Museum

Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie de Vienne

Vienne

Museum

Musée Maison de L'Araire

Yzeron

Museum

Institut Culturel du Judaïsme

Lyon

Museum

Lugdunum - Musée & Théâtres romains

Lyon

Museum

Musée de Fourvière

Lyon

Museum

Musée lapidaire de l'abbaye de Savigny

Savigny

Museum

Musée de la Mine - Couriot

Saint-Étienne

Museum

Musée des Civilisations

Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert

Museum

Musée-Maison du Patrimoine

Hières-sur-Amby

Museum

La Diana

Montbrison

Museum

Musée d'Art Sacré

Mours-Saint-Eusèbe

Museum

Musée de la société d'histoire et d'archéologie

Briord

Museum

Musée parc archéologique du lac de Paladru

Villages du Lac de Paladru

Museum

Musée des antiquités gallo-romaines

Aoste

Museum

Musée de Valence, art et archéologie.

Valence

Museum

Monastère Royal de Brou

Bourg-en-Bresse

Museum

Musée des pénitents blancs

Marsac-en-Livradois

Museum

Musée de la Grande-Chartreuse

Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse

Museum

Musée du Bugey-Valromey

Arvière-en-Valromey

Museum

Musée dauphinois

Grenoble

Museum

Musée archéologique Saint-Laurent

Grenoble

Museum

Musée de l'Ancien Évêché

Grenoble

Museum

Musée Africain

Allex

Museum

Musée Crozatier

Le Puy-en-Velay

Museum

Musée Alice Taverne

Ambierle

Museum

Musée de la Préhistoire du Vercors

Vassieux-en-Vercors

Museum

Musée Champollion

Vif

Museum

Musée du Revermont

Val-Revermont

Museum

Musée archéologique d'Izernore

Izernore

Museum

Musée de Glozel

Ferrières-sur-Sichon

Museum

Musée Léon Marès

Lovagny

Museum

Musée matheysin

La Mure

Museum

Musée Départemental de la Céramique

Lezoux

Museum

MuséAl

Alba-la-Romaine

Museum

Musée d’Histoire et d’Archéologie de l’Alpe d’Huez

Huez

Museum

Musée du Protestantisme Dauphinois

Le Poët-Laval

Museum

DIORAMA Saint Bénilde

Saugues

Museum

Musée des arts d'Afrique et d'Asie

Vichy

Museum

Musée Élise Rieuf

Massiac

Museum

Préhistorama

Châtelperron

Museum

Musée de Gergovie

La Roche-Blanche

Museum

Musée Archéologique du Pègue

Le Pègue

Museum

Musée Bargoin

Clermont-Ferrand

Museum

Chapelle de la FAC

Chamalières

Museum

Musée lapidaire

Mozac

Museum

Musée d'Archéologie Tricastine (Musat)

Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux

Museum

Écomusée de la Margeride

Ruynes-en-Margeride

Museum

Musée régional

Les Vans

Museum

Musée des Traditions Populaires de Moûtiers

Moûtiers

Museum

Cité de la Préhistoire

Orgnac-l'Aven

Museum

Musée de la haute Auvergne

Saint-Flour

Museum

Musée archéologique et minéralogique Pierre Borrione

Aime-la-Plagne

Museum

Musée de la Visitation

Moulins

Museum

Musée Anne-de-Beaujeu

Moulins

Museum

Musée de Thonon-les-Bains

Thonon-les-Bains

Museum

Musée Saint-Marc

Souvigny

Museum

Musée gallo-romain

Néris-les-Bains

04About

A Region Shaped by History and Geology

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the result of a 2016 merger between two historically distinct territories, and its cultural landscape reflects this duality: the volcanic plateaus of Auvergne on one side, the industrial and Alpine dynamism of Rhône-Alpes on the other. Lyon, the region's capital, anchors this territory with two millennia of continuous urban history, from the Roman city of Lugdunum to its silk-weaving past.

The region's museum offer mirrors its economic history: L'Aventure Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand traces the rise of the tire industry, while the Musée de la Mine - Couriot in Saint-Étienne preserves the memory of the coal-mining basin that once powered this part of France.

Further south and east, mountain heritage takes over: the Musée Opinel in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne recounts the history of the iconic Savoyard folding knife, while the Palais de l'Île occupies a fortified islet in the middle of Annecy's canals.

05Neighborhoods

Four Cities, Four Cultural Identities

Lyon concentrates the region's largest museum density, from the futuristic Musée des Confluences at the tip of the Presqu'île to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon on Place des Terreaux. The city's old town, listed as the Site historique de Lyon, is one of the largest Renaissance urban ensembles in Europe.

Grenoble pairs Alpine scenery with a strong art scene: the Musée de Grenoble holds one of France's finest modern art collections outside Paris, while the contemporary art space Le Magasin has long served as a laboratory for experimental exhibitions.

Clermont-Ferrand sits at the foot of the Chaîne des Puys - faille de Limagne, a UNESCO-listed volcanic landscape visible from the city center, while Saint-Étienne has rebuilt its post-industrial identity around design and contemporary art, notably through the gallery Galerie Ceysson & Bénétière.

05Artists

Cinema, Photography and Contemporary Art

Lyon holds a unique place in the history of cinema: it was here, in 1895, that the Lumière brothers shot their first films. The Musée Lumière occupies the family's former residence in the Monplaisir district, while the Musée Cinéma et Miniature displays original props from major film productions inside a 15th-century building in Vieux Lyon.

Contemporary art finds several distinctive venues across the region: Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon (macLYON) presents rotating exhibitions in the Cité Internationale, while the more unconventional Musée l'Organe - La Demeure du Chaos near Lyon spreads over 9,000 m² of provocative installations assembled since 1999 by collector Thierry Ehrmann.

Lyon's gallery scene is dense and varied, from Galerie Françoise Besson, specialized in photography, to Krom Galerie and Galerie Masurel, both focused on contemporary painting and sculpture.

09FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How many days are needed to explore the museums of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes?

A long weekend covers Lyon's main museums, but a full week allows time to also reach Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand and the Ardèche cave sites.

Which site should not be missed in the region?

The Grotte Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc in Ardèche is unique worldwide for its 36,000-year-old cave paintings, viewable through the Caverne du Pont-d'Arc replica nearby.

Is Lyon's old town worth visiting beyond its museums?

Yes, the Site historique de Lyon UNESCO listing covers one of Europe's largest Renaissance districts, with traboules (hidden passageways) worth exploring on foot.

What is the best time of year to visit the region?

Spring and early autumn suit both city museum visits and outdoor sites like the Chaîne des Puys, avoiding summer crowds in Lyon and winter snow in the Alps.

Are the museums in this region accessible for families with children?

Yes, venues such as the Musée des Confluences and Science Expériences Lyon are designed with interactive exhibits suited to children and families.

Can these sites be reached without a car?

Lyon, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand and Saint-Étienne are all connected by train, but rural sites like the Chauvet cave or the Chaîne des Puys are easier to reach with a car.