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 264 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 de l’Industrie textile

Vienne

Museum

Musée de l'Aviation Clément Ader

Corbas

Museum

Musée des Confluences

Lyon

Museum

Musée d'histoire militaire de Lyon et sa région

Lyon

Museum

Cité Musée Tony Garnier

Lyon

Museum

Musée Maison de L'Araire

Yzeron

Museum

Centre d'histoire de la résistance

Lyon

Museum

Musée historique des tissus

Lyon

Museum

Mausa H07 - Novacierie : Saint - Chamond

Saint-Chamond

Museum

Musée Lumière

Lyon

Museum

Institut Culturel du Judaïsme

Lyon

Museum

Le Petit Musée du Vin

Lyon

Museum

Lugdunum - Musée & Théâtres romains

Lyon

Museum

Fort de Bron

Bron

Museum

Musée de Fourvière

Lyon

Museum

Musée Cinéma et Miniature

Lyon

Museum

Science Expériences Lyon

Lyon

Museum

Musée d'histoire de Lyon - Gadagne

Lyon

Museum

Le Petit Musée de Guignol

Lyon

Museum

Musée de l'Imprimerie et de la Communication graphique

Lyon

Museum

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon

Lyon

Museum

Institut d'art contemporain de Villeurbanne

Villeurbanne

Museum

Musée Antoine Brun

Sainte-Consorce

Museum

La Maison des Canuts

Lyon

Museum

Musée de sciences biologiques docteur Mérieux

Marcy-l'Étoile

Museum

Musée de la Photographie de Saint Bonnet de Mure

Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure

Museum

Musée des Sapeurs-Pompiers

Lyon

Museum

Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon (macLYON)

Lyon

Museum

Musée des Eaux de Lyon

Caluire-et-Cuire

Museum

Musée Jean Couty

Lyon

Museum

Musée de la batellerie du Rhône

Serrières

Museum

Planétarium

Vaulx-en-Velin

Museum

Ancienne Mine de Saint Pierre La Palud

Saint-Pierre-la-Palud

Museum

Musée de la Vie Rurale

Saint-Quentin-Fallavier

Museum

Musée du chapeau

Chazelles-sur-Lyon

Museum

Musée des Verts

Saint-Étienne

Museum

Artissima

Rochetaillée-sur-Saône

Museum

Musée l'Organe - La Demeure du Chaos

Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d'Or

Museum

Planétarium de Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne

Museum

Musée lapidaire de l'abbaye de Savigny

Savigny

Museum

Musée d'art moderne et contemporain de Saint-Etienne

Saint-Priest-en-Jarez

Museum

Musée des Transports Urbains de Saint-Étienne et sa région

Saint-Priest-en-Jarez

Museum

Musée Henri Malartre

Rochetaillée-sur-Saône

Museum

Musée d'Art et d'Industrie de Saint-Etienne

Saint-Étienne

Museum

Musée Ampère

Poleymieux-au-Mont-d'Or

Museum

Musée de la Mine - Couriot

Saint-Étienne

Museum

Explora

Saint-Étienne

Museum

MAMEF

Saint-Étienne

Museum

Musée de Chazay-d'Azergues

Chazay-d'Azergues

Museum

Musée Fossilea

Saint-Jean-des-Vignes

Museum

Musée vivarois César Filhol

Annonay

Museum

Musée des Civilisations

Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert

Museum

Musée de Bourgoin-Jallieu

Bourgoin-Jallieu

Museum

Musée des minéraux

Villemoirieu

Museum

Musée Trévoux et ses Trésors

Trévoux

Museum

Musée Hector Berlioz

La Côte-Saint-André

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.