Musée d'Art Contemporain

Lyon


Lyon's contemporary-art museum mounts edgy temporary exhibitions and a rotating permanent collection of post-1960 art. It sometimes closes for several weeks between exhibitions, so check to make sure there's something on. Buses stop right out front.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lyon attractions

1. Parc de la Tête d'Or

0.55 MILES

If you're museumed out, head to this lovely space north of the centre, which provides a green haven for nature lovers and families. Spanning 117 hectares,…

2. Atelier de Passementerie

0.8 MILES

Preserved for posterity by the Soierie Vivante association, this silk-trimmings workshop functioned until 1979, weaving braids and intricate pictures…

3. Atelier de Tissage

0.95 MILES

Accessible strictly by guided tour, this wonderful old workshop houses looms that produce large fabrics. It's best visited in conjunction with the nearby…

4. Jardin Rosa Mir

1.01 MILES

The Jardin Rosa Mir is a walled garden decorated with thousands of seashells accessed off a narrow laneway.

5. Maison des Canuts

1.02 MILES

On a 50-minute guided tour, learn about weavers' labour-intensive life and the industry's evolution, see manual looms in use, and browse the silk boutique…

6. Mur des Canuts

1.26 MILES

Said to be Europe's largest fresco, this magnificent trompe l'oeil shows a slice of daily life among Lyon's residents. The work is packed with intricate…

7. Opéra de Lyon

1.36 MILES

Lyon's neoclassical 1831-built opera house was modernised in 1993 by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, who added the striking semi-cylindrical glass…

8. Place des Terreaux

1.47 MILES

The centrepiece of the Presqu'île's beautiful central square is a 19th-century fountain made of 21 tonnes of lead and sculpted by Frédéric-Auguste…