Institut Lumière, Lyon

Museum in Lyon

CC BY-SA 4.0 / Suicasmo

The Institut Lumière is one of the best places to visit in Lyon if you love cinema or just enjoy visiting places where world-changing ideas were born. Set in the Monplaisir district, a short metro ride from the city centre, it occupies the former family home and factory site of Auguste and Louis Lumière, the brothers who helped invent modern motion pictures. Walking through the elegant villa and garden, it's surprising to realise that some of the world's earliest films were created right here, in what feels like a quiet residential corner of the city.

Today the institute is part museum, part cultural centre, and part working cinema. Inside the museum, original cameras, early projectors, vintage reels, and interactive displays guide you through the Lumière brothers' breakthroughs and the wider story of early film. Next door, the projection rooms host screenings of classics, retrospectives, and art-house films, often on 35mm and in original versions. It's a great place to visit on a walking tour of Lyon that ventures beyond the Presqu'île and into neighbourhoods where local life and global history intersect.

History and Significance of the Institut Lumière
Things to See and Do in the Institut Lumière
How to Get to the Institut Lumière
Practical Tips on Visiting the Institut Lumière
Where to Stay close to the Institut Lumière
Is the Institut Lumière Worth Visiting?
FAQs for Visiting Institut Lumière
Nearby Attractions to the Institut Lumière

History and Significance of the Institut Lumière

The story of the Institut Lumière begins with the Lumière family themselves. In the late 19th century, Antoine Lumière moved his photographic plate factory to the Monplaisir district, and it was here that his sons Auguste and Louis began experimenting with ways to capture and project moving images. Their invention, the cinématographe, was both a camera and projector, and it became one of the key tools that launched cinema as a public spectacle.

Some of the earliest films ever shown to paying audiences were shot on or near this site, including the famous “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station” and “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory.” These short films may seem simple today, but at the time they were revolutionary, and the family home in Monplaisir became a quiet epicentre of technological and cultural change. Over time, the site itself passed through different uses, but its place in film history never disappeared.

The Institut Lumière was founded to preserve and celebrate this legacy while also looking firmly to the future of cinema. By combining a museum, archive, cinema, and festival headquarters, it keeps the Lumière name alive not as a frozen monument but as a living part of film culture. For film lovers, standing in the garden and looking up at the villa's façade is a little bit like visiting a birthplace-not just of a technology, but of a new art form.

Things to See and Do in the Institut Lumière

Start your visit in the museum, located inside the former Lumière family home. The rooms retain their 19th-century elegance, with high ceilings, period decor, and large windows that overlook the garden, but the displays are focused squarely on innovation. You’ll see original cameras and projectors, early film reels, and detailed explanations of how the cinématographe worked. Interactive elements and archival photographs help bring the brothers and their world to life.

As you move through the exhibits, you'll learn about the first public screenings, the spread of Lumière technology around the globe, and the different types of films the brothers made-from documentary-style “views” of everyday life to staged scenes and experiments. Short extracts and clips are shown throughout, so you're never far from the moving images themselves. It's easy to understand why the Institut Lumière is one of the top attractions in Lyon for anyone remotely interested in film or media.

After the museum, check the programme for screenings in the adjoining cinema. The Institut Lumière is renowned for its carefully curated line-up: restored classics, auteur retrospectives, silent films with live accompaniment, and contemporary indie releases. Even if the film is in French, the experience of watching it in this historic setting, often on 35mm, is special. If you visit in October, you might even catch events from the Lumière Film Festival, when directors, actors, and cinephiles from around the world descend on the site for premieres, masterclasses, and tributes.

How to Get to the Institut Lumière

Most visitors arriving from abroad will land at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS), which has frequent flights from across Europe and beyond; from the airport, the Rhônexpress tram brings you into central Lyon, where you can connect to the metro network and ride out to the Monplaisir district to reach the Institut Lumière. For the best deals and a seamless booking experience, check out these flights to Lyon on Booking.com.

If you're travelling by train, Lyon Part-Dieu is particularly convenient. From the station, it's a short metro journey to Monplaisir-Lumière on Line D, followed by a brief walk through the neighbourhood streets to the institute; from Lyon Perrache, you can also use metro or tram connections via the Presqu'île to reach the same line and stop. You can use SNCF Connect to check schedules, compare routes, and purchase tickets for National (SNCF ) and regional trains (TER). For a more streamlined experience, we recommend using Omio, which allows you to easily compare prices, schedules, and book tickets for both National and Regional travel across all of Europe, all in one place.

If you're coming by car, follow signs towards eastern Lyon and the Monplaisir district, where on-street parking and small car parks are available in the surrounding area, though spaces can be limited at busy times. If you are looking to rent a car in France I recommend having a look at Discover Cars, first, as they compare prices and review multiple car rental agencies for you. Once you’re parked, it’s best to explore the neighbourhood and the institute on foot, enjoying the quieter, residential feel that contrasts with the city centre.

Practical Tips on Visiting the Institut Lumière

Suggested tips: Check the museum and cinema schedules in advance so you can combine a daytime visit to the exhibits with an evening screening on the same day.
Best time to visit: Weekday mornings or early afternoons are usually quieter in the museum; festival time in October is livelier, with a buzz of events and visiting cinephiles.
Entrance fee: Adults: €7
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:30 PM; Closed on Mondays and some holidays
Official website: https://www.institut-lumiere.org
How long to spend: Allow 1-2 hours for the museum itself, plus extra time if you’re staying for a film screening or exploring the gardens and surrounding streets.
Accessibility: The museum and cinema offer step-free access via lifts and ramps, though some original architectural features may create minor constraints; contact the institute in advance if you have specific needs.
Facilities: On site you’ll find a bookshop and boutique focused on cinema, restrooms, and occasionally a café or refreshment area; nearby streets also offer bakeries and cafés.
Photography tip: Exterior shots work beautifully from the garden, framing the villa’s façade and trees; inside, focus on details like early cameras and projectors, and avoid flash to protect the exhibits.
Guided tours: The institute sometimes offers guided visits and themed events that delve deeper into the Lumière brothers’ work and the birth of cinema-worth seeking out if you’re a serious film buff.
Nearby food options: Monplaisir has a friendly, local feel with plenty of boulangeries, brasseries, and cafés, ideal for a meal or coffee before or after your visit.

Where to Stay close to the Institut Lumière

Staying near the Institut Lumière gives you easy access to both the museum and the rest of Lyon via the nearby metro. Mercure Lyon Lumière Monplaisir is a practical choice just a short walk from the institute and the Monplaisir-Lumière metro station, making it simple to combine film-focused days with trips into the city centre.

For an aparthotel-style option with a bit more independence, Lagrange Aparthotel Lyon Lumière offers studios and apartments within easy reach of the Institut Lumière. It's a good pick if you're staying several days, perhaps for the Lumière Film Festival, and want kitchen facilities and flexible space.

If you’d rather be based a little closer to the Presqu’île while still having fast metro access to Monplaisir, Hôtel Mercure Lyon Centre Saxe Lafayette works well. From there, you can hop on the metro to reach the institute quickly, then return to a central location that’s handy for evening dining and city-centre sightseeing.

Is the Institut Lumière Worth Visiting?

The Institut Lumière is absolutely worth visiting, especially if you have even a passing interest in cinema, photography, or the history of technology. Standing in the rooms where the Lumière brothers lived and worked makes the early days of film feel tangible, while the museum, cinema, and festival keep their legacy very much alive. It's a place where you can trace the birth of moving images and then sit down to watch what that invention has become, all in the same leafy corner of Lyon.

What Other Travellers Say...

Reviews Summary

4.6 (2,804)

Musée Lumière, located at 25 Rue du Premier Film in Lyon, occupies the Lumière family villa and park and combines a film museum, documentation centre and library; visitors praise its well-preserved displays of early cinematograph equipment, working antique models, original photos and reproductions of first recordings, plus engaging guided-tours and audio guides for parts of the exhibition. The house-like layout means some exhibits are on stairs rather than ramps or lifts, there's a pleasant garden and a small boutique selling vintage films and souvenirs, tickets can be bought on-site (and city passes may grant free entry), and the site is reachable from central Lyon by metro or tram though some recommend a taxi if you prefer to avoid a long walk.

Craig Coffey

6 months ago

"This was an amazing home converted into a wonderful museum about the Lumiere Brothers and their invention of the cinematograph. Lots of earlyinventions on show along with a great timeline of their evolution. Truly amazing what they gave to the world. Easy to get to from central Lyon via the metro. Took about 10 mins from Place Bellecour Metro. You can buy your tickets at the door. They also have a small gift shop. At the moment (June 2025) there is construction out front of what would be the front entrance. You enter from the side via the garden. The door isn't well labelled as the entrance (see pic with the ba ers draped down). Well with a visit...."

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Erika Lisa Horiuchi

6 months ago

"Beautiful museum detailing all Lumière history, starting with Auguste and Louis' father. They had lots of antique models, some of them working, even!Reproductions of their first recordings, bits and pieces of the society's reaction at the time and some original photos. I thought the price was fair for the experience. As with most historical buildings, there was no elevator and the exhibits were accessible only by stairs. There were some audio descriptions but not for everything. In the boutique there were lots of old movies, too. All in all, a very interesting experience and definitely a must see in Lyon. After the museum you should also visit the spots they filmed their first recordings in the town too ;)..."

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Marius Florea

6 months ago

"This is an amazing home/villa converted into a wonderful museum about the Lumiere Brothers and their invention of the cinematograph. Lots of earlyinventions on shows us the great timeline of their evolution. Easy to reach the museum from central Lyon or Garre Parte-Dieu via the metro/tram. You can buy your tickets at the door or you can visit for free if you have the city pass. Also Audio guide available for a fee! Also the garden is nice. Unfortunately the hanger of the first movie has a shorter program so was not open when we visit the museum. Worth a visit if you want to have a nice history lesson for early years of cinematography...."

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FAQs for Visiting Institut Lumière

The Institut Lumière is in the Monplaisir district in eastern Lyon, a short walk from the Monplaisir-Lumière metro station on Line D.

Yes, museum entry and film screenings are usually ticketed separately, though special passes or combined offers may be available during events and festivals.

It can be very engaging for older children and teenagers, especially those interested in film or gadgets; younger kids may enjoy the visuals but might move through more quickly.

Yes, but some events require advance booking or specific tickets; the general museum visit is still possible, though it may be busier than usual.

Most visitors spend around 1-2 hours exploring the museum and garden, depending on how much time they spend with the interactive exhibits and historical details.

Nearby Attractions to the Institut Lumière

Mur des Canuts - The famous trompe-l'œil mural in the Croix-Rousse district, showcasing everyday Lyon life on a huge painted façade.
Parc de la Tête d'Or - Lyon's largest urban park, perfect for a green break with a lake, botanic gardens, and a free zoo.
Musée des Confluences - A striking museum at the southern tip of the Presqu'île, exploring science, cultures, and the story of humanity.
Vieux Lyon - The atmospheric Renaissance old town across the Saône, ideal for cobbled streets, traboules, and traditional bouchons.
Part-Dieu District - The city’s main business and shopping area, with a major train station and a large mall, easily reached by metro.

The Institut Lumière appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Lyon!

Moira & Andy

Hey! We're Moira & Andy. From hiking the Camino to trips around Europe in Bert our campervan — we've been traveling together since retirement in 2020!

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