- 28 Boulevard des Belges, 69006 Lyon
- What you see
- What you need to know
Welcome to the former Guimet Museum, a place rich in history and artistic diversity. Inaugurated on September 30, 1879 by Jules Ferry, this museum hosted the Asian art collections of Émile Guimet. From the moment it opened, it presented a fascinating selection of Egyptian antiquities and other archaeological treasures. The museum quickly expanded, hosting nearly 250 Egyptian pieces.
However, faced with space constraints and financial difficulties, Guimet decided to transfer his collections to Paris in 1888, leaving the Lyon museum without its precious treasures. Subsequently, the building was reused for various purposes, including as an ice rink (see photo), before being bought by the city of Lyon in 1909 to house the collections of the natural history museum. It remained a place of cultural interest until its closure in 2007.
Since then, several reconversion projects have been considered, including an annex to the dance house and recently a “City of Innovation”.
- Archive images
