The painted walls of the Tony Garnier Urban Museum

A neighborhood reinvented thanks to mural art

In the États-Unis district, the Tony Garnier Urban Museum is a museum… without walls. Or rather, a museum whose walls are the works. With its 25 monumental frescoes Painted on the facades of the buildings, this open-air art trail has become one of Lyon's most iconic cultural sites. A vibrant tribute to the visionary architect Tony Garnier, but also to the residents who shaped this neighborhood.

In the late 1980s, the États-Unis district was aging, dilapidated, and disconnected from the rest of the city. Grand Lyon Habitat then launched a large-scale rehabilitation project: modernization of buildings, redevelopment of public spaces, and above all… creation of a monumental art trail.

Between 1988 and 1997, the artists of CityCreation They created 24 and then 25 giant murals, co-designed with the residents and a scientific committee. These works tell the story of Tony Garnier's architectural utopia, his sketches, his visions, but also the cultures of the world.

«"With the sky as their backdrop, the frescoes are like mirrors held up to the dignity of the inhabitants."»
— Raymond Barre

The route is today distinguished by UNESCO and attracts several thousand visitors each year.

The 25 murals: an open-air museum

The route consists of monumental frescoes, each 230 m², distributed across the gable ends of the buildings. These include:

The route is approximately 2 km long and can be explored on foot or by bicycle. Accessible to people with reduced mobility.

An exemplary urban project

The Tony Garnier Urban Museum is not just an artistic journey: it is an urban transformation project that has restored pride and attractiveness to the neighborhood.

• 1,500 housing units rehabilitated
• 45 buildings classified
• 3,000 inhabitants concerned
• 1.5 million euros invested in the murals
• A strong impact on rental management and local commerce

Practical information