Musée des Confluences Entrance Ticket Lyon

The Building: a Crystal and a Cloud

Opened in December 2014, the Musée des Confluences was designed as a crystal and a cloud: a glass entrance hall full of light, topped by a vast floating body clad in stainless steel that seems to hover above the ground. It stands on the very tip of the Presqu'île, in the redeveloped Confluence district, where Lyon's two rivers join.

The architecture alone makes the museum worth visiting. In the entrance hall, a twisting steel and glass structure known as the gravity well channels rainwater and light down from the roof, and wide ramps lead you up to the exhibition floors. From the glass end of the building, views open straight down the joined rivers. It is one of the most photographed modern buildings in France, especially at sunset when its steel skin reflects the sky.

The Permanent Exhibitions

The museum inherits Lyon's historic natural history and ethnography collections, and its permanent galleries are arranged around the big questions of humanity. Origins explores the birth of the universe and of life, with meteorites, fossils and a mammoth skeleton found in Lyon itself. Species looks at the diversity of the living world, with remarkable displays of animals and insects.

Societies shows how people organise themselves, trade and create, through tools, machines and everyday objects, and Eternities explores beliefs about death and the afterlife across civilisations, including ancient Egyptian coffins. Temporary exhibitions change during the year and are included with this Musée des Confluences ticket. Labels are in French and English, and the displays are visual enough to enjoy for every age.

Planning Your Visit

Musée des Confluences opening hours are usually Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 18:30; the museum is closed on Mondays and on some public holidays, so check the calendar before you go. Allow two to three hours for the permanent galleries and longer if you add a temporary exhibition. Weekday mornings are the quietest time.

How to get to the Musée des Confluences: take tram T1 to the Musée des Confluences stop, right in front of the entrance; from Perrache station it is only a few stops. Lockers are free, which is handy if you come straight from your hotel or a train. The fast-track ticket speeds you through the entrance security check, though popular temporary exhibitions can still have short queues inside.

The Confluence Garden and District

Behind the museum, a landscaped garden runs to the point where the Rhône and the Saône finally merge, with paths, lawns and benches facing the water. It is open to all and makes a peaceful end to your visit, especially in the late afternoon when the light falls across the rivers.

The surrounding Confluence district, a former port and industrial area, is now a showcase of contemporary architecture, with colourful buildings, converted docks, a large shopping centre with many restaurants and riverside promenades along the Saône. Halal food is easy to find in Lyon, and the city centre is a short tram ride away, so the museum fits easily into a day that also includes Vieux Lyon or a river cruise.