Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon Museum

Address: Musée des Beaux‑Arts de Lyon, 20 Place des Terreaux, 69001 Lyon, France

Website: https://www.mba-lyon.fr

Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00am-6:00pm, closed Mondays (verify seasonal changes on website)

Admission: Approx. €8 adult (reduced rates available)

The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon) occupies the former 17th-century Benedictine abbey Palais Saint-Pierre on Place des Terreaux in Lyon. The museum dates from the early 19th century and houses extensive collections of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts.

Galleries present works ranging from ancient and Egyptian antiquities through Old Master paintings to 20th-century art, alongside decorative arts and a significant drawing and print collection. The building’s large rooms and cloister spaces are used for permanent displays and temporary exhibitions.

The institution was established in the aftermath of the French Revolution when municipal and national collections were reorganized, and it has occupied the Palais Saint-Pierre complex since the 19th century.

The museum is located in central Lyon on Place des Terreaux, within walking distance of the presqu’île and Lyon city centre.

The Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux‑Arts) in Lyon is on Place des Terreaux. Take Lyon’s metro Line A to the Hôtel de Ville-Louis Pradel stop (or get off at Bellecour and walk north); the museum is a very short walk (a few minutes) from the Hôtel de Ville stop. If arriving by train, use Lyon Part‑Dieu or Perrache and connect by metro or tram to the city centre.

• Enter through the main entrance on Place des Terreaux and try to arrive when the museum opens or late afternoon midweek to avoid weekend crowds and school groups in the most popular galleries.
• Check and reserve timed tickets for special exhibitions in advance-temporary shows at the Musée des Beaux-Arts often require separate reservations and sell out on busy days.
• Allow at least two hours to see the highlights (Egyptian and classical antiquities plus the painting collections) and spend time in the museum's central courtyard; many visitors rush the temporary exhibits and miss the permanent collections.