The Musees Gadagne is one of the most interesting museums in the city of Lyon. It is situated in the heart of the Vieux Lyon district in the Hotel Gadagne, an early sixteenth-century building. It is comprised of the Museum of Lyon History and the Museum of World Puppets. By 1920, the building in which the Musee Historique de Lyon is housed had already been classified “monument historique.” The building and institution have only grown in notoriety and prominence since then. Today, tourists and residents alike enjoy the wide range of interesting objects, exhibitions, and artifacts on display at the Gadagne Museum.

The Musees Gadagne has been the residence of the Museum of Lyon History since 1921. It now houses the collections that were once on display at the Hotel de Ville. The Musee Historique dy Lyon (together with the Museum of World Puppets) features some 80,000 objects of historical and cultural interest. They are housed in around 30 rooms throughout four separate floors. The Gadagne Museum essentially walks you through the history of Lyon, from the time of the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century. There are archaeological findings, paintings, sculptures, maps, and much more. All of it points to the progression and development of the city of Lyon over the centuries. The puppets are housed in nine independent halls on the first floor of the museum. The third floor features a small theater.

You can arrange for tours of the museum in a variety of languages including English, Spanish, Italian, and German. It is a modest fee to get in and tours usually last around an hour and a half. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Reservations can be made for other times of the week for private groups.

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