Musée Cinéma et Miniature

Walking through this museum felt like stepping straight back into my childhood (I was born in the mid-80s), and it was nothing short of magical. From Star Wars to Batman 1989, from Aliens to Beetlejuice, the collection is packed with iconic treasures that instantly spark memories of the films that defined an era. According to one of the staff, the Darth Vader mask here is the only original one on public display today, that alone is worth the visit! What sets this place apart is how personal it feels. I love the great art museums of France, but this was different, so much more relatable. Every piece triggered a wave of nostalgia, reminding me of movies I adored and had nearly forgotten, and reigniting the sense of wonder that first made me fall in love with cinema. These films came from the golden age of moviemaking, where practical effects and early CGI blended to create timeless magic that today’s movies rarely capture. Seven floors are filled with cinematic history, and while you can see it all in about 1–2 hours, it’s the kind of place where you’ll want to linger at your favorites. For me, highlights included the Darth Vader helmet, the full Batman 1989 suit and vehicles, the wonderfully complete Beetlejuice exhibit, and the jaw-dropping animatronic Alien that makes you feel like you’re right on set. Seeing Thor’s hammer (Mjolnir), Iron Man’s glove, and nods to classics like Indiana Jones, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, The Mask, and even Fast & Furious only added to the thrill. If you grew up with movies from the late 80s through the early 2000s, this museum is pure nostalgia wrapped in cinema magic. It’s a time machine back to Saturday nights at the theater or trips to Blockbuster, and it will leave you smiling long after you leave. I can’t recommend it highly enough. As a bonus, all the staff that work there are friendly, knowledgeable and passionate! Update: the top floor which houses the miniatures was closed when we arrived for renovations. If this is important to you, come back when they are completed.

Worth visiting. You should go and see everything they placed in the museum. At first we enjoyed the props & artifacts from famous movies. However what we liked most is the miniature room, carefully detailed and amazinggg

Really enjoyed my visit here - so many interesting exhibits and things to see. I think the best part is the fact that the films referenced and the props from the films are films that are very well-known, not just random French films. Would highly recommend to people as an activity in Lyon, however my one small issue was that we bought tickets in advance but still had to line up in the same queue as everyone else, so buying a ticket in advance was fairly pointless, only decreased the price slightly. But other than that really loved it.

This museum was very well laid out. We enjoyed the smaller exhibition rooms which were usually themed in some way. We absolutely loved the Wes Anderson exhibit and would definitely recommend visiting if you enjoy his movies. I'm personally not into a lot of movies which definitely took away from the experience. However, if I were into them I can guarantee this is an amazing place to visit. Just fair warning to anyone like me that this might not be the perfect place for you. The miniature exhibits were excellent, we were in awe at how detailed some of the pieces were!

AMAZING! I think should be a must do when you visit Lyon with kids or just if you like movies and a different type of art. They have created incredible mini and real size scenes from movies and normal life things! A different way to know history as well! We went without tickets and ending paying less because they have a family packet. If you are 2 adults and one or more kids, it is definitely cheaper.

Incredible and unique museum. They have some really cool pieces from films, which are still interesting to look at even if you haven’t seen them. The miniature section was a good surprise also—they are so detailed and realistic! While it is a bit on the more expensive side, it’s worth it and it is an independent business.

fantastic experience! is very interesting and fun, perfect for people who loves cinema! staff is very friendly and they speak english very well so its perfect for tourists. there is a toilette in every floor, and also a dog bowl! i enjoyed it a lot!!

At first I thought it was quite expensive, but it was really worth it! They had original sceneries, props costumes, and of course, the miniatures, which were really amazing to see. Everything was really well indicated, it was easy to navigate, even with our bad french. Some of the items haf indications in English, but not all. All props had access for kids to see, too. It wasn't crowded when we went, it was a Tuesday, so we could enjoy ourselves in our own pace and there was no need to book in advance. Don't miss on the patio outside, which is free and really beautiful as well!

This was one of the highlights of our visit to Lyon. It's a great museum for movie buffs due to all of the genuine props and exhibits about cinema, spanning 8 floors of a historic Renaissance building in the heart of old Lyon. But even more impressive are the mind-bogglingly detailed miniature dioramas on the top floor (which are standalone, not related to movies). There are miniatures from several different artists, but by far the most amazing are the ones by Dan Ohlmann, who founded the museum. People have looked at the photos I took of some of those scenes and found it hard to believe they weren't real world images. I read some negative comments about the price of admission, but I felt that the 16 Euro fee for adults was well worth it, considering the quality of the exhibits and how much time I could spend there (we took about 2.5 hours to look through the whole place). I would highly recommend coming here if you visit Lyon -- it's ok to see things besides ancient churches and Roman ruins! :)

This is an amazing museum that you cannot pass on. At first when I was researching Lyon, I came across this museum and was confused. How is this a cinema museum with actual props from movies around the world, yet also miniature version? No, that is incorrect. Yes, the props are actual props from movies around the world. This is the majority of the museum. And on the top floor, they have a separate exhibit of mini items that has absolutely nothing to do with movies. They're just really fun display cases to look at, and fun miniature items with lots of detailing. The cinema museum is great for any movie lover and even non-movie lovers like myself. They have several panels along the walls throughout the museum describing movies alone - how they are filmed, whether on a set, where environment is controlled, or real life setting, where it's accurate but they may have trouble with paparazzi, weather, or camera placement. They have several costumes from spider man, batman, etc. Then it takes you to different levels of the museum, featuring other random props from famous movies, including: -Mrs. Doubtfire - the original mask that Robin Williams wore! -Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - the letter that was sent to Harry! -Hoverboard - from Back to the Future II -Dinosaurs from Jurassic Park -Umbrella from Mary Poppins -Mirror from the Matrix etc. etc... it's a very impressive collection, and very nicely displayed. They also have a special exhibit on the top floor, which rotates periodically. My fiance and I were lucky to catch a Jean Pierre Jeaunet themed floor, with props from the Amelie movie. It was so incredible - we saw her dress, her tin box with small toys inside, and the photo albums of torn photos. They were also playing the movie and music on the side. The miniature part of the museum is impressive for its detail, but overall a little underwhelming after you see all the props from movies you've watched in the past. It is fun to note that if you film one of the miniature dioramas from your camera, it looks like you're filming a movie in real size! Very neat. Excellent museum for all to see - random that it's in Lyon of all places, but great for all ages. You can buy tickets online as well. I wish the gift shop sold more interesting things like postcards or trinkets - it only has books.

Who knew? That miniatures we're so darn cool. But O M G - this museum with 4 floors of movie props and 2 of miniature settings was amazing. I usually am bored at museums (is that baaad?) but this was crazy fun. Plus the props from major movies were super cool. See photos - they tell it all.

We looooooved this museum. It is so worth a visit. We got there just as they opened on Monday morning, which was great because the exhibits were mostly empty and the crowds were starting to form as we were leaving. Dan Ohlmann himself led us upstairs and gave us a brief rundown of how we should go through the exhibits. We started with his own wing on the top and the miniatures are...just incredible. What a talent and gift. Some of our favorites: '70s & '80s apartments, the opera houses, and the library ones. The exhibits also have little ledges (GENIUS) for the kiddos to stand on, so our daughter had a pretty good time as well. The subsequent exhibits were mostly film-based (props, maquettes, etc), but the real go-to here is the top floor. The museum is in a gorgeously renovated old Lyon building with clean, modern, and spacious bathrooms--don't underestimate the importance of these! What a wonderful time! Other than food and watching the World Cup, this was the best thing that we did in Lyon.

Wonderful to place to visit if you like seeing movie props and costumes. We were really impressed with so many items from blockbuster movies. And they had a viewing room with a short film from Netflix! In the middle of Lyon!!! Amazing few hours in the middle of France about movies and miniatures! Miniature is another amazing section of the museum. We had fun creating little videos from the vignettes. There are a couple of rooms that have the gory stuff from sci-fi and horror films, but they have lots of warnings so kids and adults who don't want to see the gore can avoid the entire section. We really enjoyed the visit, and the staff were very nice and friendly.

I loved it! So firstly, it is located at 60 Rue Saint-Jean, in the heart of in the historical centre of Lyon, in "Vieux-Lyon". What is more - the venue itself is really impressive. Basically, the museum is situated in the "Maison des Avocats" (Lawyers' House) so in the 16th century building which is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Its a very nice experience just to walk through the building! Secondly, it has been set up by the real passionate and artist Dan Ohlmann. So as you can imagine it has been created with the real love for the art, miniature and cinema! That is why it is so special and unique and you can feel it in each of the rooms of the museum. Thirdly, the museum holds an impressive collections which we can divided into 2 main parts: the Miniature Exhibition and the Movie Special Effects One.

What a pleasant surprise this museum was! We saw signs for it and stopped by on a whim, and it happened to be one of the highlights of our visit to Lyon. This is definitely for fans of cinema (which is an understatement for me) so I loved every minute of it. Who knew they (still) used miniatures in so many movies? Even working in the film industry, I didn't realize some of the films that used miniature sets. They have some really cool ones here (Night at the Museum is the one that stands out for me) as well as props and prosthetics from very famous American films. Definitely worth the visit!

In French, the museum is translated as "Musee des miniatures & decors de cinema". It's located in the Vieux Lyon district (Old Lyon) of southern France and it's one of those hidden gem museums that you will never forget. Why? Well the museum was found by Dan Ohlmann, the miniaturist, and houses many of his miniature artwork he did for films (i.e. The Fifth Element). I'm also personally intrigued by the works of art and craftsmanship and it amazes me how people (and Ohlmann himself) could make miniature models with so much artistry and detail. The museum is really cute because it looks like you're walking in around someone's apartment with multiple floors. If you ever visit Lyon, this is a great place to spend your afternoon and become captivated with the miniature world. P.S. - They do have a concession stand where you can buy miniature products to take home with you.

This has got to be the quirkiest thing we did while on vacation in France. I mean seriously...we're gonna spend part of our afternoon looking at MINIATURES??? And yet...wait a sec...I had fun! They've got a bunch of movie props and a bunch of miniature scenes. Actually pretty cool if you're walking around and want to burn a couple hours walking through!

One if our favorite experiences in Lyon. Fascinating even if you are not a cinema buff.

Fantastic, this museum has something for everyone and pictures are allowed! Having struggled to find activities that my mother and I could enjoy together in Lyon, this museum has been a highlight of our trip. Easy to find right off the Metro it offers a unique experience for movie lovers. They have tons of interesting movie gear from the green goblins mask to Harry Potters wand they have a diverse amount of items. Additionally, for anyone who enjoys miniatures or dollhouses that section of the museum is great as well. The exhibits have a ridiculous amount of detail and shine a bright light on the art form that is miniatures.

This place is fantastic, and I have never seen anything like it. There is so much to see. You could easily spend 2-3 hours here. If you find your self in a room with 7 screaming children, like my girlfriend and I did, it is easy to go to another unoccupied room to avoid them and then circle back. There are props, monsters, and prosthetics from many famous and classic American films. There is lots of information about how movies and special effects are made, along with original storyboards next to the stills of the same scenes in the movies. The miniatures, especially those of Dan Ohlmann, are compelling. It is so fun to find the minute little treasures and details. This is also a great place to go if you're into creepy, Tim burton-esque dolls and figures. Another plus about this place is how beautiful the building is. The staff was extremely friendly, and we even got I meet Dan Ohlmann at the ticket desk!