Cité Musée Tony Garnier

About the museum

The Musée urbain Tony Garnier was born in 1992 out of the mobilisation of residents of the Cité des États-Unis, which was threatened with demolition because its buildings were dilapidated. They secured a large-scale rehabilitation and the creation of 25 painted walls that tell the utopian vision of the architect Tony Garnier for an ideal city. The estate, the first major public social housing development in France, has 1,567 apartments, still inhabited since 1933.

The association was renamed Cité Musée Tony Garnier in May 2024. The museum comprises 49 buildings and their courtyards, an exhibition space, a 1930s show flat and an open-air trail of painted walls. The estate received the “Patrimoine du XXe siècle” label in 2003, which became “Architecture contemporaine remarquable” in 2016.

The museum addresses subjects rarely covered elsewhere: architecture, urban planning, social housing and the transformation of the city in the 20th and 21st centuries. It offers guided tours and urban walks, temporary exhibitions and a cultural programme.

Highlights

• Open-air trail of monumental painted walls, freely accessible
• 1930s show flat, visited with a mediator
• “Voyages en cité. 1973-1990” exhibition on working-class neighbourhoods
• Guided tours of the estate and of Tony Garnier’s heritage in Lyon
• “Architecture contemporaine remarquable” label

Permanent exhibitions

• Parcours des murs peints de la cité Tony Garnier – Monumental painted walls tell Tony Garnier’s vision of the ideal city; the trail is freely accessible.
• Appartement témoin des années 1930 – A recreated apartment can only be visited with a mediator.

Founded

1992

Operated by

Association Cité Musée Tony Garnier

Director

Cécile Capelle

Admission & discounts

Free admission: The painted walk is freely accessible every day, free of charge.

Prices for the “Voyages en cité” exhibition. Free admission with proof for recipients of unemployment benefit or minimum social benefits, holders of a press card, an ICOM card, a licensed guide card or the Lyon City Card, and residents of the Cité Tony Garnier.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Storytelling tour followed by a postcard workshop for families, and playful mediation for young visitors. The museum pays particular attention to young audiences.

Getting there & parking

Vélo’v station Cazeneuve.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum reception and shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit