Musée des Confluences, Lyon

Background

The Musée des Confluences stands at the southern tip of Lyon's Presqu'île, near the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône. The museum explains that its collections inherit material gathered by earlier institutions such as Lyon's natural history museum and the Musée Guimet, spanning natural sciences, anthropology and social history. The new museum opened on 20 December 2014; the permanent exhibition is divided into several themes, dealing with the origins of life, how societies work, and humanity's relationship with death and with other living beings. It is not a museum simply about the geography of the two rivers, nor should every object in the collection be described as permanently on display. The modern building is striking in itself, but photo licences and architectural copyright must be checked separately.

Local customs

• First check the museum's exhibition layout for the day and temporary exhibition bookings, then choose the order of the permanent galleries according to your interests. Rules on touching and photographing specimens, artefacts and interactive installations may differ, so follow the gallery signs. The museum has different entrance arrangements for wheelchairs, pushchairs and so on
• if someone in your group has limited mobility, check the accessibility information first.

Religion & beliefs

• This is a museum spanning natural sciences and anthropology, with no uniform religious etiquette for entry
• when it comes to beliefs, burial customs and ritual objects from different cultures, read the labels with respect and do not reduce the background of exhibits to sensational stories.

Travel tips

• To see only the riverbank and the entrance building from outside, allow 20–30 minutes
• for the permanent exhibition, allow at least 1.5–2.5 hours, plus extra time for temporary exhibitions or family activities. The museum's address is 86 quai Perrache, Lyon 2nd arrondissement, and you can take the T1 tram to the “Musée des Confluences” stop
• if coming from Vieux-Lyon or Fourvière hill, allow extra time to cross the city rather than squeezing all three into a short slot. The museum currently lists opening from Tuesday to Sunday, with extended or adjusted hours on some dates, but public holidays, exhibition changeovers and transport works can all change your visit on the day, so check the official website before setting out. The museum gives separate entrance information for individuals, groups and visitors with limited mobility
• if you have a pushchair or need an accessible route, arrive by the entrance listed on the website. The cover photo shows a natural history specimen inside the museum, clearly not the building's exterior, to avoid reuse-rights issues with panoramic photos of contemporary French architecture.