The realm of cinema and television owes its existence to Lyon’s 8th Arrondissement and the ingenious Lumière family who lived here. With its leafy parks and pleasant museums, the neighborhood offers a more tranquil alternative to the adjacent city center of Lyon. Consider the architectural and televisual innovations in this zone that shook the world.

Learn about a famous 20th-century French architect at the Tony Garnier Urban Museum. Garnier was a Lyon local who designed much of this district’s affordable housing. The project comprises an estate of Garnier’s houses from the early 1900s. Take a guided tour of a 1930s apartment with period décor to see how people lived during that time.

A little north is the Musée Lumière, a former lair of additional Lyon visionaries. Step inside the villa, where inventors of the cinematograph lived. Marvel at the art nouveau design of the structure, which sits on Monplaisir Square. Learn how Louis and Auguste Lumière invented the old-fashioned type of camera as well as various other ingenious devices.

Change the tone with a trip to the Maison de la Danse, which puts on varied dance shows. Choose from the circus shows, ballets and dramatic performances that regularly grace the stage of this majestic theater.

Note that the arrondissement is also known for its focus on medical science. It has the Faculté de Médecine Lyon Est, the Jean Mermoz Private Hospital and the Centre Léon Bérard.

This neighborhood is in the southeastern part of the city center, between the 7th Arrondissement and the Bron area. Take the tram to Villon, Professeur Beauvisage or other stops in the district. Several metro stations also bring visitors here.

The 8th Arrondissement’s museums show how this quarter made such a huge impact on entertainment and architecture.