Musée des Arts de la Marionnette in Lyon Revamps Collection with 200 New Puppets

The Musée des Arts de la Marionnette (MAM) in Lyon, France, has completely renewed its permanent collection as of June 19, 2026, adding 200 new puppets and stage elements. The museum, located in the historic Gadagne building, originally opened in 1950 following an initiative by Georges-Henri Rivière, director of the Musée national des Arts et Traditions populaires in Paris. It celebrates Guignol, the famous French puppet created in Lyon in 1808 by Laurent Mourguet, a tooth puller who used puppet shows to distract his patients. Guignol became a symbol of the city and a voice for the canuts (silk workers) in their protests. The recent renovation, carried out between 2015 and 2018, aimed to present puppetry as a living art form, with input from artists, scenographers, and institutions like the Institut international de la marionnette in Charleville-Mézières. The new display features 300 objects, including puppets from around the world, contemporary creations, and iconic pieces such as the 'Guignols de l'info' created for Canal+ by Alain de Greef and Alain Duverne. The museum continues to highlight Guignol, the 'petulant king of Lyon'.