Musée Lumière

Overview

The Musée Lumière occupies the Art Nouveau family villa of Auguste and Louis Lumière, the brothers who invented cinematography. Located in the Monplaisir neighborhood where they shot the world's first film in 1895, this museum is a pilgrimage site for cinema lovers worldwide.

Highlights

• The First Film: Watch a screening of 'La Sortie de l'Usine Lumière' (Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory), the first motion picture ever projected publicly, filmed on this very street.
• Original Equipment: Autochrome cameras, kinematographs, and the brothers' earliest photographic inventions are displayed in beautifully restored rooms.
• The Winter Garden: A glass atrium where the Lumière family entertained, now used for special screenings and events.

History

The Villa Lumière was built in 1899–1902 in a flamboyant Art Nouveau style by the Lumière family at the height of their fame. The factory next door — where the first film was shot on March 19, 1895 — was demolished, but its original wall and gateway remain and are marked with a commemorative plaque.

Visitor Tips

• Film Screenings: The Institut Lumière, adjacent to the museum, screens classic and contemporary films daily in its Hangar du Premier-Film cinema.
• The Street: Walk to the nearby Rue du Premier-Film, named for the world's first motion picture.
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.