Place de Guignol

Among the stands and children’s games, you’ll find the Véritable Théâtre Guignol, a small open-air theater that has been part of the park since 1948. This place keeps alive one of Lyon’s most beloved traditions: Guignol, the famous puppet character created at the beginning of the 19th century by Laurent Mourguet. A former silk worker who later became a traveling salesman and then a tooth puller, Mourguet first used puppets to attract passersby and entertain his audience before this form of entertainment gradually took on a life of its own. Guignol went on to become a symbol of Lyon’s popular humor: a lively, cheeky, and funny character, sometimes clever and always full of personality, who speaks to both families and visitors in the true Lyon tradition. The shows presented here usually last around thirty minutes and feature traditional plays in a simple and friendly atmosphere.