Mini World Lyon, Miniature park in Vaulx-en-Velin, France

Mini World Lyon is an animated miniature park of about 3,500 m² in the Carré de Soie leisure centre in Vaulx-en-Velin, in the Metropolis of Lyon. Its landscapes are divided into three worlds — city, countryside and mountain — built entirely at HO 1:87 scale, with 30,000 miniature inhabitants and 4,000 animals. Trains and road vehicles run autonomously, and the scenes shift from day to night every 20 minutes. A Lyon-themed extension, Mini Lyon, opened at the end of 2018.

Mini World Lyon opened on 30 June 2016 in the Carré de Soie leisure centre in Vaulx-en-Velin. Director Richard Richarté conceived it after building a model house with his daughter and visiting Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg; four years passed from idea to opening. The company had been registered in June 2013, and the first year of operation drew more than 200,000 visitors.

The park is organised into three worlds — city, countryside and mountain — with a Lyon extension called Mini Lyon added at the end of 2018 and a Côte d'Azur world under construction. Look for hidden characters drawn from superheroes, cartoons, films, TV series and celebrities, and for the sign above the entrance reading "MINI WORLD LYON".

The park has wide walkways that are easy to navigate, and viewing platforms let you see all the scenes from different angles. Visitors should allow time to watch the moving elements and fine details, as there is always something new to observe.

Every 20 minutes, the entire park shifts from day to night, with thousands of lights turning on and hundreds of miniature vehicles moving across the landscapes. This rapid change shows how differently the scenes appear under different lighting conditions.