Museums Switzerland - 25 Top Deals and Prices 2025

15 exceptional museums in Switzerland

Switzerland has 1,129 museums. If it were to rain for three years straight, you could visit a different museum every day. You might even start wishing for a few rainy days! Or not?

Of course, visiting a museum is worthwhile even in good weather. Many museums have beautiful parks or are entirely outdoors. This includes places like the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum or Swissminiature in Ticino, which we will introduce shortly. From A like the Alpine Museum in Bern to Z like the Photography Center in Winterthur, the Swiss museum landscape truly offers something for everyone.

Cities in Switzerland with the Most Museums

The city of Zurich is far ahead of all other cities in Switzerland with the most museums and exhibitions.

City	Number of Museums
Zurich	59
Winterthur	18
Geneva	17
Lausanne	17
Bern	14
Fribourg	8
St. Gallen	8
Lucerne	7
Chur	6

If you often visit museums, you should definitely consider getting the Swiss Museum Pass. It gives you unlimited access for a year to 500 museums and castles across Switzerland—from Lake Constance to the Romandy region and from Ticino to Basel, all the way across the country.

A museum doesn’t always have to be about art, and we’ll show that with this guide. Let yourself be inspired by the variety of museums and themes, or travel from the heart of Switzerland to tropical faraway places. Enjoy discovering the 15 most extraordinary museums in Switzerland.

Technorama Winterthur

Unlike most other museums, the Technorama in Winterthur explicitly encourages you to touch and interact! Countless experiment stations invite you to explore and discover. Experience hundreds of phenomena from nature and technology at the Technorama with all your senses. From exhibitions, labs, adventure rooms to invention workshops, there's plenty to discover for both young and old.

• Opening hours: daily
• Special: The “Windy Picture” is a unique souvenir: step into a photo booth with a built-in wind tunnel and let the wind sweep you away with your friends. You can download your photos from the website after your visit.
• The labs can be reserved by school classes and groups.
• Suitable for: families, scientists, technicians, researchers, and knowledge seekers

Wow Museum Zurich

A museum that will truly blow your mind: welcome to the Wow Museum in Zurich. You'll encounter countless illusions, sensory deceptions, and fresh perspectives. On three floors right in the heart of Zurich, you won't be able to stop marveling. The Wow Museum is a vibrant world of experience in itself. A visit here has never been so much fun. Don't forget to bring your phone; amidst the optical illusions, there are fantastic photo opportunities at every corner.

• Opening hours: open year-round, daily; hours vary by weekday
• Special: The Wow Museum can also be rented for team-building events or as an event location
• Suitable for: families, friends, school classes, aspiring models and photographers, groups, or solo visitors

Lichthalle Maag Zurich

For a few years now, this former industrial hall in Zurich's District 5 has housed one of the most fascinating museums in the country. The Lichthalle MAAG is Switzerland's first permanent museum dedicated to immersive art. The 28 pre-installed high-performance projectors provide a unique 360° projection experience. Accompanied by top-notch acoustics, art can be experienced in a completely new way. The Lichthalle MAAG allows you to truly immerse yourself. The images are located in front of you, beneath you, above you, and beside you. They fill the entire space, moving gracefully to the music – making you a part of the art.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday
• Special: School groups benefit from a discounted price
• Suitable for: Families, art lovers, school groups, and groups

Museum of Communication Bern

In Bern, you'll find the only Swiss museum that is exclusively dedicated to the exciting topic of communication. Here, you can send messages by pneumatic tube, have yourself immortalized on a stamp, or perform a Hollywood scene at film karaoke. Additionally, you can learn all about the adventurous heist from 1997 when the post office was robbed of 53 million Swiss francs. Chip implants, the first Swiss computer, a postal coach, and many more exhibits invite interaction and wonder. Communication has connected people for ages – it's high time to take a closer look at it.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday
• Special: The squirrel Ratatösk guides the little ones through the museum interactively. Throughout the core exhibition, there are always exciting things for children aged four to eight to discover. This allows parents to enjoy their own museum visit in a more relaxed way.
• Suitable for: Families, knowledge seekers, sociable individuals, communicators, and tech enthusiasts

Traffic Museum Lucerne

The probably most popular museum in Switzerland is located just outside of Lucerne. At the Traffic Museum, you'll find not only a wealth of information about transportation and communication, but also the cinema with the largest screen in Switzerland. Additionally, the museum features a planetarium, a pond for pedal boating, a chocolate museum, restaurants, shops, and much more. Even adults will be amazed here. You can find more information in our guidebook on the Traffic Museum Lucerne.

• Opening hours: open all year round
• Prices vary depending on exhibition areas.
• Special: A truly special experience awaits you with films on the largest screen in Switzerland in 3D. The current movie schedule can be found online.
• Suitable for: families, groups, transportation enthusiasts, stargazers, sweet tooths

Swiss Activities offers for the Traffic Museum Lucerne

• Day pass for the Traffic Museum Lucerne with access to all areas and the best exhibitions and attractions throughout the museum
• Planetarium at the Traffic Museum Lucerne: entry to the planetarium and access to shows and live shows
• Film theatre day program at the Traffic Museum Lucerne as a ticket for a film including a rental 3D glasses. Film topics include breathtaking marine environments, untouched wilderness, feature films, and much more in 3D.
• Entry ticket for Hans Erni Museum & Media World Traffic Museum Lucerne: more than 3000 objects, along with virtual worlds

Swissminiatur Melide

Switzerland is relatively small compared to other countries. It becomes even more compact at Swissminiatur in Melide. With 128 detailed models of houses, castles, and monuments, you can admire Switzerland in miniature. Covering around 14,000 m², nestled among 15,000 flower species and over 1,500 other plants, Swissminiatur is also a visual delight.

Between the various attractions, 18 model trains run on about 3.5 km of track as well as cogwheel, cable cars, suspended monorails, and boats. The park by the shores of Lake Lugano has been delighting both young and old since 1959. The kids will feel really big here for a whole day...

• Opening hours: March to November, daily
• Special: Swissminiatur is one of the few museums where dogs are welcome and you can picnic to your heart's content.
• Suitable for: families, groups, dogs, individuals, couples, locals, and everyone else

Dinosaur Museum Aathal

In Aathal in the Zurich Oberland you can marvel at the smallest and largest dinosaurs on an area of 3000 m². Here you will find impressive original dinosaur skeletons, the "Dino Giardino" with playground and picnic area and a store for dinosaur and fossil fans. Time and again, visitors are also impressed by exciting special exhibitions, for example on the topic of "Meteorites and the demise of the dinosaurs". Go on a journey through time and let yourself be carried away into a world before our time.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday
• Special: Spend the night in the museum among T-Rex and pterosaurs. Including guided scary tour as well as dinner and breakfast. Check the current dates in advance or book this cool offer for a whole group. A night you're sure to remember forever.
• Suitable for: Families, scientists, explorers, dino fans and bone hunters

Zurich Zoological Museum

In the Zoological Museum of the City of Zurich you will meet about 1500 animals - and many of them, you can also hear. Here it screeches, grunts, chirps and croaks! From the naked-nosed wombat to the minke whale and shaggy hairy snails, you can discover all kinds of exciting things here. With a magnifying glass, you'll explore the tiniest insects, and with headphones, you'll listen to the most impressive voices from the animal kingdom. The museum raises awareness and enthusiasm for the beauty, diversity and value of nature. It also acts as a showcase for the university, promoting understanding of university research and its working methods.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday
• Prices: free of charge
• Special: Children with a thirst for knowledge can learn a great deal at the exciting family workshops: every Sunday, after a stimulating introduction to a biological topic, families solve interactive research tasks on site.
• Suitable for: Families, scientists, nature lovers, those with a thirst for knowledge, budding zoologists and researchers

Papiliorama Kerzers

The Papiliorama in Kerzers lets you explore the jungle without needing a plane ticket. Day and night, the rainforest bustles with activity, home to countless species of animals and plants. Over 1,000 tropical butterflies and rare hummingbirds flutter through the air, and the Nocturama offers a special wildlife viewing experience: the unique dome dims daylight to mimic a full moon night, while powerful floodlights simulate sunlight at night. This way, you can admire nocturnal animals like bats, night monkeys, sloths, and anacondas during the day.

• Opening hours: daily
• Special features: There’s also a petting zoo on the premises. Here, miniature donkeys, dwarf goats, rabbits, ducks, and chickens charm their visitors.
• Suitable for: families, animal lovers, scientists, nature enthusiasts, and anyone with wanderlust

Olympic Museum Lausanne

At the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, you can experience the Olympics up close with the latest computer technology and audiovisual media. You’ll learn all about the history and can marvel at interactive exhibits, documents, films, and collections of valuable items. From ancient Greece to the modern day, a visit to the museum is worthwhile just for its outstanding architecture and its beautiful location right by Lake Geneva.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday
• Prices: Free for children
• Special features: The museum park hosts 43 sculptures, including works by artists like Niki de Saint-Phalle, Botero, and Tapies & Calder. So, make sure to set aside enough time to visit the over 8,000 m² park right by the lake.
• Suitable for: families, team players, solo adventurers, sports, history, and art enthusiasts, aspiring and seasoned Olympians

Fifa Museum Zürich

The Fifa Museum in Zurich offers a fitting home for the world's most popular team sport. The museum not only looks back at the greatest tournaments in history but also presents the fascinating development and history of international football. Furthermore, the museum near Bahnhof Enge illustrates how football impacts and enriches the lives of ordinary people. The 3000 m² exhibition space celebrates the cultural heritage of football and its unique ability to connect and inspire people around the globe.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday
• Special: The crowning highlight of your visit to the FIFA Museum is the unique pinball game. In five disciplines, you can showcase your own talent with the ball.
• Suitable for: Families, athletes, groups, small and large football fans

Chocolate Museum

Switzerland is the ultimate chocolate country. It’s no surprise that you’ll find several fantastic opportunities here to dive into the delicious world of chocolate. Chocolate factories allow you to get up close to the production of famous Swiss chocolate. This includes well-known names like Lindt, Maestrani, and Cailler.

In all factories with visitor centers, you have the chance to taste chocolate and purchase it at attractive prices in the shop at the end. Here are six of the coolest ones briefly introduced. If you need more specific information, you can find it in our Guide to Chocolate Factories in Switzerland.

• Maestrani’s Chocolarium: The Maestrani’s Chocolarium is located in Flawil in the canton of St. Gallen and offers interactive experiences along with various tasting opportunities. You can even decorate your own chocolate bar in the show confectionery and take it home as a souvenir. Those self-decorated chocolate bars are way too nice to just give away...

• Lindt Home of Chocolate: The Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg on Lake Zurich is definitely a superlative project. In one of the world’s largest chocolate fountains, a whopping 1500 kilograms of chocolate circulates, and with over nine meters high and 500 m² in size, the Lindt shop is one of the largest of its kind.

• Chez Camille Bloch: Right next to the factory in the Bernese Jura, where Ragusa and Torino are produced, is the visitor center of Camille Bloch. Here, you’ll be shown the production process up close, take a journey through the history of the company, and snack on delicious chocolate at various stations.

• La Maison Cailler: La Maison Cailler is the visitor center of Cailler and is located in Broc, a village in the canton of Fribourg by Lake Gruyère. The tour here, focusing on the early days of chocolate production, starts a bit grim – but quickly becomes enjoyable and incredibly delicious. Snacking is explicitly encouraged and allowed here.

• House of Läderach: The visitor center of Läderach is located in the canton of Glarus. Upon entering, you receive a piece of chocolate and a porcelain spoon along with your ticket. You can then dip this into the chocolate fountain after your tour, where both dark and white chocolate flow alongside the brown chocolate.

• Aeschbach’s Chocowelt: A product from Aeschbach that should be familiar to every Swiss is the gold-wrapped chocolate coin. But here, you’ll not only learn everything about the famous chocolate coin but also take an interactive tour and have various tasting opportunities. Aeschbach’s ChocoWelt is located in Root near Lucerne.

Cheese Factories

Switzerland is almost as famous for its cheese as it is for its chocolate. Cheese is produced in about 600 cheese factories across the country, ranging from small family-run alpine operations to large industrial productions. Each year, these factories produce around 190,000 tons of cheese. So, a visit to a Swiss cheese factory is definitely a must. Here are some of the most important cheese factories we recommend. If you want more information, you can find it in our travel guide about the cheese factories of Switzerland.

• Emmental Cheese Factory: The Emmental cheese, with its large holes, is undoubtedly one of the most famous cheeses in the world. At the Emmental Cheese Factory, you can watch the cheese-making process, make your own fresh cheese, and learn all about traditional cheese during an informative tour. The factory is located in Affoltern in the Emmental region of the canton of Bern.

• La Maison du Gruyères: Gruyères cheese is another classic among Swiss cheeses. The cheese factory in the French-speaking region of Gruyère offers a tour and an interactive museum. Additionally, a visit here is an experience for all your senses. The gigantic aging hall, where thousands of cheese wheels mature, as well as tasting the different varieties, are among the highlights of this visit.

• Appenzeller Cheese Factory: If you prefer cheese with a stronger flavor, the spicy Appenzeller might be just right for you. In the cheese factory in Stein in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, you'll learn interesting facts about the region's traditions, check out the cheese cellar, watch the professionals at work, and even have the chance to create your own herb mixture.

• Käserei Engelberg: What makes the Engelberg cheese factory special is its unique location. It is the only Swiss cheese factory located in a monastery. Here, you can get up close to the production process – for example, when they make the “Engelberger Glocke”; a soft cheese shaped like a cowbell.

• Erlebniskäserei Marbach: In the lovely visitor gallery of the Erlebniskäserei in Marbach, you'll learn how milk turns into cheese, where Switzerland's first buffalo mozzarella comes from, and much more. You'll also get a glimpse of the production process and of course, have a chance to taste some of the local delicacies along the way.

• La Maison de la Tête de Moine: The Tête de Moine is probably the most visually appealing cheese in Switzerland; it’s shaved into paper-thin cheese rolls using a special round plane. You can find out everything about this quirky cheese and much more at the Maison de la Tête de Moine in Bellelay, a small village in the Bernese Jura.

Environmental Arena Switzerland Spreitenbach

In this futuristic building, you'll experience the topic of sustainability through exciting and interactive exhibits. The Umwelt Arena, located right by the Tivoli shopping center in Spreitenbach, is a fascinating world of experiences for both young and old, dedicated entirely to environmental topics. Here, you'll playfully learn about the most sustainable energies of the future and find out how you can apply them yourself.

• Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday
• Prices: Free for children under 6
• Special: Complete your visit with a test ride in the e-vehicles and fun vehicles on the 300 m long indoor course.
• Suitable for: Families, groups, school classes, forward-thinkers, environmentalists

Ballenberg Brienz

Since the 1970s, in Switzerland, old barns, farmhouses, bread ovens, and more have been carefully dismantled instead of demolished, stone by stone. In the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum, they are then authentically rebuilt. What started in 1978 with 16 buildings now includes over 100 residential and agricultural structures. A visit to Ballenberg is like taking a real journey back in time. Here, you can admire buildings from the inside and outside, and dive into a bit of traditional Swiss craftsmanship.

• Opening hours: April to October
• Special: Discover Ballenberg in a unique way with a Foxtrail: Between centuries-old buildings, charming farm animals, and hardworking craftsmen, you’ll follow the tracks of the fox and explore the rural culture of days gone by.
• Suitable for: Families, history lovers, tradition enthusiasts, outdoor explorers, and hikers

Swiss Activities offer at Ballenberg

• There's so much to discover at Ballenberg that you could easily spend two days there. With the Ballenberg entrance ticket, you get access for one or two days.

The diverse selection of museums in Switzerland really leaves nothing to be desired. If it rains again a whole weekend through or even if the sun shines, you now know where you can find the greatest museums. No matter to which museum you are drawn first; we wish you a lot of fun.