Switzerland has so many fun interactive museums, which make learning fun for both children and adults. Below I have selected our favorite family-friendly museums on topics including history, culture, food, art, transportation, castles, and sport and technology. These are a great choice for cold rainy days when you need to be inside.
Contents
Note: Prices and opening times may change without notice.
Discounted entrance fees
SBB Railaway Combo Offers
SBB Railaway has many discounted “combo” offers for museums if you purchase your train ticket at the same time. See SBB Railaway offers for museums.
Museum Passes
The Swiss Museum Pass is a year pass for residents that includes entrance to 500+ museums throughout the country. In 2023, it costs CHF 177/adult, CHF 212/1 adult + 3 children, CHF 313/2 adults + 3 children. See the list of museums.
Raiffeisen also offers a Museums Pass
Swiss Travel Pass
If you are a tourist, you can purchase the Swiss Travel Pass, which includes public transportation in Switzerland (trains, trams, buses, boats), discounts on mountain railways and many amusements.
It also includes entrance to more than 500 museums. See the list of museums. The pass can be purchased for 3-15 days. Book pass here.
City Visitor Passes
Many Swiss cities offer short term visitor passes that give discounts on museums and other amusements in the area.
You may receive these cards free if you are staying overnight in the region, like the Lucerne Visitor Card, Ticino Ticket, Montreux Riviera Card, BaselCard, or Bern Ticket.
Or you may need to purchase it for 1-3 days like the ZurichCard or Geneva City Pass.
Other discounts
Many Swiss museums give discounts for
- students, typically aged 16 – 25, but you must present a student ID for whatever school you are attending.
- retired adults with proof of age, typically over 65. In Switzerland, this is called “AHV”
- disabled persons, called “IV” in Switzerland, and often for the a person accompanying them
- families, typically a family pass for 1 or 2 adults with 2-3 children aged 6-15
History & Culture
1. Ballenberg
This open-air living museum in the beautiful Bernese alps lets you experience traditional Swiss rural life. They also have some trade on display including a cheese dairy, loom weaving, a blacksmith, etc.
Read our Ballenberg review
Location: Near Interlaken – Museumsstrasse 9, 3856 Brienzwiler
Cost 2024: Adult CHF 32 / Child (6-15) CHF 16 / under 6 free
Open: April thru October / daily 10:00 – 17:00
Website: www.ballenberg.ch
2. Trauffer “Wooden Cow” visitor center
The wooden cow figurines from Trauffer are an iconic symbol of Swiss childhood. Seemingly every home, day care, and play area has some of these adorable farm-themed wooden toys.
Near Interlaken, they have a “World of Experiences” tour that takes visitors through an exhibition showcasing the history and culture of Switzerland’s Alpine region. The tour features life-sized models of traditional Swiss animals like cows, goats, and sheep, as well as interactive displays on Swiss folklore and customs.
Children will love the fun activities like milking cows, making butter, and trying traditional Swiss snacks. Additionally, there are outdoor play areas where children can climb, swing, and slide. They also offer workshops where children can paint wooden animals and adults can carve them.
Location: Near Interlaken – Holzkuhplatz 1, 3858 Hofstetten bei Brienz
Cost 2024: Adult CHF 15 / Child (6-16) CHF 9 / under 6 free
Open: daily / Must book tour for specific 3 hour time slot 10:00-13:00, 12:00-15:00, 15:00-1800
Website: en.trauffer.ch
3. Swiss National Museum Zurich
The “Landesmuseum” in Zürich showcases the history and culture of Switzerland, from prehistoric times to the present day. They have a large collection of artifacts, including weapons, textiles, and artwork, which can help you understand what life was like in Switzerland throughout many centuries.
Children will enjoy the interactive exhibits, including a replica of an old Swiss village, a medieval castle, and a children’s discovery room. They offer a free “Family bag” and “Discovery suitcase” for families, both of which include puzzles and fun activities for children to compete during their museum visit.
Location: in Zurich city – Museumstrasse 2, Zürich
Cost 2024: Adult CHF 13 / Children under 16 free / Free with Zürich Card, Swiss Museum Pass, Raiffeisen Members
Open: Tue-Sun 10:00 – 17:00 / Thurs open until 19:00 / Closed Mondays
Website: www.landesmuseum.ch
4. Museum of Communication Bern
The museum is focused on various forms of communication, with interactive exhibits about body language, speech, writing, telephones, video, photography, and digital media.
Activities include things like cooperative games that depend on good team communication, comparing 20 Swiss German dialects, dubbing movie clips, sorting the mail and sending it through tubes around the museum.
Older children who can read may enjoy the museum the most, as many of the activities require reading. But a few activities were designed explicitly for younger children, so all ages can enjoy their visit. We were happy to find most of the text and activities available in English, as well as French and German.
Read our review of Museum of Communication Bern
Location: Near Bern – Helvetiastrasse 16, 3000 Bern 6
Cost: Adult CHF 15 / Child (6-16) CHF 5 / under 6 free
Open: Tues – Sun 10:00 to 17:00 / Closed Mondays
Website: www.mfk.ch
5. Glasi Hergiswil – glass factory
Learn about the history of glass making in Switzerland at this glass factory and museum near Lucerne. You start with a short multimedia presentation about glass making. Then you can watch live glass making on the factory floor.
Next to the factory, there is a museum with fun amusements for kids including a glass labyrinth, a hands-on glass exhibit, a big playground and a huge marble run where you can roll glass marbles purchased at their gift shop.
Learn more about Glasi Hergiswil
Location: Near Lucerne – Seestrasse 12, 6052 Hergiswil
Cost: Adult and children 10+ – visitor center CHF 7 & glass labyrinth CHF 5 / under 10 free with adult to both
Open: Mon – Fri 9:00 to 17:00 / Sat 9:00 – 16:00 / Closed Sundays
Website: www.glasi.ch
Castles
6. Chillon Castle
This picturesque castle has a spectacular setting on the shores of Lake Geneva, just south of Montreux. Even if you don’t go inside, it’s worth visiting to take pictures of the impressive fortress walls with the beautiful lake and mountain peaks behind it.
The castle has been converted into a museum showcasing its rich history dating back to the 12th century. You can explore many rooms of the castle including the Great Halls, the Duke’s Chambers, and the underground vaults. Children get a free “Drako’s Tour” map of the castle, that makes the tour more fun by searching for special things in each room.
Address: Av. de Chillon 23, 1820 Montreux.
There is metered parking along the street just south of the castle entrance. By bus from Montreux, get off at Veytaux, château de Chillon. The Lake Geneva boat also drops directly at the castle, Château-de-Chillon stop.
Cost: around CHF 15/adult. 50% discount with the Montreux Riviera card.
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Book tickets here (free cancellation 24h in advance)
Open: year round, summer 9:00 to 19:00. See current opening times.
Website: www.chillon.ch
See also our spring weekend itinerary for Montreux
7. Lenzberg Castle
This medieval castle near Zürich is one of the oldest and more important hilltop castles in Switzerland. It dates back to the 11th century and offers visitors a glimpse into life during the Middle Ages.
It has rooms set up to show what it would be like to live in the castle in different eras, with interactive exhibits on the castle’s history and architecture.
At the top of the castle, there is a play area for children where they dress up as knights and princesses and run around the play castle. There’s also a craft corner and toddler with soft-play toys.
Read our Lenzburg castle post
Location: near Zurich – Ellsworthweg, Lenzburg, Canton Aargau
Cost: Adult CHF 14 / Child 4-16 CHF 8 / under 4 free / family discount
Open: only April thru October / Tue – Sun 10:00 – 17:00 / Closed Monday
Website: www.schloss-lenzburg.ch
8. Bellinzona
The three Bellinzona castles look like they are straight out of a fairy tale. They were built in the medieval age and were part of a fortress protecting Switzerland from Italy in the 1500s. Now they are an UNESCO World Heritage site and can be toured by the public.
We enjoyed exploring the grounds of each castle, enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding countryside from the towers and ramparts. Castelgrande is the largest castle and easiest to visit in the center of the Bellinzona village, with an interesting museum open year round.
Read our Bellinzona castle post
Location: Ticino region, near Locarno – Piazza del Sole 7, 6500 Bellinzona
Cost: Entrance to all castles CHF 28/adult, CHF 18/child, CHF 70 family pass, discount with Ticino Ticket
Open: Castlegrande open year around, other castels April to early November / daily 10:00 – 18:00
Website: www.bellinzonaevalli.ch
Science & Technology
9. Technorama – Swiss Science Center
This science discovery museum has four floors packed with hands-on exhibits, from wind tunnels to giant marble runs to optical illusions. Lots to learn and experience for all ages.
They also offer biology, chemistry and physics workshops for both children and adults.
Read our Technorama review
Location: Technoramastrasse 1, 8404 Winterthur. From Zurich 30 mins by car, 40 mins by train
Cost: Adult CHF 33 / Child 6-15 years CHF 22 / under 6 free
Open: daily 10:00 to 17:00
Website: www.technorama.ch
10. Sensorium
This museum near Bern is full of fun interactive exhibits and activities related to the five senses. A great place to entertain children on a rainy day, where they can learn something and adults will also enjoy the experience.
Read our Sensorium review
Location: near Bern – Rüttihubel 29, 3512 Walkringen
Cost: Adult CHF 18 / Child aged 6 to 16 CHF 9 / under 6 free
Open: April to Oct: Tues – Fri 9:00 – 17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00 – 17:00 / Nov to March: Wed – Sun 10:00 to 17:00
Website: www.ruettihubelbad.ch
11. Umwelt Arena
Learn about sustainability, the environment, and energy issues in this huge arena filled with educational exhibits and activities, many hosted by Swiss companies.
We loved testing a variety of scooters, bikes and electric cars on the testing track. Great way to learn about ways to improve your environmental impact.
Location: Zurich city – Türliackerstrasse 4, 8957 Spreitenbach
Cost: Adult CHF 21 / Child (6-15) CHF 16
Open: Wed-Sun 10:00 – 17:00
Website: www.umweltarena.ch
Sport museums
12. FIFA Museum
For football fans and newbies alike, this beautiful museum is filled history, videos, memorabilia, games and hands-on activities for all ages.
Kids will enjoy the fun activity book, with puzzles and quiz questions to answer at various stations throughout the museum. The giant human-sized pinball arena is a hit with everyone, as you rack up point kicking soccer balls into the machines.
Read our FIFA Museum review.
Location: Seestrasse 27, 8002 Zürich
Cost: Adult CHF 24 / Child 7-15 CHF 14 / under 7 free / discounts for students, families, seniors
Open: Tues – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 / Closed Mondays
Website: www.fifamuseum.com
13. Olympic Museum in Lausanne
The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, on the beautiful shores of Lake Geneva, has many interactive exhibits showcasing the stories of Olympic athletes, the history of the Games, and the evolution of sports over time. The museum also has a large collection of Olympic artifacts, including medals, torches, and sports equipment.
Children will can test their athletic abilities, experience Olympic events in virtual reality, and learn about the cultural significance of the Games. At the children’s discovery area, kids can participate in hands-on activities and games related to sports and the Olympics.
Read our article about the Lausanne Olympic Museum
Website: www.fifamuseum.com
Location: Seestrasse 27, 8002 Zürich
Cost: Adult CHF 20 / Child under 15 free
Open: Tues – Sun 9:00 – 18:00 / Closed Mondays
Website: https://olympics.com/museum/
Natural History
14. Kulturama – Museum of Mankind
Kulturama is an interactive museum, demonstrating the history of mankind and explaining how the body works through dozens of colorful, interactive displays, including fun activities for kids.
The topics range from skeletons, to cell division, to how the brain works, to the five senses and much more.
Location: Zurich city – Englischviertelstrasse 9, 8032 Zürich
Cost: Adult CHF 14 / Child 6-15 years CHF 9
Open: Tue,Thu,Fri 13:00 – 17:00 / Wed 13:00 – 20:00 / Sat & Sun 13:00 – 18:00
Website: www.kulturama.ch
15. Dinosaur Museum Aathal
Tons of fossils, dinosaur bones, life-size dinosaur models, dioramas and informational displays spread throughout this surprisingly large museum.
Location: near Zurich – Zürichstrasse 69, 8607 Aathal
Cost: Adult CHF 21 / Child (5-16) CHF 11 / Child 4 CHF 6 / under 4 free / Family ticket CHF 58
Open: Tues-Sat 10:00 – 17:00 / Sun 10:00 – 18:00 / closed Mondays
Website: sauriermuseum.ch
16. Zürich Zoological museum
This free museum is hosted by the University of Zurich, housing over 1500 preserved animals and dozens of fossils. There are interactive displays throughout the museum, so you can learn more through audio and video.
They show short educational films and occasionally run special activities for kids on weekends.
Location: in Zürich city – Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zürich
Cost: free
Open: Tues-Sun 10:00 – 17:00 / closed Mondays
Website: www.zm.uzh.ch
17. Winterthur Natural History Museum
This small natural history museum has clever interactive exhibits and lots of charm and is unusually affordable for Switzerland.
Although it’s smaller than the Zurich Zoological Museum, we enjoyed this slightly more as it has more than just animals and more interactive elements for kids.
Read our post about Winterthur Natural History museum.
Location: Near Zurich – Museumstrasse 52, 8400 Winterthur
Cost: Adult CHF 5 / under 16 with adult free
Open: Tues-Fri 11:00 – 17:00 / Sat-Sun 10:00 – 17:00 / closed Mondays
Website: https://stadt.winterthur.ch/naturmuseum
Transportation
18. Swiss Museum of Transport
This fascinating museum in Lucerne is dedicated to all modes of transportation, including planes, trains, automobiles, boats, space craft, and more. You can see and explore many real-life historical vehicles and learn through dozens of multimedia displays.
The museum has lots of fun activities and games for kids like flight simulators, a play construction zone, play TV studio, little car racing tracks, a mini airport and more. These interactive exhibits really help children explore and learn in a fun and engaging way.
They also have a planetarium and a film theatre showcasing films related to transportation and space. They have rotating temporary exhibits on related themes like energy and communication.
Location: Near Lucerne – Lidostrasse 5, 6006 Luzern
Cost: Adult CHF 35 / Child (6-15) CHF 15 / Extra fees for films and other attractions
Open: daily 10:00 – 18:00 (closes at 17:00 in winter)
Website: www.verkehrshaus.ch
19. Zürich Tram Museum
This museum shows the history of trams in Zurich. You can explore trams from different time periods, learn about the history of public transportation in Zurich, and see how trams have evolved over time.
They have interactive exhibits where children can learn about the technology behind trams and try their hand at operating a tram simulator.
Location: Zurich city – Forchstrasse 260, 8008 Zürich
Cost: Adult CHF 12 / Child (6-15) CHF 6 / Family pass
Open: Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun 13:00 – 18:00
Website: www.tram-museum.ch
20. Bagger Museum
If you or your kids loves construction vehicles, this is the place for you! The museum has many tractors and other construction vehicles on display.
For the kids, there are ride-on construction vehicles, a mechanical digger to play on, a sandbox for digging, and real trucks to climb on.
Location: Near Zurich – Müliwisstrasse 1, 5467 Fisibach.
Cost: Adult CHF 15 / Child (7-15) CHF 10 / family discount
Open: Wed 13:30 – 17:00 / Sat, Sun 10:00 – 17:00
Website: www.ebianum.ch
21. Dubendorf Aviation Flab Museum
The “Flieger Flab Museum” documents the history of military aviation in Switzerland, from the beginning to present day. It has many aircraft on display, flight simulators, and some interactive exhibits that children will enjoy.
Location: Near Zurich – Überlandstrasse 255 Dübendorf.
Cost: Adult CHF 15 / Child (6-15) CHF 6.
Open: Tu-Fr 13:30 – 17:00 / Sa 9:00 – 17:00 / Su 13:00 – 17:00
Website: www.afc-fliegermuseum.ch
Food factories & museums
22. Chocolate factories
Switzerland has many chocolate factories with visitor centers, where you can about how chocolate is made and the history of chocolate, particularly in Switzerland. Most have fun interactive exhibits, multimedia tours, and chocolate to taste.
Our favorite for kids in Maestrani’s Chocolarium, which in east of Zurich in the Appenzell region. It has a fanciful Willy Wonka feel, with lots of color and fun activities for kids.
Location: near Zurich – Toggenburgerstrasse 41, 9230 Flawil
Cost: Adult CHF 14 / Child CHF 8 / under 6 free
Open: Tues – Fri 10:00-18:00 / Sat – Sun 10:00 – 17:00
Read our Chocolarium article
Closer to Zurich city, the Lindt Home of Chocolate is also a good choice, with a beautifully designed visitor center, delicious chocolate to taste and fun workshops, particularly for the holidays.
Location: near Zurich – Schokoladenplatz 1, Seestrasse 204, 8802 Kilchberg
Cost: Adult CHF 15 / Child CHF 10 / under 7 free – Reserve tickets here
Open: daily 10:00 – 18:00 / until 19:00 in summer April-Oct
For tourists, you may enjoy a guided tour of Zürich that includes a visit to Lindt.
23. Appenzeller Cheese Factory
An easy day trip from Zürich to this cheese factory and visitor center in Appenzell region. Learn about Swiss cheese making in a fun way with interactive displays and watch live cheese making on the factory floor.
The tour includes a sampler of the cheese made here. Kids will enjoy the games inside the museum and outdoor playground.
See our Appenzell Cheese Factory review.
Location: near Zurich – Dorf 711, 9063 Stein
Cost: Adult CHF 12 / Child CHF 7 / under 6 free
Open: daily 9:00 to 17:30
Website: www.schaukaeserei.ch
For more things cheese, we also suggest the Gruyere Show Dairy and Emmental Show Dairy.
24. Alimentarium Vevey
This museum in western Switzerland is focused on the history, culture, and science of food and nutrition. With interactive exhibits, you learn about food production and processing, the evolution of eating habits, food safety and hygiene, and the role of food in health and wellness.
For children, they have hands-on exhibit where they can touch, smell, and taste different foods. They also offer cooking workshops.
Location: near Lausanne – Quai Perdonnet 25, 1800 Vevey
Cost: Adult CHF 13 / Child (6-15) CHF 4 / under 6 free / audio guide CHF 5
Open: Tues – Sun 10:00 to 17:00 (closes at 18:00 April to Sept)
Website: www.alimentarium.org
25. Kambly Cookie Experience
Kambly Cookies are a Swiss tradition and a very popular cookie in this country. At the Kambly Experience visitor center, you learn about the history of Swiss cookies and particularly the Kambly brand. Children will enjoy the interactive exhibits, including little games, multimedia presentations, and play bakery.
The center offers workshops, including baking classes and chocolate tastings. There is a short trail leading from the train station to the Kambly factory, where you learn about the steps of cookie production. There is also a mini-farm on the premises where children can see and interact with animals.
Read more about Kambly Cookie Experience
Location: west of Lucerne – Mühlestrasse 8, Trubschachen
Cost: free for the visitor center / fee for workshops, reserve in advance
Open: Mon-Fri 9:00 – 18:00 / Sat-Sun 9:00 – 17:00
Website: www.kambly.com
26. Mühlerama – Flour milling museum
This industrial mill in Zurich hosts a museum about the cultural history of flour milling, with many interesting multimedia displays. In a short guided tour, you can see the original mill in action, grinding and sifting flour.
Each person gets a cup of grain that you can grind on various stones and hand powered machines, making you very thankful that you can simply buy flour at the store.
Kids will enjoy the tall slide that was originally used to transport bags of flour to the main floor. They also have a puzzle game spread throughout the museum.
Although many of the exhibits will interest children, it’s best for kids over 6 supervised by adults. All information is available in English and German.
Location: in Zurich city – Seefeldstrasse 231, 8008 Zürich
Cost: Adult CHF 16 / Youth (6-18) CHF 9 / Free with ZürichCARD, Swiss Museum Pass and Raiffesien card
Open: Tue-Sat 14:00 – 18:00 / Tues open until 21:00 / Sun 10:00 – 17:00 / Closed Mondays
Website: www.muehlerama.ch
Art Museums
27. Wow Museum – Room for Illusions
This fun museum has various “rooms of illusions” with all sorts of optical illusions and interactive activities. We loved the photo rooms, where you can capture animated GIFs of you inside weird environments, like the one here.
People of all ages, from young children to teens to adults, will have fun here. It’s very sensory oriented and doesn’t require much explanation, which means young kids can easily engage and enjoy the experience without understanding what’s really going on.
Location: in Zurich city – Werdmühlestrasse 10, 8001 Zürich
Cost: Adult CHF 23 / Child (6-16) CHF 16 / Child (2-5) CHF 5 / Family ticket CHF 73
Open: Mon, Wed-Sun – varying hours, see website / best to book ahead
Website: www.wow-museum.ch
28. Kunsthaus – Zürich Art Museum
Zürich Kunsthaus is the largest art museum in Switzerland. Its collection range from Middle Ages to contemporary art, including many Swiss artists as well as more household names like Monet and Picasso.
It’s free to visit their collection on Wednesdays and the temporary exhibitions are discounted on Thursday evenings. They host many tours and workshops, also for children.
Location: in Zurich city – Heimplatz 1, Zürich
Cost: Collection ticket Adult CHF 23 / Free for youth under 17 / Reduced admission Thu 18:00 – 20:00 CHF 10 for collection & exhibition
Open: Tue-Sun 10:00 – 17:00 / Thurs open until 19:00 / Closed Mondays
Website: www.kunsthaus.ch
29. Museum Rietberg
Museum Rietberg is one of the largest art museums in Switzerland, focused on non-European art and culture, both traditional and contemporary.
In addition to their interesting and beautiful exhibits, they offer creative courses for adults and hands-on workshops for families and children.
On Sundays, they have a drop-in “Open Workshop” where children 5+ (with an adult) receive instruction on various artistic techniques and experiment with the provided materials (CHF 15/child).
Location: in Zurich city – Gablerstrasse 15, 8002 Zürich
Cost: Adult CHF 18 / Free for youth under 16 / Free with Swiss Museum Pass & Zürich Card
Open: Tue-Sun 10:00 – 17:00 / Thurs open until 20:00 / Closed Mondays
Website: rietberg.ch
30. Zentrum Paul Klee
This art museum is dedicated to the art of Paul Klee, a Swiss-German painter influenced by expressionism, cubism and surrealism. Besides being an interesting cultural experience, the museum offers a variety of activities for children.
My kids particularly enjoyed Open Studio, a one hour art class where they learned to imitate the line art of Paul Klee. I appreciate the extra effort they make to interest children in art and make them comfortable at the museum.
Read my review of Zentrum Paul Klee
Location: near Bern – Monument im Fruchtland 3, 3000 Bern
Cost: Adult CHF 20 / Child (6-16) CHF 7 / Family tickets
Open: Tue-Sun 10:00 – 17:00 / Closed Mondays
Website: www.zpk.org
One Response
Thank You dear Tanya for all these precious information.
Your work here is so helpful… I will enjoy with my daughter !