Swiss National Museum

The Swiss National Museum offers a solid overview of Swiss history and culture, but it feels somewhat generic. While the exhibits are well-curated, the experience lacks a unique defining feature to make it stand out. Unlike the Vienna Museum, with its extensive collections and interactive options, or the Munich Museum’s captivating scientific approach, the Swiss National Museum could benefit from a more distinctive focus or innovative presentation to elevate the visitor experience. It’s a good visit, but not particularly memorable.

The Swiss National Museum is a must-visit during any trip to Zurich. It’s one of the most beautiful places, showcasing Swiss history and culture in a stunning, atmospheric setting. The exhibits are fascinating and well-curated, offering a deep dive into the country’s heritage. Visiting in late November, we were treated to a picturesque snowfall that added an extra layer of magic to our experience. The peaceful winter vibes and stunning architecture make it the perfect spot to spend a few hours. A highlight of our vacation!

The entrance to this museum was free with a Swiss Travel Pass, and the museum was located right across the street from Zurich station. The museum's guided path allowed me to enjoy the collection from the older to the newer pieces, as each section was separated by their designated century. I enjoyed having a glimpse into Switzerland's past. I would recommend it to anyone who visits Zurich.

Wonderful place to spend a day particularly a rainy one when you cannot enjoy outdoors. Variety of exhibits and a load of interactive displays that kids enjoy a lot. Next to the main railway station so very easy access.

The museum showcases the history of Switzerland from its early beginnings until the present day. Is one of the attractions of the city and enjoys a central position, just a minute walk from the main railway station in Zurich. It takes approx. 2 hours to visit. The pendulum clocks were amazing 😍

The light show at the Landesmuseum Zurich was absolutely stunning! It’s a perfect way to experience art in a unique and immersive way. The only drawback was the long wait in front of the museum to get in. It would have been nice if the entry process were quicker or more organized. Despite that, it was a memorable experience and definitely worth seeing.

I'm on vacation with my sister and this was on her bucket list and it did not disappoint! The Museum is huge and we definitely needed another day to get through it all. It had modern exhibits along with older exhibits that were amazing. It was not busy and we were able to explore without being rushed because of crowds! It is definitely a must see for anyone who loves museums.

Nicely planned museum, with curious little exhibits. Simply Zurich (1st floor) was interactive and interesting, whilst the Ideas of Switzerland (Ground floor) was incredibly well designed. Loved seeing the 3D relief map in granite, and reading the history of Switzerland, revealed by projectors. Free with Zurich pass. P.S. The Christmas market that has just opened is amazing! Very busy, but nice music, good food at affordable prices, and some strong glühwein!

The Swiss National Museum offers a solid overview of Swiss history and culture, but it feels somewhat generic. While the exhibits are well-curated, the experience lacks a unique defining feature to make it stand out. Unlike the Vienna Museum, with its extensive collections and interactive options, or the Munich Museum’s captivating scientific approach, the Swiss National Museum could benefit from a more distinctive focus or innovative presentation to elevate the visitor experience. It’s a good visit, but not particularly memorable.

The Swiss National Museum is a must-visit during any trip to Zurich. It’s one of the most beautiful places, showcasing Swiss history and culture in a stunning, atmospheric setting. The exhibits are fascinating and well-curated, offering a deep dive into the country’s heritage. Visiting in late November, we were treated to a picturesque snowfall that added an extra layer of magic to our experience. The peaceful winter vibes and stunning architecture make it the perfect spot to spend a few hours. A highlight of our vacation!

The entrance to this museum was free with a Swiss Travel Pass, and the museum was located right across the street from Zurich station. The museum's guided path allowed me to enjoy the collection from the older to the newer pieces, as each section was separated by their designated century. I enjoyed having a glimpse into Switzerland's past. I would recommend it to anyone who visits Zurich.

Wonderful place to spend a day particularly a rainy one when you cannot enjoy outdoors. Variety of exhibits and a load of interactive displays that kids enjoy a lot. Next to the main railway station so very easy access.

The museum showcases the history of Switzerland from its early beginnings until the present day. Is one of the attractions of the city and enjoys a central position, just a minute walk from the main railway station in Zurich. It takes approx. 2 hours to visit. The pendulum clocks were amazing 😍

The light show at the Landesmuseum Zurich was absolutely stunning! It’s a perfect way to experience art in a unique and immersive way. The only drawback was the long wait in front of the museum to get in. It would have been nice if the entry process were quicker or more organized. Despite that, it was a memorable experience and definitely worth seeing.

I'm on vacation with my sister and this was on her bucket list and it did not disappoint! The Museum is huge and we definitely needed another day to get through it all. It had modern exhibits along with older exhibits that were amazing. It was not busy and we were able to explore without being rushed because of crowds! It is definitely a must see for anyone who loves museums.

Nicely planned museum, with curious little exhibits. Simply Zurich (1st floor) was interactive and interesting, whilst the Ideas of Switzerland (Ground floor) was incredibly well designed. Loved seeing the 3D relief map in granite, and reading the history of Switzerland, revealed by projectors. Free with Zurich pass. P.S. The Christmas market that has just opened is amazing! Very busy, but nice music, good food at affordable prices, and some strong glühwein!

A very large museum giving you the history of Switzerland and the unique artifacts that come along with it. Free entry with your Swiss Travel Pass. I wouldn't consider it a must-see, but it was nice to know more of the country that we were traveling to.

Really great museum for Swiss history. The audio guide goes backward in time. I think i would have preferred a normal chronological progression, but it wasn't too bad. The audio is either free if you want to download their app or 5 CHF for the device. I think you could spend a whole day there if you wanted, but I would at least budget 4 hours.

Good museum. Large and cheap for Switzerland and has various types of artefacts. Mostly history, a touch of geology, a little contemporary art & some historical art. The only downside is the layout is rather disorganised so it's easy to miss stuff.

Anyone with an interest in Swiss history has to see this museum. We paid CHF 10 per person to see this museum on a Sunday afternoon, as they were closed Monday. Museum is setup on two sides of a road. Visitors have to climb 50+ interior stairs to cross over the road. You don't want to trip and fall here! Afterwards go down a 100 yard long corridor on the other side. We end up going through Swiss history backwards in time, from the 20th century, the Swiss red cross role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the rise of women's rights in the 1920s, Swiss armaments in WW2 including land turrets, paintings of Switzerland in the 1800s and 1700s, Swiss armor worn by knights. Complete set of hundreds of miniatures soldiers, cavalry on horses, besieging a castle surrounding a town, complete with drawbridges and moat, in the 1600s. Especially interesting was the interactive displays of Switzerland in the ice ages, with the coming and receding of the glaciers, and the locals wearing animal fur, living in caves, hunting and fishing. The construction caused us to go backwards in time, whereas you would have started from the earliest times, and gone forward in a normal manner. Lots of construction, with lookouts through castle turrets on a central plaza. Middle ages royalty costumes complete with codpieces not only for the financially, but anatomically well endowed!

A large museum covering Swiss history and their culture from prehistoric times to the 21st century. While you can learn a lot of this on the Internet, esp Wikipedia, the museum offers a much deeper sensory experience that you just won't get from your computer screen. There are many eye popping displays of things like historical fashion, a topographical map of Switzerland, prehistoric artifacts in full display, etc. Expect to spend several hours here as well; I unfortunately didn't budget enough time due to the train I had to catch.

Also known as the Swiss National Museum, Landesmuseum is located right across the Zurich main station. If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, the ticket entry is included. If you have a student ID, you can get 2 Francs off. I first thought it would be more of a natural history museum but it's more like a museum of random stuff from Switzerland's history. It only took my boyfriend and I about 1.5 hours to roam through the whole place, but we're not really the museum type. I would say if you have extra time in Zurich and you're looking for something to do, Landesmuseum is a good option. Otherwise, it's not a must-see.

Informative museum. It is quite big and you can get lost between the new and original wings. Architecture is beautiful and reminds me of the castle. They have a very comprehensive exhibit about Switzerland. It ranges from the politics, geography, history, culture. The museum also has very interactive and technological exhibits. My favorite by far was the digital book that is used by a projector in the ceiling. There are lockers downstairs could fit a medium suitcase and coat hangers (4 larger ones) and plenty of smaller lockers for backpacks. It only cost 1CHF for each locker , which you get back when you unlock. This is much cheaper than locking up your bag at Zurich Main Station which costs 9 CHF for a large locker and 6 CHF for smaller locker. The bathrooms are very clean. There are English tours available, just check what time. There is also a small café. There are no iPads around the exhibits for a more interactive experience. I appreciated that the iPads also came with a charger for some emergency iPhone charging. I had a much better appreciation of Switzerland after coming to this museum. This museum was free with the Swiss travel pass. Or 10 CHF regular admission. The museum is conveniently located from Swiss main station and you only have to cross a small street.

We went to this museum by using the Zurich City Pass. It has a lot of interesting exhibits and is very easy to get to in the city. I had very little knowledge about Switzerland before going to this museum, but it was very informative and they had really cool interactive exhibits.

This national museum of Switzerland pretty much covers it all. You enter through a "Swiss famous people in time" display and work your way though textiles, furniture, banking and a variety of other topics. The goal for us was to get up to the tower turrets where they had a remarkable collection of weaponry through the centuries. It was a little hard to follow the path and included a tiny winding stairway at the end, but it was really fun up there. It appears to be an old stone castle which was interesting itself. Visitors are required to leave all packages, purses and packs in a locker room, that though supposedly guarded made me very very nervous. The lockers were nothing more than flimsy school lockers and I refused to leave my wallet, passport and cell phone there. Since I did not have adequate pockets, the lady guard was sympathetic and got me a clear plastic bag to carry my valuables. Seemed silly, given that any clothing with large enough pockets to carry your gear was considered secure, but a purse, not.

Its pretty large and gives you a good overview on swiss history. Its a castle basically with a couple of towers where u can see zurich from

I've been to the museum here twice, and it's interesting to check out Swiss history. One of my favs is the old-fashioned clothing on I think the top floor? The architecture is quite nice, and I think the entrance to the museum is free on the last Sunday of every month. Once I went to a special exhibit of Swiss humor, which totally did not make any sense to me... because everything was written in German. :( Sometimes there are events in the courtyard, and they bring in vendors who sell food and drinks and play music in the evenings. I've been here to watch games during the World Cup, and there was a Rundfunk.fm outdoor party last Saturday where there was a small structure in the middle of the courtyard for rollerskating during the evenings and clubbing at night.

Fantastic museum in Zurich if you're into history. Note, if you have a Swiss Travel Pass, the admission (10 CHF) is covered! We started with the early history of Zurich, saw a lot of medieval paintings and glass paintings. My favorite part has to be the armory tower which exhibits all sorts of medieval weapons to more modern arms. Some notable medieval weapons include racks of halberds, a serrated sword and a display of rapiers.

Is not a exquisite museum but is pretty good. I was more impressed by the temporary exhibition on Alois Carigiet: museography was EXCELLENT, theme was perfect and for foreigners it huge to discover and bring with them this swiss artist. i was not so impress with the swiss history exhibition not museology speaking but more because the space arrangement (which it's challenging due to building characteristics), turned out to be confusing. Lovelly collection on Swiss fashion, religious art (GREAT), industrial and handcraft products, places, armory, decoration. I had the chance to watch as well Albeit exhibition which I very much appreciated, about more than 100 years of immigration history in Switzerland. I paid 10CHF which I believe is fair fare. There's a bistro, a meeting point, free lockers, museum shop.

We're going back today! Enjoyed so much the museum and the creative and useful interactive exhibits. Spent 1 1/2 hours yesterday until they closed and are sure we missed lots! Please make time and don't miss this museum, it has some fabulous special exhibits, and the many many fabulous interactive activities. You won't be disappointed!

The Swiss National Museum is built to look like an old medieval building, but it was really built around 1890 - kind of disappointing. The exhibits were kind of lame, half of the museum was taken up by displays of typical Swiss furniture through each decade. Room after room was filled with couches and tables. It was extremely hot inside the building and the whole place was musty.

Coming from NYC, I'm sorry to say we could not find much in this museum that picqued our interest. They're going through a major renovation it seems so I will hold my breath and give it another try but other than the boating exhibition, the banking exhibition and the traditional clothes on display, there really wasn't much else--isn't there a lot more to Swiss culture?? It's a beautiful building and there was love music going on on the ground level, the museum reps were very cordial and helpful, but if you have limited time in Zurich, check out the Kunsthaus instead and enjoy some wine by the lake or stroll around nearby Altstadt/Old Town instead.

This was a perfect way for us to get a feel for Switzerland on our visit. The museum is well laid out with broad overviews and fine details intermeshed well.

Very large, interesting museum of Swiss culture and history. It is conveniently located. It is worth a visit if you like history.

Complete ripoff! They took my money and let me go in without telling me that, once inside, another museum employee would demand that I give up my purse to a locker because it was "too big." Never mind that my purse had my wallet and passport in it.