This is a guest post by Mike Jensen.
Switzerland is full of exciting things to do, from vast amusement parks to multi-storey candy stores. There are also lots of family friendly things to do such as museums. Switzerland has the best museums for kids!
From a museum that has actual dinosaur bones, to the a four-floor extravaganza of teddy bears and dolls – all of these museums will be incredibly fun for your young ones, and some will be very interesting for adults as well! Switzerland’s museums are great for the whole family.
Tram Museum, Zurich
The Tram Museum in Zurich definitely deserves a spot on this list. First, because Zurich is the most popular Swiss city with tourists, and there’s a great chance that you’re planning to go there. And second, because the museum is so interesting that it is going to be fun for the entire family.
The exhibits include everything tram related – from old tram cars that went out of use centuries ago, to tiny model trams that the kids can play with. There are plenty of interactive exhibits that can entertain the little ones for hours, while you roam around the cars, and try and discover all of the ones that are converted into bars.
And even the children will find it interesting to explore all the different tram cars, and see how they evolved over the years. If they get bored, you can always let them go to the play area, where they’ll be among like-minded peers.
Space of Inventions, Lausanne
Lausanne is one of Switzerland’s most stunning lakeside cities, and also home to one of the country’s best museums for kids – Space of Inventions.
This is more of a science center than an actual museum, with plenty of immersive and hands-on exhibits. And there are interactive exhibits for kids of all ages, from educational toys for your toddlers, to mind-bending puzzles for teens!
Because the majority of exhibits are interactive, you and your family could easily spend hours here without even noticing. Plus, the museum is actually within a big park with a playground, so when the kids get bored of the hands-on exhibits you can let them play outside.
Oh, and the science center is just across the street from the grave of Coco Chanel. Moms can easily sneak out to pay their respects to one of the greatest women in fashion – the kids won’t even notice you’re not there!
Galleria Baumgartner, Mendrisio
Galleria Baumgartner is a model train museum in Mendrisio. It’s close to Lugano and Italy’s Lake Como, so if you’re ever in the area with your little ones, definitely stop by.
The museum is pretty much heaven on earth for train enthusiasts. If your kids love playing with trains or riding on them, you could pretty much guarantee hours upon hours of joy for them if you take them to Galleria Baumgartner. And if you’re also really into trains, then it’s going to be heaps of fun for the entire family!
But you will have to guess the makes and models of most trains, since there’s really not much information about them throughout the museum. Which kind of makes sense – considering just how many model trains there are, entire walls would have to be covered with text.
This museum is also great for autistic children – it is very quiet, and it’s never crowded. They can admire the model trains without feeling overwhelmed by really loud noises, bright lights or other people.
Toy Worlds Museum, Basel
Basel is the third most populated city in Switzerland, and as such it is very popular with tourists from all over the world. The city is known for being home to some of the country’s most fascinating museums, including Toy Worlds Museum – the largest museum of its kind in the world.
It features four floors of toy collections from many different places and history periods. The collection includes teddy bears, dolls, extremely elaborate dollhouses, miniature carousels and even miniature streets filled with shops. It’s an amazing experience for both kids and adults, and just a tiny bit on the creepy side.
One great thing about this museum is that it’s rarely too crowded, so you can actually get to enjoy seeing the collection without having to wait in line or look over someone’s shoulder. However, there are no interactive exhibits here, so it’s maybe not the best place for kids with a really short attention span, seeing as they can easily get bored.
Swiss Children’s Museum, Baden
Head to Baden with your little one if you want them to experience a proper children’s museum. With an exhibit that includes toys, books and everyday life objects from the past three centuries, stepping inside this museum is like stepping back in time.
This is a great experience for kids because they can see toys that they can’t see anywhere else in the world. It is educational for them, and quite nostalgic for the parents, since you’ve most likely played with lots of toys that are at the museum.
On the weekends, there are all sorts of fun and engaging events for the kids, and once a year they even organize a yard sale. That’s a unique opportunity to stock up on memorabilia from the times of yore, and let’s be real – this one’s for you, not for them.
Aathal Dinosaur Museum, Aathal
Image courtesy of WikiMedia
The Aathal Dinosaur Museum is one of the few museums of its kind in Europe, so it is definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the area. Your kids will love it, especially if they’re as obsessed with dinosaurs as we were when we were little!
Aathal is a really small town, and there’s not really that much to do there, other than visit this awesome museum. It’s best to go there on a day trip from Zurich – the town is just half an hour away from Switzerland’s largest tourist hub.
All of the exhibits in the museums are related to dinosaurs, from life-sized replicas to actual dinosaur bones and fossils. It’s truly a Jurassic Park experience; some of the replicas are pretty scary, so the museum might not be a hit with kids who are easily frightened.
The great thing about the Aathal Dinosaur Museum is that it is very fun for adults as well. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the extinct reptiles, and seeing the original skeletons is just awe-inspiring.
FIFA World Football Museum, Zurich
Zurich is home to many museums that are interesting for both kids and adults, and one of those is the Fifa World Football Museum. It is especially interesting for males of all ages, and the occasional athletically oriented female.
The museum is worth visiting even if you’re not a huge fan of football – the impact it has on our culture is undeniable. Whether you’re into it or not, it can’t hurt to learn more about the most popular sport on the planet.
With more than 1,000 different exhibits on football, you could easily spend an entire day here without even realizing it. The exhibits include everything you can think of that is related to football, from the famous World Cup trophy, to the balls and cleats from the 19th century.
There’s a sports bar on site, where you can pop in for a beer and maybe catch a game, while the kids roam around admiring all the different jerseys and balls. And there are plenty of interactive exhibits throughout the museum, including games for adults.
Chaplin’s World, Corsier-sur-Vevey
Chaplin’s World is an amazing interactive museum in Corsier-sur-Vevey. The lakeside town is close to Montreux and Vevey, and it is very easy to reach it from the two larger cities.
The museum is located in the house that was once the home of Charlie Chaplin, so it is a very immersive experience, especially with the life-sized figures. You’re stepping into the home of one of the greatest entertainers of all times – that is incredibly fun and exciting not just for kids, but for adults as well!
And the great thing about this museum is that you can take your kids there, even if they are not familiar with any Charlie Chaplin movies. They can learn about him, see a film about his life and achievements, and have plenty of fun while doing so.
So, which museum is your first choice?
Mike is addicted to both adventure and travel, so decided to combine the
two to form TheAdventourist. There he shares his journey from one adrenaline rush to another, always exploring newplaces as he goes. You can find him sharing his travels on Facebook.
