Geneva Museums
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Geneva has about thirty museums and galleries featuring a wide array of cultural and historical exhibits. Geneva’s museums capture the full spectrum of the city’s history and major cultural influences. All city sponsored museums have a free entry on the first Sunday of every month.
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International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Location: Ave de la Paix 17; 022 748 9525
Visiting hours: 10:00 – 17:00. Closed Tuesdays
Info: www.micr.org
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| The most frequently visited museum of Geneva gives its visitors a sneak preview of the journey of some of the world’s first humanitarian organizations from their birth to the modern day. The museum features a multi-media extravaganza that overwhelms the senses and provides access to the latest news and film footage taken straight from today’s headlines.
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Tavel House
Location: Rue due Puits-St-Pierre 6; 022 418 37 00
Visiting hours: 10:00 – 17:00 Daily
Info: mah.ville-ge.ch
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| Medieval graffiti in the basement of this old Geneva residence is a highlight for many visitors. Gutted by fire in 1334, this house has been restored by the city because it contains daily life artifacts of the Middle age period of Geneva through the late 1800’s.
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Botanical Gardens and Conservatory
Location: Chambesy 1292; 022 418 5100
Visiting hours 09:30 – 17:00 (October to March), 08:00 – 19:30 (April to September)
Infor: www.cjb.unige.ch
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| Open for visitors round the year, the Botanical Gardens and Conservatory offers, a chance to experience one of the most comprehensive botanic collections in the world. The conservatory contains over 16,000 different plant species the garden is a natural refuge dedicated to preservation and the advancement of horticulture. Other areas to be seen during your visit here include a rock garden, an animal park and a garden of scent and touch.
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Patek Philippe Museum
Location: Rue Des Vieux-Grenadiers 7; 022 807 0910
Visiting hours: 14:00 – 17:00 (Tues thru Fri), 10:00 – 17:00 (Sat)
Info: www.patekmuseum.com
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| From its humble origins through to its current apogee as the world leader in the industry this museum traces the evolution of watch making in Geneva The museum presents a breath-taking collection of timepieces dating back to the early 16th century. The Museum definitely demonstrated the artistic and engineering expertise of Geneva’s past and present masters.
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Rath Museum
Location: Place Neuve 2; 022 418 3340; 022 418 3340
Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 (Tues, Thurs thru Sun), 12:00 – 21:00 (Wed)
Web: http://mah.ville-ge.ch
Admission: Varies according to exhibition.
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| The Rath Museum was the first museum dedicated solely to the fine arts in Geneva in 1826 and has thus been nicknamed as “The Temple of the Muses”.
Located at the seat of high culture in Geneva at Place Neuve near the city’s only remaining rampart walls the building is an architectural triumph by itself. An affiliate of the colossal Art and History Museum containing classic examples of Swiss art, the museum also plays host to an ongoing rotation of exhibits from all over Europe.
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International Automobile Museum
Location: Voie des Tray 40 (Palexpo); 022 788 8484
Visiting hours: 10:00 – 18:00. Closed: Mondays.
Info: www.museeautomobilegeneve.ch
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| The International Automobile Museum is a must for car buffs as it displays more than 400. The museum houses an eclectic mix of mostly German, French and Italian automobiles ranging from prototypes to race cars to antique classic cars and motorcycles. Also included are separate exhibits for rare engines, wheels, drawings and even a section on “Weapons and Cars.” The museum is the site of the largest annual car show in Europe sponsored each March.
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Marionette Museum
Location: Rue Merle d’Aubigne 22; 022 736 4122
Visiting hours: 14:00 – 17:00. Saturdays only.
Info: www.atelier-marionnettes.com
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| From infants to 104, this joyous museum is a must see. It contains over 200 puppets from 25 different countries. The museum hosts workshops for children on puppet construction and puts on weekly spectacles in its own Theatre du Reve. Though the shows are in French but the message quickly transcends all language barriers through their lively plays.
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Art and History Museum
Location: Rue Ch.-Galland 2; 022 418 2600
Visiting hours: 10:00 – 17:00. Closed Mondays.
Info: mah.ville-ge.ch
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Geneva’s largest museum, The Art and History Museum is an authentic catalogue of western culture with over one million pieces in its proud collection organized in three different wings.
Relics from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome are exhibited in the Archeology wing
Paintings from the Renaissance onward including, works by Van Gogh and Renoir are displayed in the Fine Arts wing.
Las but not the least the Applied Arts wing houses furniture, weapons and other day-to-day, articles aging back to the middle Ages.
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Ariana Museum
Location: Ave de la Paix 10; 022 418 5450
Visiting hours: 10:00 – 17:00. Closed Tuesdays.
Info: mah.ville-ge.ch
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| Also known as the Swiss Museum of Ceramics and Glass this museum is a unique collection of art pieces located on the grounds adjoining the United Nations. The museum houses all types of kiln crafts including, porcelain, glass, pottery, and stoneware from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The 20,000 different pieces of artwork put-up for display date back to the 1300’s. The lovely neo-classical and neo-baroque architecture compliments every visitor experience.
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Olympic Museum
Location: Qaui D’Ouchy 1, Lausanne; 021 621 6512
Visiting hours: 09:00 – 18:00. Closed: Mondays.
Info: www.olympic.org
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| Visit this destination by a short ride by a car or bike. The Museum pays a tribute to the history of Olympics and the spirit embodied by it. Housed in a modern facility on the shores of Lake Geneva the museum is surrounded by panoramic views of the nearby Alps. The museum features the history of the Games beginning with the ancient Greeks and tracks the evolution of the Games through a stunning collection of mementos and memorabilia. Interactive audio-visual clips that take visitors on beautiful trip down the memory lane.
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