10 Best Museums In Zurich (Art, History & More)

Zurich is Switzerland’s most populous city and is known to be a global center for finance. Lots of research and development takes place in Zurich, and several international corporations have made it their home. You’ll find dozens of interesting and diverse museums around Zurich where you can learn every aspect of the city’s fascinating history and culture.

If you want to discover everything about Zurich from its local history to the natural world to contemporary times, add some of these best museums in Zurich to your itinerary. They are truly some of the many great things Zurich has to offer!

Keep in mind that most of Zurich’s museums are closed on Mondays and some don’t allow luggage or backpacks inside.

Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum)

Known as the Landesmuseum by the locals, the Swiss National Museum showcases Swiss history from the earliest times to the present day with the permanent exhibitions  “History Switzerland”,  “Archaeology Switzerland”, and “Gallery Collections.” Several temporary exhibits each year delve even deeper into certain periods of Swiss history and cover issues of current interest. 

The building itself is part-medieval castle and part ultra-modern and is Switzerland’s most frequently visited cultural museum.  Some of the displays to be appreciated include ancient artifacts, handicrafts, and household objects. 

The library at the Swiss National Museum is publically accessible with workspaces that overlook the Limmat and Platzspitz Park. A balcony is open during the summer months.  Stop by the museum shop before you leave for a great selection of Zurich souvenirs. 

• Location: Museumstrasse 2, 8001 Zurich
• Opening Hours: Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: Adults: 10 CHF, Concession: 8 CHF, Children (0-16) Free
• Free Entry: Swiss Travel Pass, Zurich Card & more
• Website: Landesmuseum

Kunsthaus Zurich

The Kunsthaus Zurich is the top art museum in Switzerland and is highly regarded across Europe.  Acclaimed for its permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Kunsthaus holds  Zurich’s largest collection of modern art. Around 500,000 objects are divided into four collections: Design, Poster, Graphics, and Applied Art. They chronicle the development of design from 1875 to the 20th century and the Industrial Age. 

Standouts of this art museum include important paintings by Picasso, Monet, Chagall,  Beckmann, Kokoschka, and Corinth. It also holds the most comprehensive collection of works by Munch outside Norway and the most complete collection of art by Alberto Giacometti. Also represented are New York School’s Pollock, Newman, and Rothko as well as Pop Art from America and Europe. 

• Location: Heimplatz, 8001 Zurich
• Opening Hours: Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: Adults: varies depending on the exhibition
• Free Entry: Children (0-16), School groups to age 20, students from various Universities & schools
• Free Entry Day: Wednesday (to the collection, not exhibitions)
• Website: Kunsthaus

FIFA World Football Museum

Built to honor the world’s most popular team sport, the FIFA Museum was newly opened in 2016. The history and development of international football are presented at the museum and focus on major tournaments as well as showing how the sport has influenced the lives of many people. 

Located in a cube-shaped building in Zurich’s Enge neighborhood, the FIFA Museum features over 1,000 exhibits dating back to the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.  All 211 Member Associations of FIFA are featured in some way.  Half of the space in the museum is dedicated to historical memorabilia including the jerseys of famous players. The other half is interactive with simulators, games, and hands-on activities. Visitors young and old enjoy testing their pitching skills. 

You can even grab your FIFA Museum ticket ahead of time on GetYourGuide if you want to save time!

• Address: Seestrasse 27, 8002 Zurich
• Opening Hours: Tuesdays-Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: Adults: 24 CHF, Pensioners: 19 CHF, Students: 18 CHF, Children (7-16): 14 CHF
• Discount Entry: Zurich Card: 30%
• Free Entry: Children under 7, Museum Pass, Swiss Travel Pass
• Discount Entry: 30% with Zurich Card
• Website: Fifa Museum

Zurich Tram Museum

Trams are such a ubiquitous form of public transportation in Zurich that the city created a museum dedicated to them. Visitors of all ages love to visit the Zurich Tram Museum where they learn all about the history of trams and see as many as 20 of them in real life. Some of them date back to 1897 while others are more modern models. 

A highlight of the museum is seeing the city’s oldest-running tram as it makes rounds on the Museum Line. There are plenty of hands-on activities for kids to enjoy, and you can climb in the trams to see how they work. Stop by the shop for miniature models, souvenirs, and postcards. 

• Address: Forchstrasse 260, 8008 Zurich
• Opening Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: Adults: 12 CHF, Pension (AHV/IV) or Teens (16-18): 8 CHF, Children (6-16): 6 CHF
• Free Entry: Children under 6, Swiss Travel Pass
• Website: Tram Museum

Museum Rietberg

Zurich is home to Switzerland’s only art museum entirely dedicated to non-European art. It’s also one of the biggest of the Zurich art museums and showcases artwork from America, Oceania, Asia, and Africa. 

The collections housed at the Museum Rietberg reflect contemporary art from around the world as well as ethnographical works from past cultures. Some of the most interesting pieces are Buddhist sculptures from 6th century China. 

Almost as remarkable is the building the artwork is housed in. It occupies three villas from the 19th century with the addition of a new glass entrance called the Emerald extension. The museum sits on the grounds of Rieterpark, a spacious public park on Lake Zurich’s west side at Gablerstrasse 15. Visit every day except Monday

• Address: Gablerstrasse 15, Zurich
• Opening Hours: Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m to 5 p.m, Wednesday 10 a.m to 8 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: Adults: 18 CHF, Pensioners/Students: 14 CHF
• Discount Entry: 60% with Zurich Card
• Website: Rietberg

Zoological Museum

Free and easily accessible by train, the Zoological Museum is the top thing to do with kids in Zurich. The museum features dozens of animal species and interactive displays with touchscreens providing educational information about each species.  The bird exhibits have buttons and phones so children can hear the sounds they make. Kids can use microscopes to view the tiniest species.  

Short educational films are shown and special activities are often planned on weekends. Guests can even bring a picnic and spend the day. The whole museum is stroller accessible and the picnic area has vending machines. 

• Address: Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006
• Opening Hours: Tuesdays through Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: Free Entry
• Website: Zoological Museum

Museum für Gestaltung

A visit to this unique museum will make you see simple things such as a potato peeler as an example of cultural history. Zurich’s Museum für Gestaltung (Design Museum) celebrates four areas of design: product design and packaging, graphic arts, poster art, and decorative arts. 

The 1930s museum itself is a fine example of architecture to admire. The newly refurbished building on Ausstellungsstrasse is listed as a prime example of Swiss modernist architecture. Collections and exhibitions with changing themes will interest visitors of every age. Get inspired in the education studio, dine in the museum cafe, and relax in the adjacent park. 

• Address: Ausstellungsstrasse 60, 8005 Zurich
• Opening Hours: Tuesdays-Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: One site – Adults: 12 CHF, Pensioners/Students/Groups: 8 CHF, Two sites – Adults: 15 CHF, Pensioners/Students/Groups: 10 CHF
• Free Entry: Zurich Card, Swiss Travel Pass
• Website: Museum für Gestaltung

Money Museum

As one of the largest banking centers in the world, Zurich is the perfect place for the Money Museum. Learn all about the history of money alone or in a group with an audioguide and in the library. The museum features pieces from Swiss numismatist Juerg Conzett’s private collection. The story of money is traced from its roots to the present day. You’ll learn all about currencies from bones and feathers to stone axes all the way to coins, bank notes, and bitcoin.

Visit the Money Museum by appointment only on An introduction is free of charge. The museum is located at Hadlaubstrasse 106, 8006  Zurich.

• Address: Hadlaubstrasse 106, 8006  Zurich
• Opening Hours: Wednesdays or Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• Website: Money Museum

Beyer Clock & Watch Museum

“Time and tide wait for no man.” Even if you’ve never had a keen interest in horology, the Beyer Clock & Watch Museum is sure to impress you. Located on the posh Bahnhofstrasse, this private museum is small but packed with information. You’ll learn about marking time and watch and clock making throughout history with over 300 artifacts. Some of them date back to the 14th century BC. 

The museum features many different kinds of timepieces including sundials, water clocks, pendulums, grandfather clocks, pocket watches, and more. It’s located inside the illustrious Beyer and Patek Phillippe watch boutique where you can browse for luxury timepieces to purchase. 

You’ll find the museum at Bahnhofstrasse 31, 8001 Zurich. It’s open

• Address: Bahnhofstrasse 31, 8001 Zurich
• Opening Hours: Monday-Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: Adults: 10 CHF, Pensioners (AHV/IV): 7 CHF, Students: 5 CHF
• Free Entry: Children (0 – 12 years), Zurich Card
• Website: Beyer Museum

Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst

Entirely devoted to contemporary art, the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst was founded by Gottlieb Duttweiler, a Swiss business pioneer, and owner of Migros, Switzerland’s largest retail and supermarket chain. Duttweiler was an arts and culture fan and began funding films and organizing concerts as early as the 1940s. 

By the 1950s, Duttweiler had acquired artwork from local and national artists. After his death in 1962, his project continued thanks to grants awarded to artists. Today, around 1,300 works make up the collection which includes artwork from contemporary artists such as Urs Fischer, Yoko Ono, and  Ugo Rondinone. 

The Migros Museum is located in the small art district of Löwenbräu-Areal. Visit

• Address: Löwenbräu-Areal
• Opening Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday- Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: Adults: 12 CHF, Pensioners/Students: 8 CHF
• Free Entry: Children up to 16, Thursday after 5 pm, Zurich Card, Swiss Travel Pass
• Website: Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst

Museum Haus Konstruktiv

A more unusual Zurich museum is the Museum Haus Konstruktiv, which is a constructive concrete and conceptual art museum. It is well located in a piece of industrial art itself, the architecturally unique Unterwerk Selnau.

Designed by Alfredo Häberli, the interior has a unique design that was created only in 2016. The museum has between six and nine exhibitions a year featuring works of art in unusual displays throughout the complex. This Zurich museum was also responsible for the creation of the Zurich Art Prize in 2007.

• Address: Selnaustrasse 25, 8001 Zürich
• Opening Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday- Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Wednesday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Ticket Prices: Adults: 18 CHF, Pensioners/Students: 12 CHF
• Free Entry: Children up to 18, Zurich Card, Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Museum Pass
• Website: Museum Haus Konstruktiv

Other Museums

I will also add some more museums here as I visit them. My most recent trip was to the Lindt Home of Chocolate which has a great chocolate museum you should visit if you are in the area. Another one for art lovers is the very fancy Galerie Gmurzynska on Paradeplatz.

If you are into design and architecture, you could also head down lake Zurich to the Pavillon Le Corbusier.