The Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne is the most visited museum in Switzerland and if you have enough time while visiting Lucerne or Zurich, it is well worth seeing.
The Swiss Museum of Transport has been open since 1959 and is a gigantic museum that showcases everything to do with transport. Over its 20,000 m2 of space, you can see complete trains, planes, boats, and cars, and even go inside a lot of them.
There are a total of 3,000 exhibits including simulators, interactive media games and learning experiences, shows, and lots more. The museum is great if you have kids, they will be blown away by it too.
Join me as I run through everything you need to know about visiting the Swiss Museum of Transport of Luzern from how to get there, opening hours, ticket prices, and the best exhibits to spend your time at.
| Address | Lidostrasse 5, 6006 Luzern, Switzerland (Google Maps) |
| Opening Times | Summer: Monday to Sunday 10 am – 6 pm Winter: Monday to Sunda 10 am – 5 pm |
| Ticket Prices | Adult CHF 35, students (16-25 with ID) CHF 25, Children (6 – 15) CHF 15, and children under 6 are free Buy Tickets Here |
| Public Transport | From Lucerne take Bus 6, 8, or 24 to the Verkehrshaus/Lido bus stop |
| Parking | Parkplatz Verkehrshaus und Lido, Churchill Quai |
Table of Contents
How to Get There
Getting to the Swiss Museum of Transport is very easy from both Zurich and Lucerne. If you are staying in Zurich, first get a direct train to Lucerne.
It is only a 5-minute bus ride from Lucerne train station. All you have to do is
- take the number 6, 8, or 24 bus
- get off at the Verkehrshaus/Lido stop.
The Swiss Museum of Transport is then just back up the street 2 minutes in the direction you came from Lucerne.
If you are staying in Lucerne, you can also walk to the Swiss Museum of Transport along Lake Lucerne. Either click that link before or put the “Swiss Museum of Transport” into your phone and follow the lakeside trail to the museum. It should take around 25-30 minutes depending on where you are staying.
Ticket Prices
Ticket prices for the Swiss Museum of Transport vary depending on what you would like to see at the museum.
Standard entry costs for the Museum (plus Hans Erni Museum & Media World) are
- Adults CHF 35
- Students (16-25 with ID) CHF 25
- Children (6- 15) CHF 15
- Children under 6 are free
It is wise to buy your tickets online in advance here so that you can avoid any long queues at the ticket counter, which can be very long on busy weekends on summer holidays.
I bought our tickets ahead and then saved them from the email I got into my wallet on my iPhone. Then, you can scan them at the entry gates wherever you start your journey inside the museum. There is no need to go to the counter at all, just follow the signs to the museum or whichever attraction you want to start at and then use the QR code for each person as they enter through the digital scanner barriers.
If you don’t have a newer phone with a wallet you can also print the tickets out before you go. If you are at a hotel, you can ask them to do that for you. But honestly, if you have a phone, just use that, it’s way easier!
In any case, I recommend buying your tickets ahead as it can get super busy no matter what season you go (but especially rainy days, school holidays and summer!).
Packages Prices
If you would like to experience some of the extras at the Swiss Museum of Transport (well worth it) such as the Planetarium, Swiss Chocolate Adventure, and the Film Theatre, the prices go up a bit.
For the full package, ticket prices are
- Adults CHF 62
- Students CHF 46
- Children (6- 15) CHF 29
- Children under 6 CHF 12
Discounted Tickets
Holders of a Swiss Travel Pass & Swiss Museum Pass get a big discount on tickets:
- 50% on a Museum ticket (that includes the Hans Erni Museum & Media World)
- Approximately 30% discount on the Day Pass that includes everything
Museum & Rail Combo
If you are coming by train then it is worth checking out the SBB Railaway offers. They get you a combined ticket for a 20% discount. Either the Museum pass or the Day passes to the Verkehrs Museum.
Opening Hours
The Swiss Museum of Transport is open every day, Monday to Sunday from
- 10 am to 6 pm in the summer
- 10 am to 5 pm in winter
No matter what day you fancy going, it will be open and ready for you, even on Christmas Day.
The Transport Museum
The Swiss Museum of Transport is actually huge. And, to help you navigate it all, it is divided into big sections including:
- Aviation & Space Travel
- Rail Transport
- Road Transport
- Navigation and Tourism
Each section includes a large range of life-sized displays including trains, cars, planes, helicopters and a whole lot more. You can enter the plane for example, and take a test drive in smaller cars, which is great for kids.
Aviation & Space Travel
The Aviation area is huge, with dozens of real-life planes dating back to the beginning of air travel all the way to modern Swiss Air planes that have been decommissioned and moved to the outside area where you can go inside them.
There are also models of a variety of planes from Swiss and other companies as well as a smaller area on space with model rockets that are still taller than you and me.
There is also a huge range of interactive displays such as the Felix Baumgartner Red Bull Jump, a fighter pilot simulation, flying a plane with your arms like a bird, a huge slide and luggage play area for kids and a whole lot more.
Road Transport
The huge hall that contains the road transport section is covered in a mass of road signs from all over Switzerland. It really is quite a sight to behold with walls of green and blue signs on both sides. But inside, is even more impressive.
There is a rack of historic cars dating back to the early 1900s with models you may have never seen in real life or even know existed. From experimental solar cars to racing cars from the 1960s, they seem to have it all in here.
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Of course, the three floors are also full of games and interactive displays which the kids will love. Including some bikes to ride on, like a penny farthing, which is very hard to get onto! And the top floor is sponsored by Red Bull so they have a huge selection of their racing cars here including quite a few real-life Formula One cars which will blow your mind.
Rail Transport
The Rail Transport hall in the museum is also huge and full of life-sized trains from the SBB historic society’s huge collection. The trains range from the run-of-the-mill passenger train to the original Jungfrau carriages and historic funicular trains from Rigi, Brienzer Rothorn and Stoos mountains.
In between the big trains are a lot of glass displays with model trains and railway model villages as well. Some with interactive videos.
Yes, there are dozens of fun interactive displays including a few ways to drive a train, and working with a crane, which did not really belong in this hall but ok, why not?
There is also big displays on the new train tunnels in Switzerland and other fascinating railway projects like the incoming expansion of the Lucerne Train station.
To get more of an idea of how it is set up and what there is to see, I recommend you check out their guide.
Attractions
The Swiss Transport Museum alone is pretty spectacular but when you add in the special attractions that come with the more expensive ticket, it gets even better.
Swiss Chocolate Adventure
The Swiss Chocolate Adventure is all about teaching you where chocolate comes from and the process it goes through to become delicious Swiss chocolate.
The whole experience takes about 20 minutes and it starts with you boarding a Lindor Ball vehicle. Then, the air is filled with the smell of chocolate to awaken your senses and then the multimedia journey starts.
You will first learn about cocoa beans including where and how it is grown and processed. The story is then all about the logistics of how the cocoa beans get from their origin to Switzerland. It will blow your mind just how much traveling a cocoa bean does in order to become a piece of chocolate.
The exhibition then teaches you about what is added to the cocoa beans to make chocolate and it finishes with a live demonstration.
In the end, a Master Chocolatier from Lindt will make some scrumptious chocolate treats right in front of your eyes, teaching you about the process as they go. You’ll then get to taste some of the delicious creations they have whipped up.
Planetarium
The Planetarium is another incredible experience not to be missed at the Swiss Museum of Transport. It is the top planetarium in all of Switzerland and takes you on a captivating journey around the world and into space.
There are a number of different shows at the planetarium and each of them is as spectacular as the next, and you can choose to see one or all of them.
The Worlds Beyond Earth show is all about space and the solar system. You’ll be taken to Venus, be taught about moons colliding, learn about Saturn, and lots more about the universe too.
Aurora is another fantastic show that is all about the northern lights. You will be captivated by the lights on the planetarium and learn just how the northern lights work.
For nature lovers, the Expedition Coral Reef is a show not to miss as it teaches you all about coral reefs around the world. It is pretty incredible to watch the creatures of the coral reef ecosystem swimming around the roof of the planetarium while you learn about how important reefs are.
Another great show is Mission Earth. It is all about teaching you to look at Earth in a new light which is incredibly interesting.
The planetarium is outstanding and it will be hard to leave, but there are some other awesome experiences to be had.
Filmtheatre
The Filmtheatre at the Swiss Museum of Transport features a gigantic IMAX screen of 500 square meters. It is the biggest screen in Switzerland and it really makes the films come to life, especially the ones in 3D.
It is truly a very immersive experience and the documentaries they show are pretty out of this world.
You have the choice to watch “Great Bear Rainforest – Canada’s Rainforest 3D,” “Everest,” “Serengeti 3D,” “Dinosaurs of Antarctica 3D,” and “Turtle Journey 3D.”
All of the films are out of this world and I recommend finding out which show is playing at what time so you don’t miss out on the one that takes your fancy the most. I would also recommend choosing a 3D film as it is pretty incredible.
If you are staying in Lucerne for a couple of days, check to see if any live streams of operas, orchestras, and plays are being shown at the Filmtheatre as it makes for a great night out.
Media World
Media World is all about experiencing death-defying sports in a virtual reality (VR) world and has recently been taken over by Red Bull.
The number of VR experiences on offer is out of this world. You can experience cliff diving from 27 meters up, be a part of the crew surfing the giant waves at Nazare, and have to save a surfer from the waves.
The Edge is all about climbing sheer cliffs in VR, the “Greenscreen Studio 3D” lets you create a little film in a 3D world, and the “360° Booth” will have you freediving and seeing how long you can hold your breath.
The “Red Bull Illume” is a stunning showcase of all the best photos of water sports in action around the world and takes you on an immersive journey through them.
As you can see, Media World is quite an experience and a lot of fun for everyone, especially young kids.
Hans Erni Collection
Sitting alongside the Swiss Museum of Transport is the Hans Erni Collection. You will find it in a separate building and it is included in the standard ticket for the museum.
Inside the rather cool hexagonal structure, you will find a large collection of works of Hans Erni, a Swiss artist from Lucerne who focussed on graphic design, painting, illustrating, engraving, and sculpting.
The collection features works across all his fields and takes you on a journey through them all while showcasing themes such as ecology, culture, and history.
There is also a painting table at the Hans Erni Collection where kids can get creative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Transport Museum free with a Swiss Pass?
No, The Transport Museum is not free with the Swiss Pass, however, you do get a 50% discount.
Is The Swiss Museum of Transport Worth Visiting?
A visit to the Swiss Museum of Transport is definitely worth it as it’s an amazing experience. Seeing the history of transportation vehicles and walking around real-life-size planes, trains, and boats is impressive, to say the least. When you add in all the special attractions that teach you about chocolate, dazzle the mind with the universe, take you to Africa at the IMAX in 3D, and all the VR experiences in the media world, you are not going to forget your day at the Swiss Museum of Transport.
Whether you are traveling solo, as a couple, with friends, or as a family, a day trip to the Swiss Museum of Transport is a must.
How long does it take to go through the Swiss Transport Museum?
A visit to the Swiss Transport Museum can range from a few hours to a whole day, depending on how much time you choose to spend at each attraction. If you just visit the museum, 1.5-2.5 hours is enough, however, if you add the extra attractions, it may take the whole day.
Credit to Swiss Museum of Transport for the image header.
Hello!
Thanks for sharing your experience on your visit to Swiss Museum of Transport! I will definitely include this activity in my itinerary when visiting Lucerne in my upcoming Switzerland trip.
Does the standard ticket of CHF35 (for adult) includes the visit to Hans Erni Museum? Or do we need to purchase a separate ticket on top of the standard ticket? I noticed you mentioned it costs CHF16 (for adult) to enter Hans Erni Museum.
The normal ticket to the Swiss Transport Museum includes the Hans Erni Museum by default. Sorry for any confusion.