Home / Explore /
Zurich /
Places
Attraction · Zurich, Switzerland · Closed now
Swiss National Museum
Suggest a correction
— closed, moved, wrong hours, anything. A person checks it.
Written by RuinMyTrip Editorial from published research and official sources, not from a personal trip. It is not a traveler review and is never counted in the community rating. How we research.
What it is
Switzerland's national history museum, immediately behind Zurich main station, covering the country from prehistory to the present in an 1898 building with a 2016 concrete extension.
Why travelers go
It is the cheapest serious museum in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and the only place in Zurich that explains how the Confederation came together rather than assuming you know.
What is genuinely good
Thirteen francs. Free for under-16s. A free Simply Zurich exhibition. Strong armoury and historical interiors, and an excellent modern extension. Two minutes from the station.
Downsides and tourist traps
Text-heavy displays that assume familiarity with Swiss history. Closed Mondays. Some galleries feel dated next to the new wing.
Best for
Anyone with a few hours between trains, families given free entry under 16, and anyone curious about how Switzerland actually works.
Consider skipping if
You have one clear day and good weather. Uetliberg and the lake are the better use of it.
Practical advice
It is two minutes from the main station, so it is the ideal place to spend a long layover. Start with Simply Zurich, which is free, then decide whether to pay for the rest. Closed Mondays.
Tickets and reservations
Adults 13 CHF, concessions including pensioners, pupils and students 10 CHF, children up to 16 free. The Simply Zurich exhibition is free. An annual pass covering all Swiss National Museum sites is 35 CHF.
Getting there
Two minutes on foot from Zurich Hauptbahnhof, out of the north end of the station and across the bridge.
Where it sits
Platzspitz, the wedge of park where the Sihl meets the Limmat directly behind the main station, five minutes from Bahnhofstrasse.
How long to allow
Two hours, or one for the free Simply Zurich exhibition alone.
Accessibility
Step-free access with lifts throughout both the historic building and the extension.
The RuinMyTrip verdict
The best-value hours in Zurich by a distance. Thirteen francs, free under 16, free for the Simply Zurich exhibition, and two minutes from the platforms.
Sources
Every figure above was checked against these before publication. If one has since changed, tell us and we will correct it.
-
Adult admission is 13 CHF and concessions are 10 CHF. source
-
Children up to 16 years are admitted free. source
From the RuinMyTrip team
Written by RuinMyTrip Editorial from published research and official sources, not from a personal trip. It is not a traveler review and is never counted in the community rating. How we research.
The Swiss National Museum charges 13 CHF for adults and 10 CHF for concessions, and admits children up to 16 free. The Simply Zurich exhibition is free to everyone. Thirteen francs is startling in a city where a coffee costs six. It buys the national historical collection, from prehistory through the Confederation to the present, in a purpose-built 1898 castle-like pile immediately behind the main station. The 2016…
Questions about Swiss National Museum
Nobody has asked anything about Swiss National Museum yet.
Join free to ask.
Traveler reviews
Be the first to review Swiss National Museum.
The bad parts are the useful parts. Say what it actually cost and what you wish you had known.
Share your experience