Swiss Museum of Transport: the must-knows

  • If you have time to visit one Swiss museum only, we think it should be the huge Swiss Museum of Transport.
  • You don’t only get to see actual trains, cars and planes, but you can touch and board some of them too.
  • There are lots of interactive elements that are entertaining for kids and adults.
  • You may not be able to cover the entire museum during your visit. So start with the areas that interest you most.
  • The excursion gets even more diverse if you add visits to the filmtheatre or Planetarium, or a ride in the Swiss Chocolate Adventure.
Min. time required: 2:00
Season: all year
Recommended season: all year
Max. altitude: 435 m (1427 ft)

What is the Swiss Museum of Transport? Copy link to clipboard

The Swiss Museum of Transport (called "Verkehrshaus" in German) is a large interactive museum about Swiss trains, cars, planes, cable cars and much more. It's located in Lucerne in Central Switzerland.

Apart from traffic-related exhibitions and activities, there's a filmtheatre with a huge IMAX screen and a Planetarium showing movies about the universe. A ride in the Swiss Chocolate Adventure carriages can be made too.

About museum prices and tickets Copy link to clipboard

Price of an entry ticket for the Swiss Museum of Transport

An access ticket for the museum costs CHF 35 per adult in 2024. A day pass that also includes the filmtheatre, the Planetarium and the Lindt Swiss Chocolate Adventure costs CHF 62.

There are discounted rates for students and children. Several rail passes provide discounts as well.

Where to buy your tickets

You can get your tickets for the Swiss Museum of Transport online or at the museum entrance.

Get your museum tickets online Copy link to clipboard

Skip the lines at the entrance and conveniently buy your tickets for the Swiss Museum of Transport, the Lindt Swiss Chocolate Adventure or even all activities in advance!

Lucerne: Swiss Museum of Transport Full Day Pass
Lucerne: Swiss Museum of Transport Full Day Pass
Museum
Enjoy access to all attractions inside the number 1 museum in Switzerland: the Swiss Museum of Transport. Engage in a range of interactive activities, savor some chocolate after the Swiss Chocolate Adventure, and watch films about astronomy and the earth.

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Lucerne Swiss Museum of Transport Entrance Ticket
Lucerne Swiss Museum of Transport Entrance Ticket
Museum
Switzerland's most visited museum is a place to experience the history of mobility. Its interactive attractions are sure to win you over - whatever the weather.

Offered by GetYourGuide: www.getyourguide.com

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Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne
Lucerne Swiss Museum of Transport Entrance Ticket
Museum
Planes, trains, automobiles, and boats reign at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne. Explore the past, present and future of travel all under one roof at this inspirational museum packed with exciting interactive exhibits, high-tech simulators and hands-on displays. Learn to fly an airplane and helicopter in the flight …

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Discounted museum access with your rail pass Copy link to clipboard

The travel passes below get you discounted tickets for the Swiss Museum of Transport.

PassDiscount
Swiss Travel Pass Discount 50%:
  • Entrance fee
Swiss Travel Pass Flex Discount 50%:
  • Entrance fee
Tell-Pass Summer Discount 20%:
  • Swiss Chocolate Adventure entrance fee
Tell-Pass Winter Discount 20%:
  • Swiss Chocolate Adventure entrance fee

How to reach the museum: directions and map Copy link to clipboard

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How does the timetable work?

The Swiss Museum of Transport is located in Lucerne, right on the lake. It can be reached by public transport, on foot, or by car. Find all information about traveling to and in Lucerne here.

How to get to the museum from the Lucerne railway station

There is public transport from the Lucerne main station to the museum. You can take:

  • a bus (lines 6, 8, and 24) to "Luzern, Verkehrshaus/Lido" (11 minutes);
  • a local train to "Luzern Verkehrshaus" (6 or 7 minutes);
  • a boat to "Verkehrshaus-Lido" (10 minutes).

Alternatively, you can walk in about 30 minutes. It's a nice stroll along the lakeside promenade.

Parking your car at the museum

There is a parking lot next to the museum along the Lidostrasse. On busy days it may fill up quickly. We recommend parking your car elsewhere in Lucerne. You can then reach the museum by public transport or on foot.

Map with the location of the Swiss Musem of Transport Museum

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Map

Opening dates and hours, timetable info Copy link to clipboard

Opening dates and hours

The Swiss Museum of Transport is open every day. Opening hours are 10:00 to 17:00 in winter and 10:00 to 18:00 in summer.

Planning your journey with the Swiss timetable

If you're searching for connections to the museum in the Swiss timetable, use these names:

  • "Luzern, Verkehrshaus/Lido" for the bus stop
  • "Luzern Verkehrshaus" for the train stop
  • "Verkehrshaus-Lido" for the ship pier

Best months for a museum visit Copy link to clipboard

The Swiss Museum of Transport is open all year. A visit is suitable in any season!

Weather tips, clothing advice, and Lucerne forecasts Copy link to clipboard

The perfect bad-weather option

You don't need sunny skies or high temperatures to visit the Swiss Museum of Transport. Dry weather is of course great for the outdoor section, which includes a large playground for kids. The majority of the exhibitions and activities is indoors though. So the museum is a perfect excursion for a rainy day.

Dress warmly enough

Even though most of the Swiss Museum of Transport is indoors, we recommend dressing a bit warmer than you'd do normally when visiting a museum. We've felt quite cold in the large halls during our visits.

5-day weather forecast for Lucerne

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What to expect in the Swiss Museum of Transport

Travel-related exhibitions and activities

The museum has huge halls with actual trains, cars, planes and cable cars. Examples:

  • Train enthusiasts will love the model railways, steam locomotives, carriages, the demonstration of the steam and cogwheel train technique, and so on.
  • In the car hall, you’ll see model cars and actual historic cars, race cars, motorbikes, and more. There’s a crash test for visitors to experience as well as a car theatre and a mirror maze.
  • Learn about the history of navigation.
  • The history, present and future of Swiss tourism are demonstrated. This section includes a huge aerial map of Switzerland, with augmented reality extras.
  • Several aerial cableways are displayed.
  • Enjoy a plane simulator or helicopter simulator and see real airplanes in the aviation section. This is where you can learn about air traffic control as well.
  • The space section explores traveling to Mars, to the moon, and more. The walk-in Space Transformer allows you to feel what it’s like to be in space without the usual earth’s gravity.

Additional experiences

  • The Media World explains about modern communication. There are exciting virtual experiences such as surfing, cliff diving, and climbing the Matterhorn.
  • The i-factory is an interactive permanent exhibition about computer science and what it means for today’s society.
  • The Energy House explores the subject of energy, including current and possible future technologies.
  • There are temporary exhibitions, for example about agriculture and food technology.

The filmtheatre and Planetarium

  • You can watch movies about nature and science in the filmtheatre with its IMAX screen. An additional entry fee applies (unless you have a Day Pass that includes the theatre).
  • The Planetarium shows movies about the universe in a large dome. An additional entry fee applies (unless you have a day pass that includes the Planetarium).

The Swiss Chocolate Adventure and boutique by Lindt

The Swiss Chocolate Adventure is a 20-minute indoor ride in carriages. Videos along the way, available in several languages, teach you how Swiss chocolate is made. At the end, you get to taste a few Lindt samples. On your way out you’ll find the boutique: a shop with all sorts of Lindt chocolate goodies.

Playgrounds and catering

The Arena is a large outdoor area with planes and a great playground for kids that’s set up as a construction zone. There’s a large boating pool, play buses, scooters and karts. You can have your own food and drinks in the outdoor areas.

Indoors there’s a self-service restaurant plus a waiter-service brasserie. Both are accessible without museum entrance tickets as well.

Swiss Museum of Transport FAQ

  1. For which ages is the museum recommended?

    The Swiss Museum of Transport is great for visitors of all ages. Kids love the actual trains and cars, plus the many interactive elements and activities. The outdoor playground is appealing too.

    For adults, it’s very interesting to learn about the history of Swiss transport. As there’s so much to see and do, we’re sure that you’ll come across areas that fit your interests. Many of the interactive elements are entertaining for grown-ups too!

  2. What’s the best section of the museum?

    If you can’t cover the huge range of subjects during your visit, we advise you to start off with what interests you most. For us personally, that would without doubt be the travel modes that are most typical for Swiss public transport: the trains and cableways!

  3. How long does a visit to the Swiss Museum of Transport take?

    A typical tourist visit takes about half a day, not including the time to reach the museum. A quick tour can be done in 2 hours. That allows you to get a nice first impression of the museum, but it’s not enough to explore all the information and activities.

    If you add visits to one of the restaurants, the Swiss Chocolate Adventure, the film theatre and/or the Planetarium, this excursion can easily turn into a full-day trip.

  4. Which languages are available?

    Signage in the museum halls is available in English, German, French, and Italian. There’s an additional audioguide in Chinese. The film theatre and Planetarium display movies in German with English, French, and Italian subtitles.

  5. Can I book guided tours?

    Yes. Several guided tours are available. Examples are ‘175 years of Swiss railways’, standard museum tours, and tours that are tailor-made to your interests. You’ll have to indicate your preferences in advance through an online form. The museum will then get in touch with you.

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Arno
Page author: ArnoI have visited Switzerland countless times since 1997. I've explored most of the country, but find myself staying in the Bernese Oberland and Graubünden most frequently. The alps and the rail network remain very impressive, even after all these years.