Laila Rodriguez
Art center en I'lle a former market now houses art and video installations - Photo ©Jared Bloch
One of my weekend pastimes in Geneva has been discovering museums in the city, and while there is much debate on whether or not Geneva has world-quality museums, I find there is plenty of room for discussion and plenty to see.
Click on pictures to enlarge
As a bargain hunter I was glad to find out one can save a few centimes when visiting certain exhibits.
Entry to permanent collections in all of the municipal museums (14 in total) is free of charge.
Entry to temporary exhibitions is free of charge on the first Sunday of the month in the following museums:
- Stamp (philatelic) museum
- Maison Tavel – history of life in old Geneva
- Ariana Museum – Swiss ceramic and glass
- Art and history Museum – beaux-arts, applied arts and archeology
- Ethnography Museum: MEG Conches and MEG Carl-Vogt
- Rath Museum
The following museums offer free access to their permanent collections:
- Conservatory and botanical gardens
- Espace Lullin – museum of the Geneva library
- Voltaire Institut and Museum
- Maison Tavel
- Ariana Museum
- Art and history museum
- Science history museum
- Natural history museum
The following museums also offer free access to temporary exhibits throughout the year, check their websites for specific dates:
- Conservatory and botanical gardens
- Espace Lullin
- Voltaire Institut and Museum
- Science history museum
- Natural history museum
The Geneva art and history museum - Photo ©Laila Rodriguez
Museums are always free of charge for those under 20 years of age and holding the 20ans/20francs card. The city offers a page in English with basic information about its museums: English selection – Département de la culture – Ville de Genève.
If you are a true museum fan and would like to discover the remaining 46 or so private and semi-private museums in Geneva at reduced prices, then you might consider purchasing a Swiss museum pass.
The pass gives you access to all of the museums in Geneva, as well as throughout Switzerland. That is, over 400 museums across the country! Find out more on GenevaLunch’s resource page: single pass – Swiss museums.
Share your impressions of the museums you visit with other GenevaLunch readers by adding a comment below.
I’m off now, it is -always- free museum day after all. See you there?
**
Stay in the know, follow Geneva Living on Facebook, Twitter, RSS, by e-mail; or through GenevaLunch News on Facebook.
GenevaLunch, 29 March 2009.
Filed under: Arts & Entertainment, On the cheap
Tags: cultural life Geneva, deals in Geneva, Free or low cost in Geneva, Geneva deals, Geneva guide, guide to Geneva, museums
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Hi,
Great article for tourists looking to explore the many different arts and museums that geneva has.
thanks
peter
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:00 am
[...] Geneva the entry to permanent collections in all of the municipal museums (14 in total) is free of charge while the entry to temporary exhibitions is free of charge the first Sunday of the [...]
March 5th, 2010 at 11:04 am
[...] Sunday in Geneva free entry to all permanent and temporary exhibits in all city museums – 13 in total. This happens the first Sunday of the month so pick and choose among several exhibits around [...]
April 2nd, 2010 at 12:36 pm
[...] Events, Exhibits :: Free museum entry, Geneva and Lausanne Title: Free museum entry, Geneva and Lausanne Location: Geneva and Lausanne Link out: Click here [...]
April 30th, 2010 at 11:10 am
[...] entry to all temporary exhibits of the Geneva city museums. Entry to permanent collections is free all year round but on the first Sunday of the month, the [...]
June 30th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
[...] Entarnce to 14 Geneva Municipal Museums permanent collections, and to their temporary exhibits on the First Sunday of Each [...]
January 26th, 2011 at 11:45 am
The picture is really pretty. I have been to Geneva once for the weekend, I would love to spend more time and go around the museums. It is definitely an ideal city breaks destination as its not far from the UK and the tickets are not really expensive.
July 6th, 2011 at 7:59 am
[...] Free museums. Geneva offers free entry to visit the permanent collections of all its museums all year-round, and free entry to all of its temporary exhibits the first Sunday of the month. (Info) [...]