One of the world's leading design museums, on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein – temporary exhibitions in the Gehry building, furniture collection in the Vitra Schaudepot.
September 26, 2026 – February 28, 2027
Major show on Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa (1919–2003), who combined modernism with the building traditions, materials and landscape of his homeland – from hotels and houses to the parliament.
May 23, 2026 – May 9, 2027
For the Danish designer's 100th birthday, the Schaudepot shows Panton's work from the Panton Chair to colorful living landscapes, including a walk-in reconstruction of the 1970 Fantasy Landscape.
March 20, 2027 – September 5, 2027
Exhibition with the CCCB Barcelona on how culture, design, business and technology shape our sleep – from beds and sleeping environments to artificial light and constant availability.
The Vitra Design Museum was founded in 1989 by the furniture manufacturer Vitra and Rolf Fehlbaum, whose private collection of design furniture formed its core. The museum building was the first European project of American architect Frank Gehry: a white-plastered structure with a zinc roof that seems to have been set in motion, regarded as a key work of Deconstructivism. The museum is part of the Vitra Campus, where, after a major fire in 1981, buildings by renowned architects such as Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, Álvaro Siza, SANAA and Herzog & de Meuron were built.
Under founding director Alexander von Vegesack (1989–2010), the museum, initially conceived as a collector's museum, developed into an internationally respected institution. Major exhibitions, for example on Charles & Ray Eames or Frank Lloyd Wright, were designed as traveling exhibitions and shown around the world; an in-house publishing program and product editions help with funding. From 2011 to 2020 Mateo Kries and Marc Zehntner ran the museum jointly; since then Kries has been sole director.
In 2011 the Vitra Design Museum Gallery was added for smaller, experimental projects, and in 2016 the Vitra Schaudepot by Herzog & de Meuron opened. It shows around 400 key objects from a collection of about 20,000 objects, including around 7,000 pieces of furniture and 2,000 lamps, plus archives and estates of figures such as Verner Panton, Alexander Girard and Luis Barragán. In the Gehry building the museum presents two major temporary exhibitions a year on design, architecture and everyday culture.
| Adults | €16 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €13Young people aged 13 and over, students, seniors, people with disabilities, groups of 10 or more |
| Children & teens | €13free up to age 12 · Children under 13 are free; young people aged 13 and over pay the reduced price. |
| Seniors | €13Reduced admission (no age limit specified). |
| Visitors with disabilities | €13companion free · Reduced admission; companions of visitors with special needs get free admission. |
| Students & apprentices | €13Reduced admission. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €13 per personReduced for groups of 10 or more; school groups €8 per person (museum + Schaudepot €16). |
| Families | –No family ticket listed; children under 13 get free admission. |
Prices for the Vitra Design Museum (Gehry building). Vitra Schaudepot also €16/€13, combination ticket museum + Schaudepot €26/€24 (school groups €16). Architecture tour or Wunderkammer €18/€16, other tours €12/€10, exhibition tours €10/€8 plus admission.
According to the museum, the Vitra Design Museum, Vitra Schaudepot and Vitra Design Museum Gallery are accessible (Vitra describes them as “nearly barrier-free”); details on request. Wheelchairs free of charge at all reception desks on the campus. Animals are not allowed in the buildings or on tours; assistance dogs on architecture tours on request. Information about the museum in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) on the website.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 12 |
|---|
Children's workshops, interactive children's tours (e.g. “Panton for Kids” in the Schaudepot) and tours for children's groups. On the campus: Carsten Höller's slide tower (open depending on the weather) and a small elephant garden; children's menus at the VitraHaus Café and the Depot Deli. Children under 13 get free admission.
Vitra
From Basel Badischer Bahnhof, bus 55 to the “Vitra” stop (approx. 15 min.). From Basel SBB, Barfüsserplatz or Claraplatz, tram 8 to “Weil am Rhein Bahnhof/Zentrum”; from there or from Weil am Rhein station it is about a 15-minute walk along Müllheimer Straße.
Free parking
Two free visitor parking lots on the campus: North (GPS: Charles-Eames-Str. 2) and South (GPS: Müllheimer Str. 56); paid EV charging stations in the North lot.
By car via the A5, exit 69 Weil am Rhein, then follow the signs for the Vitra Design Museum. From EuroAirport by bus 50 and tram 8 or by taxi (approx. 10 min.).
Get directionsVitraHaus Café (daily 10:00–18:00, May–September also in the evening on Thu/Fri) and Depot Deli next to the Schaudepot (9:30–18:00, brunch on Sundays); in summer an Airstream kiosk and a food truck. Museum shops in the museum and the Schaudepot, plus the VitraHaus with its shop.
Up to 200 guests.
Rentals through the Vitra Campus event team (Vitra, campus@vitra.com), not through the museum: options include the Buckminster Fuller Dome, Tadao Ando's Conference Pavilion and Zaha Hadid's Fire Station for corporate events, conferences, weddings and celebrations; designed for groups of up to 200 people. The museum spaces themselves are not listed as rental venues.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Exhibition tours last about 60 minutes; architecture tours of the campus can be booked separately. |
Cookies help you use this website. We only load the map and statistics with your consent.
