Museo del tessile e della tradizione industriale di Busto Arsizio

About the museum

The Museo del Tessile e della Tradizione Industriale was established on 30 January 1997 to collect, preserve and promote objects, machines, products and documents of the local textile industry and of the other sectors of Busto’s industrial tradition. It was opened on 30 October of the same year. It also promotes cultural and research activities and the dissemination of the history of textile production, in its processes and in its industrial and social implications.

The museum is housed in the building that once accommodated the spinning department of the Cotonificio Carlo Ottolini, later Bustese, one of the main examples of industrial archaeology in the city. The spinning mill was probably built between 1891 and 1896 and recalls the Lombard neo-Gothic of the period. It takes the form of a castle in exposed brick, with large pointed windows, anthropomorphic figures, battlements and towers. After the 1970s production moved to the Valle Olona and the factory was abandoned. The municipality acquired the area, created the public park that still surrounds the castle, and restored the building to house the museum.

The route includes sections on spinning and preparation, weaving and finishing, the Jacquard technique, packaging, dyeing and printing, factory administration, a room on new fibres, the Sala del Ricamo industriale (industrial embroidery room), the Calzaturificio Borri (Borri footwear factory), the Archivio Menotti Paracchi and a space on silkworm rearing. The museum also has a specialist library on the second floor, with books, technical manuals, journals and fabric samples.

Highlights

• Former neo-Gothic spinning mill of the Cotonificio Ottolini, later Bustese (1891–1896)
• Machinery and processes of the textile cycle: spinning, Jacquard weaving, dyeing and printing
• Sala del Ricamo industriale (industrial embroidery room) and section on the Calzaturificio Borri
• Specialist library on textiles
• Audio guides and educational videos on the izi.travel app

Permanent exhibition

• Collezioni permanenti del Museo del Tessile – Machinery, products and documents of the Busto textile industry, from the production cycle to dyeing, embroidery and footwear.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Comune di Busto Arsizio

Visitors per year

approx. 16,000

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is accessible to people with mobility disabilities, with dedicated museum routes, a lift with Braille buttons, dedicated toilets and reserved parking spaces. Admission is free for people with disabilities and their companion.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

The museum offers material to prepare the visit, material to use during and after it, workshops and dynamic tours. For families, time slots within the organised routes are suggested.

Getting there & parking

By car: A8 motorway, Busto Arsizio exit, signs for Centro/Ospedale, then the brown signs for the museum.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit