Bürgerhaus Pratteln

About the museum

The Bürgerhaus Pratteln stands on Hauptstrasse in Pratteln and, by its own account, is around 350 years old. It is run by the Verein Bürgerhaus on behalf of the Bürgergemeinde Pratteln and sees itself as a lively meeting place for young and old: besides the museum, it hosts theatre, readings, concerts and culinary events, and a renovated vaulted cellar and other rooms can be rented for celebrations and seminars. The museum in the building opened in 1987.

The permanent exhibition leads through around 300,000 years of the municipality's history. Finds from the Stone Age, Celtic and Roman traces and the Middle Ages show how long the place has been settled. The industrial age forms a focus of its own: over 100 years of factory history can be explored interactively, and Pratteln is presented as a place to live and work that changed from a farming village into an industrial municipality in lower Baselbiet. Everyday objects such as a biscuit tin from the 1930s tell the story.

In the attic stands the Alderbahn, a gauge 0 model railway that the pastor Kurt Alder built from the 1950s onwards from waste material such as tin cans, umbrella frames, metal parts and wood. After his death in 1987, a large part of his collection came to the museum. The roughly ten train sets run on direct current via overhead wires and can be controlled from a central control desk.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition on around 300,000 years of Pratteln history
• Alderbahn: model railway made from recycled material in the attic
• Interactive exploration of industrial history
• Free admission
• Vaulted cellar and other rooms for events

Permanent exhibitions

• Dauerausstellung zur Geschichte Prattelns – Finds and objects from around 300,000 years, from the Stone Age through the Celts and Romans to industrialisation, with interactive stations.
• Alderbahn – Gauge 0 model railway made from recycled material, built by the pastor Kurt Alder; in operation on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month.

Founded

1987

Operated by

Verein Bürgerhaus Pratteln (im Auftrag der Bürgergemeinde Pratteln)

Director

Johanna Schmucki

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Museum admission is free. Schools and kindergartens receive free guided tours (60–90 min., up to 20 children with 2 accompanying adults).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• 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 Bürgerhaus states that it is fully wheelchair accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Interactive stations in the permanent exhibition; the Alderbahn delights young and old; guided tours and workshops for school classes and kindergartens.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Weddings / ceremonies

Available for rent are, among others, a renovated vaulted cellar and other rooms for private celebrations, weddings and seminars.

Plan your visit