Cartoonmuseum Basel

About the museum

The founder and benefactor of the Cartoonmuseum was the Basel patron Dieter Burckhardt (1914–1991), who wanted to make his private collection of caricatures and cartoons accessible to the public. In 1979 he established the Stiftung Sammlung Karikaturen & Cartoons, which is still managed by the Christoph Merian Stiftung today; the collection and museum managed without state subsidies from the start. In 1980 the first exhibition opened at St. Alban-Vorstadt 9.

In 1991 the foundation acquired an old-town property at St. Alban-Vorstadt 28, which the Basel firm Herzog & de Meuron renovated and extended with a new building. This significantly increased the exhibition space, and the library and shop were also expanded. In May 1996 the new "Karikatur & Cartoon Museum Basel" opened; in 2009 it was renamed Cartoonmuseum Basel, and since December 2023 the addition "Zentrum für narrative Kunst" (Centre for Narrative Art) has complemented the name.

The collection comprises around 12,000 original works and about 2,000 loans from around 700 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries from about 40 countries. The museum shows changing exhibitions on current topics or on the work of individual cartoonists, in several languages for an international audience. The old building houses the foyer with shop, exhibition rooms, library and studio; a light well leads to the rear building with three more exhibition rooms.

Highlights

• The only Swiss museum devoted exclusively to narrative art
• Collection of around 12,000 original works by about 700 artists
• Late Gothic old building with a new building by Herzog & de Meuron
• Library on caricature, cartoon and comics
• Shop with a huge selection of postcards
• Cartoon Sundays and workshops for families

Founded

1979

Operated by

Stiftung Sammlung Karikaturen & Cartoons (verwaltet von der Christoph Merian Stiftung)

Director

Anette Gehrig

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the Museums-PASS-Musées, Swiss Museum Pass, Raiffeisen card, VMS/AMS, ICOM, Colour Key and for people seeking protection; the museum passes are also available in the museum shop.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• 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 museum has no lift and is therefore wheelchair accessible on the ground floor only; please register visits in advance by email.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

For every exhibition there are child-friendly tours and workshops in which children draw under guidance. At the Cartoon Sundays (Sunday afternoon, 2–4 pm) and in the Open Atelier, families discover comics, cartoons and animated films. Children's birthday parties with workshop and exhibition tour last two hours (CHF 280 for the workshop plus CHF 7 admission per child; parents bring the cake).

Getting there & parking

The museum is located near the Greater Basel bank of the Rhine, midway between the two Kunstmuseum buildings, the Hauptbau and the Gegenwart.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop in the foyer with a huge permanent selection of postcards, books, posters and admission vouchers; library on caricature, cartoon and comics in the building.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

"Kunst und Kulinarik" offer: apéro from the museum's own selection or with catering partners, for example for birthday parties and corporate events; information sheet with prices on the website.

Plan your visit