Gewerbemuseum Winterthur
Design museum in Winterthur's old town with exhibitions on design, art and society and the interactive Material-Labor.
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About the museum
The Gewerbemuseum Winterthur was founded in 1874 and opened in 1875, making it one of the oldest museums in the city and the canton of Zurich. Like many arts and crafts museums of the late 19th century, it aimed to promote trades and industry through exemplary design and to educate taste; its model was the South Kensington Museum in London, today's Victoria and Albert Museum.
Its first home was the now-vanished Kornhaus near the Untertor; in 1879 it moved to the Technikum Winterthur, where an arts-and-crafts and technical-mechanical collection as well as a collection of patterns and models grew. Because of a lack of space, the museum moved in 1928 to the former girls' school on the Kirchplatz, where it is still housed today. In the 1950s it opened the first public housing advice centre of any museum in Switzerland.
After a comprehensive renovation in 1999, the museum reoriented its content: today it presents exhibitions at the intersections of design, art and society and, with the Material-Labor, offers access to the world of materials. Together with the Uhrenmuseum Winterthur, which is housed in the same building, it forms a centre for design and materials. Since 2021 Susanna Kumschick has directed the museum on her own.
Highlights
- Changing exhibitions on design, art and society
- Material-Labor as an interactive permanent exhibition with experimentation and listening stations
- Admission includes the Uhrenmuseum Winterthur in the same building
- Grand Café du Musée with courtyard garden
- Accessible offerings such as the audio tour "Mit allen Sinnen" and tours in sign language
Permanent exhibition
- Material-Labor – Interactive workshop for everyone: permanent exhibition and research lab on materials such as glass, metal, paper and bioplastics, with research, experimentation and listening stations and numerous material samples to touch.
- Founded
- 1874
- Director
- Dr. Susanna Kumschick
Admission & discounts
| Adults | CHF 12 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | CHF 8AHV (old-age pension) recipients, students and apprentices with Legi, KulturLegi, groups of 10 or more |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 16 · Children and young people up to 16 years have free admission. |
| Seniors | CHF 8AHV (old-age pension) |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission with IV (disability insurance) card. |
| Students & apprentices | CHF 8Students and apprentices with Legi |
| Groups (10+ people) | CHF 8 per personGroups of 10 or more (reduced rate) |
| Material-Labor only | CHF 5reduced CHF 3 |
| Private tour during opening hours | CHF 150plus reduced admission per person (whole museum CHF 8, Material-Labor only CHF 3) |
| Private tour outside opening hours | CHF 250plus reduced admission per person |
Regular admission includes the Material-Labor and the Uhrenmuseum Winterthur in the same building; public guided tours are included in the admission. Free admission for schools and adult education, with the Winterthur and Swiss Museum Pass, Member-Plus Raiffeisen, and for members of VMS, ICOM, VKKS, SWB, SGD, Visarte, IAA/AIAP and WCC Europe, the German Museums Association, the Gönnerverein Uhrenmuseum and the Förderverein.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: not available
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description
Wheelchair accessible, folding chairs available, companions free. There are no disabled parking spaces in front of the museum; arrival by public transport is recommended. Free induction loops, private tours in sign language (with interpreters), audio tour "Mit allen Sinnen" for people with and without visual impairments, content in Easy Language.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 16 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
"Workshops für alle" for adults and families with children aged 8 and over (from 12 usually also without a companion), holiday workshops from age 9, open workshop areas and experiment tables in the Material-Labor. Children's birthday parties are possible.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Stadthaus
On foot from the main station, just under 10 minutes through the old town (Untertor, Marktgasse, Untere Kirchgasse to the Kirchplatz). Alternatively, take bus 1, 3, 5 or 14 two stops from the main station to the Stadthaus stop and then walk.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
No parking around the museum; Technikum-Nord car park, from there on foot through the Steinberggasse and the Obere Kirchgasse to the Kirchplatz.
- Accessible parking: not available
By car from Zurich, take the Winterthur-Töss exit; from St. Gallen the Oberwinterthur exit; from Schaffhausen the Winterthur-Ohringen exit. Access to the Kirchplatz for deliveries is via Technikumstrasse, Neumarkt, Steinberggasse and Obere Kirchgasse; not possible on Tuesday and Friday mornings because of the weekly market.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Grand Café du Musée (vegetarian-vegan with regional products, lunch menus, cakes, breakfast at weekends, courtyard garden in summer). Museum shop.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
Private tours with apéro riche via the museum's own catering; room hire for private events on request.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Public guided tours are included in the admission. Dialogue tours over lunchtime, workshops for everyone and holiday workshops according to the events calendar; school offerings and training courses on the website. |
