Musée régional du Val-de-Travers

About the museum

The Musée régional du Val-de-Travers goes back to an association in Fleurier that fourteen men founded in 1859. It opened a first museum in 1865, which at first resembled a cabinet of curiosities: it showed donations from the public and souvenirs brought back by valley residents who had traveled the world. In 1969 a new association for the history and crafts of the region took over the sponsorship, wanted to strengthen the regional character and collected objects that were disappearing with industrialization.

In 1970 the association bought the Maison des Mascarons in Môtiers together with the adjoining barn. The patrician house was rebuilt in the mid-18th century and takes its name from the stone masks above the window arches. The museum moved here from Fleurier, and over the years the house became a cultural center for the valley with concerts, theater and exhibitions. After a comprehensive renovation beginning in 2013, during which an elevator was installed, it reopened in November 2016.

Further sites belong to the museum: the absinthe drying house built in 1893 in Boveresse, which was placed under heritage protection in 1998, and the Pension Beauregard in Fleurier, a 17th-century building that has served since 2005 as a space for exhibitions by regional artists. Since December 2014 the museum has been run by a foundation; the Société des Amis supports it as a friends' association.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition in about ten halls on three centuries of watchmaking in the Val-de-Travers
• Maison des Mascarons, a patrician house with stone masks on the window arches
• Fleurier as a watchmaking center, with timepieces for Chinese customers
• Absinthe drying house from 1893 in Boveresse, with a trail and absinthe plant garden

Permanent exhibitions

• D’une vallée jurassienne aux grandes capitales du monde – trois siècles d’horlogerie au Val-de-Travers – In about ten halls the exhibition shows how from around 1730 the valley turned from agriculture to the watch industry, how division of labor made high-quality pocket watches possible for all of Europe, and how brands and crises shaped the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Séchoir à absinthe – The unheated drying house from 1893, never insulated, displays equipment for cultivating and drying absinthe plants and some agricultural and horse-drawn vehicles; a trilingual trail and a plant garden complement the visit.

Founded

1865

Operated by

Fondation du Musée régional du Val-de-Travers

Admission & discounts

Free admission for members of the Société des Amis du MRVT and with the museum pass, Raiffeisen credit card, AMS or ICOM card.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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

During the 2013 renovation an elevator was installed so that people with limited mobility can visit the museum.

Kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

There is a dedicated brochure for young visitors ("jeune public"); children up to 16 have free admission when accompanied by an adult.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

Pension Beauregard in Fleurier can be rented for cultural events (CHF 200 plus CHF 42 per day).

Plan your visit