Museum der Kulturen Basel

About the museum

The collections of today's museum were already on view in the “Museum der Stadt Basel”, opened in 1849, including the important Mexico collection of the merchant Lukas Vischer. In 1892 the Basel government decided to separate the ethnographic collection from the historical-antiquarian one; the new commission met for the first time in 1893, which is why that year counts as the founding year. At first wealthy Baselers brought back objects from their travels; later researchers such as Fritz and Paul Sarasin, Felix Speiser, Alfred Bühler and Paul Wirz shaped the collection and the direction of the museum.

The museum changed its name several times: in 1918 it was called “Museum für Völkerkunde”, from 1944 additionally “Schweizerisches Museum für Volkskunde”, and since 1996 it has borne its present name. In 1917 a separate annex for the ethnographic holdings, designed by Vischer und Söhne, was opened. Among the highlights of the museum's history is the visit of the Dalai Lama in May 2001 for the opening of the Tibet exhibition.

After a major renovation the museum reopened in 2011: with its own entrance including a shop on Münsterplatz, bright exhibition rooms and the folded attic by Herzog & de Meuron, which attracts architecture enthusiasts. The inner courtyard serves as a popular event venue. Today the collection comprises more than 340,000 objects, around 900,000 photographs and 400 films and sound recordings. The museum is one of the five state museums of the canton of Basel-Stadt and, besides permanent exhibitions, shows several changing exhibitions a year.

Highlights

• World-renowned ethnological collection with over 340,000 objects
• Permanent exhibition “Alles lebt” (Everything Lives) on the relationships between humans and other beings
• Permanent exhibition “Memory” with around 400 objects on remembering and forgetting
• Basel Fasnacht with masks, lanterns and a reconstructed Fasnacht pub in the neighbouring building
• Folded roof by Herzog & de Meuron and picturesque inner courtyard
• Museum bistro Rollerhof with seating on Münsterplatz

Permanent exhibitions

• Alles lebt – mehr als menschliche Welten – Starting from 165 objects from the collection, contemporary art and voices from around the world, the exhibition asks how people can rethink their relationships with mountains, rivers, animals, plants and ancestors.
• Memory – Momente des Erinnerns und Vergessens – Around 400 objects show widespread practices of remembering from around the world, from the personal photo album and memory aids and posters to commemoration of the dead.
• Basler Fasnacht – In the neighbouring building, historical rooms with costumes, lanterns, masks, instruments and a reconstructed Fasnacht pub lead through the UNESCO-protected Basel Fasnacht.

Founded

1893

Operated by

Kanton Basel-Stadt (staatliches Museum)

Director

Dr. Friedrich von Bose

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Happy Day: free admission for everyone on the first Sunday of every month; Happy Hour: free admission in the last opening hour from Tuesday to Saturday.

Free admission with the Museums-PASS-Musées, Swiss Museum Pass and colourkey, and for members of the Kulturkreis, ICOM/VMS and the Federal Association of Ethnologists. Refugees and asylum seekers (permit B marked “refugee status”, F, N or S) and holders of the Sans-Papiers ID also have free admission. Free and reduced admission applies only with ID; a surcharge is charged for selected events.

Accessibility

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

The museum courtyard and main building are wheelchair accessible; the permanent exhibition “Basler Fasnacht” in the neighbouring building is not wheelchair accessible. A lift serves all floors, and lightweight folding chairs are available on every floor. Almost all exhibition videos are subtitled, tours in sign language (DSGS) take place occasionally, and an induction loop can be requested for tours. Tours for visually impaired and blind guests are offered occasionally. Visitors with reduced mobility can drive up; a disabled parking space is at Augustinergasse 2.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

Family workshops on the first Sunday of the month with a playful tour followed by an atelier session (registration recommended), plus workshops for children. Children's birthday parties from age 6 for up to 10 children: a two-hour journey through the museum with a travel ticket and a little rolling suitcase, followed by Zvieri (afternoon snack) in the atelier (registration via the secretariat).

Getting there & parking

By car via the motorway exit “Basel City” or “Badischer Bahnhof”; entrance Münsterplatz 20.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Museum bistro Rollerhof (Tuesday–Wednesday and Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Thursday–Saturday 10 a.m.–10 p.m., closed Monday, also open on public holidays) with seating on Münsterplatz and in the inner courtyard. The museum shop is accessible from the entrance area without admission.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Available for hire are, among others, the Hedi-Keller-Saal (157 m²), the Baroque Room (54 m²), an event room on the ground floor of the neighbouring building (146 m²), meeting rooms and the inner courtyard. Catering is provided by the museum bistro Rollerhof; price list as a PDF on the website.

Plan your visit