Museum für Musikautomaten

About the museum

The museum grew out of the passion for collecting of Heinrich Weiss, who over decades assembled Swiss music boxes, disc music boxes, automata, clocks with musical movements and large mechanical musical automatons. In 1979 the collection was opened to the public as a private museum; in 1990 it passed to the Swiss Confederation by donation and has since belonged to the Federal Office of Culture.

In 2000 a spacious new building was completed, which doubled the exhibition space. It brought a reception area with a foyer, a restaurant with a viewing terrace, a further exhibition hall and a museum shop. Today the collection comprises around 1,350 objects and more than 12,000 music rolls and other sound carriers, ranging from music boxes and jewellery with musical movements to jukeboxes.

The collection also includes the Federal Clocks as a permanent loan from the Swiss National Museum, as well as the Welte Philharmonic organ, during whose restoration clues emerged suggesting it may be the long-lost organ of the "Britannic", the sister ship of the Titanic. The making of music boxes in the Jura Arc has been on the Swiss List of Living Traditions since December 2020. Guided tours of the exhibition and live demonstrations of fairground and dance organs take place daily.

Highlights

• One of the world's largest collections of original Swiss music boxes
• Britannic organ (Welte Philharmonic organ)
• Live demonstrations of fairground and dance organs
• Clocks with musical movements, including the Federal Clock Collection
• Daily guided tours included in the admission price

Permanent exhibitions

• Sammlung Dr. h.c. H. Weiss-Stauffacher – Swiss music boxes and disc music boxes, automata, singing-bird boxes, clocks and jewellery with musical movements, barrel organs, orchestrions and self-playing instruments from the 18th century to today.
• Britannic-Orgel – The museum's Welte Philharmonic organ, in which clues to the lost organ of the ship "Britannic" were found.

Founded

1979

Operated by

Bundesamt für Kultur (BAK)

Director

Christoph E. Hänggi

Admission & discounts

All tickets include a tour of the exhibition; all prices are exclusive of VAT. Free admission with the Swiss Museum Pass, Raiffeisen Museums-PASS-Musées card, VMS Museum Pass and ICOM, as well as for members of the Society of the Museum of Music Automata (GMS), the Association des Amis du Château de Prangins and the GLM.

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 entire museum and the outdoor area are wheelchair accessible. On Wednesdays and Sundays a free accessible shuttle (suitable for strollers and, in the standard model, wheelchairs) runs from the Herrenmatt stop to the museum. Tours for blind and visually impaired people (with tactile elements) and for people with cognitive impairments on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly

The "Zauberklang" ("Magic Sound") puzzle leads children through the museum with ten questions and ends with a melody they have set themselves on a music box. There are also evening torchlight tours (about one hour) and regular family days with a look into the workshop, hands-on stations and a treasure hunt.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Museum restaurant with viewing terrace and jukebox (reservations +41 58 465 20 87) and museum shop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

The foyer can be rented (CHF 500, special rates for weddings on request).

Plan your visit