Museum Thalwil
Local museum in the Pfisterhaus, a winegrower's house with a garden, on the history of Thalwil between farming village and silk industry; free admission.
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About the museum
The foundation was laid by the Thalwil painter and antiques dealer Walter Meier (1894–1952): in 1942 he bequeathed his collection of prints together with a sum of money to the Verschönerungsverein Thalwil and attached to the bequest the condition of founding a Stiftung Ortsmuseum Thalwil. The foundation's statutes were notarised in 1953; today it is called Stiftung Museum Thalwil and is run by a volunteer foundation board.
In 1992 the local museum was opened and moved into the house "An der Strass", the Pfisterhaus: a stately winegrower's house with a garden and a surrounding site on which stand buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. In 2023 the house was reoriented and has since carried the name Museum Thalwil.
The collection has four focal points: the textile industry with firms such as Schwarzenbach, Heer, Weidmann and Schmid, farming life before industrialisation, prints including Johann Jakob Aschmann's copper engravings of Lake Zurich, and photographs on the rich history of local associations. On the second floor a new permanent exhibition on the silk industry, which shaped Thalwil for around 150 years, is currently being set up; it is expected to open in 2027. In the large exhibition room in the attic, changing exhibitions and events take place.
Highlights
- Pfisterhaus, a winegrower's house with historic parlours
- Collection on the silk industry and farming life in Thalwil
- Copper engravings of Lake Zurich by Johann Jakob Aschmann
- Garden and Pfister site as an event venue
- Free admission
- Founded
- 1992
- Operated by
- Stiftung Museum Thalwil
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | –Private guided tours during regular opening hours cost CHF 120 (approx. 1 to 1.5 hours); half price for schools from Thalwil. |
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Free admission (according to the Association of Swiss Museums). Guided tours for groups and schools cost CHF 120 per tour.
Accessibility
- Partially 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 museum is not wheelchair accessible throughout; if needed, please notify in advance.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bahnhof Thalwil · 5-min walk
About 5 minutes on foot from Thalwil station.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Weddings / ceremonies
The two historic parlours on the first floor are used as a wedding room; events also take place in the attic, in the garden and on the Pfister site.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
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| Good to know | Guided tours for groups and schools (approx. 1 to 1.5 hours) also outside opening hours on request by email. The permanent exhibition on the silk industry on the second floor is in preparation. |
