Museum zu Allerheiligen

About the museum

The museum is located in the complex of the former Benedictine monastery of Allerheiligen, which dates back to the 11th century. Between 1921 and 1938 the city of Schaffhausen gradually set up the museum, thereby saving the monastery complex, which was threatened with decay. At first Gustav Gull, the Zurich architect of the Swiss National Museum, was envisaged; later the Chur architect Martin Risch took over the conversion and supplemented the old building fabric with new buildings.

A bombing raid on 1 April 1944 hit the museum only partially, but completely destroyed the Natural History Museum founded in 1918 on the Herrenacker; its collections were integrated into the monastery complex in the 1980s with a permanent natural history exhibition. From 1947 the city ventured to stage large art exhibitions of international renown; later the museum turned more towards local and cultural-history themes. In 1991 the antiquities collection of the industrialist Marcel Ebnöther was added.

Today the museum shows permanent exhibitions on early advanced civilisations, the archaeology of the region, the cultural history of the city, art with works by Cranach, Hodler, Vallotton, Otto Dix and Adolf Dietrich, and natural history. The complex includes the largest Romanesque church in Switzerland, a cloister and a herb garden. The museum is run by the city of Schaffhausen.

Highlights

• Ebnöther Collection: antiquities of the Old and the New World
• Art collection with Cranach, Hodler, Vallotton, Otto Dix and Adolf Dietrich
• Former monastery complex with Romanesque cloister and herb garden
• Archaeology of the region with a Stone Age hunting camp for children
• Museum café in the Pfalzhof
• Museum Stemmler: historic cabinet of natural curiosities (free admission)

Permanent exhibitions

• Frühe Hochkulturen – The Ebnöther Collection contrasts objects from European and Near Eastern antiquity and pre-Columbian cultures as the “Old World” and the “New World”.
• Archäologie der Region – New media and interactive stations convey the archaeology of the region, with models of early settlements and a Stone Age hunting camp for children.
• Kunst – Art collection from the 15th century to the present, including works by Cranach, Hodler, Vallotton, Otto Dix and Adolf Dietrich.

Founded

1928

Operated by

Stadt Schaffhausen

Director

Gesa Schneider

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on the first Saturday of every month.

The price applies to the permanent exhibitions including the temporary exhibitions; for some special exhibitions a higher admission fee is charged (most recently CHF 15, reduced CHF 10). Free admission with the Swiss Museum Pass, Raiffeisen card, Swiss Travel Pass, DreiWeltenCard, Kultur-Legi ganze Schweiz, IAA, ICOM, VMS, VKKS, museum-related associations and for refugees (N, F, S). Customers of Schaffhauser Kantonalbank (with one companion) receive CHF 5 off on presentation of certain cards. Free admission with a press card. School classes from the city and canton of Schaffhausen: free admission. Museum Stemmler is free of charge.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• 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 and museum courtyard are accessible by wheelchair; stairlifts and lifting platforms make the complex largely accessible, while some areas are not wheelchair-accessible because of limited space. A manual wheelchair and lightweight folding chairs are available, and there are two wheelchair-accessible toilets. A parking space for people with reduced mobility can be reserved on request. Guided tours in sign language take place regularly. Museum Stemmler is not wheelchair-accessible. Details at zugangsmonitor.ch.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Offers freely accessible during opening hours: Stone Age hunting camp for children aged 2 to 12, Stone Age jewellery to make (from 5 years, craft kit CHF 2), archaeology search game on a touchscreen, clothes to try on, the digital puzzle trail “Tierisch!” with iPads (from 8 years) and a listening expedition in Museum Stemmler. In addition there are torchlight tours and adventure afternoons.

Getting there & parking

From the A4 motorway take the “Schaffhausen Süd” exit and drive towards the city centre. Bicycles can be locked up at the bike station at the railway station.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Museum café in the reception area, accessible without admission (Tuesday to Sunday 11 am–5 pm), in summer in the Pfalzhof; museum shop in the entrance area, also accessible without a ticket.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit