Reisebüro Linth
Migration museum in a farmhouse dating from 1568: ten rooms on emigration from the Linth region to America in the 19th century, with admission by donation.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The house at Gasterstrasse 39 in the Kaltbrunn hamlet of Müllisperg is a farmhouse from 1568. From 1977 the Kaltbrunn Local Museum showed a varied collection on village history here: household and farming tools, implements for processing flax and hemp, a loom, church antiquities, finds from the Bibiton castle ruins and Kaltbrunn Chläuse. However, the house struggled to attract a regular audience.
The Cultural Commission and the municipality therefore decided on a fresh start as a house with a single theme. Planning began in 2014, and in autumn 2021 the museum opened under the name “Reisebüro Linth.” The name was chosen for marketing reasons; the subtitle “Museum für Auswanderung und Einwanderung” (“Museum of Emigration and Immigration”) describes the content. The driving force is Peter Brunner, president of the Kaltbrunn Cultural Commission, who runs the house with volunteer helpers. The launch was co-financed, among others, by the lottery fund of the canton of St. Gallen and the regional cultural funding body Zürichsee-Linth.
The permanent exhibition in ten rooms tells why many people from the Linth region left their homeland in the 19th century, mainly for the USA, and how they built a life for themselves in the “New World.” Original letters, posters from emigration agencies and shipping lines, photo albums, suitcases and luggage, as well as interactive tables, films and hands-on stations, make the biographies tangible. The perspective also reaches into the present: Kaltbrunn lies on important transport routes, and the workers on the Rickentunnel once settled in the village with their families.
Highlights
- Farmhouse from 1568 in the Müllisperg hamlet
- Ten exhibition rooms on emigration from the Linth region in the 19th century
- Emigrant biographies, original letters, posters, photo albums and suitcases
- Interactive tables, films and hands-on stations
- Admission free, donation requested; guided tours on request
Permanent exhibition
- Auswandern/Einwandern – Migration – Ten rooms on emigration from the Linth region in the 19th century, with biographies, original objects, films and hands-on stations. Themes are departure, arrival in the “New World” and integration.
- Founded
- 1977
- Operated by
- Kulturkommission Kaltbrunn
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Guided tour for school classes (grades 4–9, 2 lessons) | CHF 200Flat rate per class, April to November |
|---|
Admission is free, but a donation is requested instead. For tours outside opening hours, contact the museum by email. A flat rate applies for school classes.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Hands-on stations
The exhibition offers hands-on stations and interactive tables.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Müllisperg · 1-min walk
Postal bus stop “Müllisperg” directly next to the museum.
By car
Parking available
Only a few parking spaces at the museum. When they are full, the museum recommends the public parking lots in the Kaltbrunn village center and continuing by bus to Müllisperg.
Also reachable on foot or by bike.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups and school classes on request at buero@reisebuero-linth.ch. The school program (introduction, guided tour, free exploration and a discussion about living together across cultures) is aimed at grades 4 to 9 and lasts two lessons. |
