Stadtmuseum Wil
Municipal history museum of the town of Wil in the Schmalzhaus in the old town, open at weekends with free admission.
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About the museum
The roots of the town museum lie in an "Altertumsausstellung" (antiquities exhibition) that the Wil tourist association (Verkehrsverein) showed in the Hof zu Wil in 1909. The great success encouraged teacher Ulrich Hilber and other initiators in their plan for a local museum, which was officially opened on July 24, 1910. Until 1919 a museum commission ran the house; afterwards the Ortsbürgergemeinde (local citizens' municipality) of Wil took over and remains the owner to this day.
For decades the museum was housed in the Hof zu Wil, initially on the third upper floor. Because of the renovation of the Hof, it has been closed since 1997. Before that, from 1992 to 1994, around 2,700 objects had been fully inventoried and photographed. In spring 2001 the museum reopened on the ground floor of the Hof with a newly designed permanent exhibition, set up with simple industrial shelving and the help of many volunteers.
In September 2022 the town museum moved to the Schmalzhaus on Marktgasse in the old town. It tells the story of the town of Wil and supplements the permanent exhibition with one or two special exhibitions per year on topics relating to Wil. Some of the attendant duties are taken over by volunteers.
Highlights
- Museum on the history of the town of Wil
- Free admission
- Housed in the Schmalzhaus in the old town
- Collection since 1910 with around 2,700 inventoried objects
Permanent exhibition
- Dauerausstellung zur Geschichte der Stadt Wil – The permanent exhibition in the Schmalzhaus is devoted to the history of the town of Wil and was set up at the new location in 2022.
- Founded
- 1910
- Operated by
- Ortsgemeinde Wil
- Director
- Werner Warth
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission is free.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Schools and groups are welcome even outside opening hours (requests at least 14 days in advance). |
