I recall museums from back in the day as dull spaces where teachers would lead us through, lacking engagement. However, modern museums, particularly those tailored for families, have evolved significantly. They're now interactive, hands-on, and filled with fun, offering an exciting way to discover the world through play. Exploring these museums together as a family has become one of our favorite outings on rainy days.
To assist you in selecting the perfect one for your child, we've curated a top 10 list in Canton Zürich, in no particular order, covering various topics. Each entry includes impression videos, key highlights, recommended age groups, and pricing details.
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NATIONAL | ANIMALS | VECHICLES | FOOD | ENVIRONMENT
1. SCIENCE: Swiss Science Center Technorama
Switzerland's largest interactive science museum which seamlessly blends education and fun, making learning an exciting adventure.
Fun Factors:
Interactive play: Learn about water, chaos, mechanics, math, currents, magnets, light, wood, illusions and more through hands-on experiment stations
Stress free: Everything can be touched and played with
Extensive: Over 500 experiment stations across 4 floors and an outdoor section. You can make it into a whole day adventure
Workshops and open laboratories (in German only)
Considerations:
The museum is extensive and may be challenging to explore in a single day, particularly with younger children. Consider dividing your visit into multiple days.
Practical info:
Location:Â Technoramastrasse 1, 8404 WinterthurÂ
Opening hours: Every day (including holidays) | 10:00 – 17:00
2024 Prices: Adults:Â 33 CHF | Kids 6 - 15: 21 CHFÂ | Kids under 6: Free | Annual pass available
Recommended age: Best for 6-year-olds up | 3 to 5-year-olds can also enjoy it
Visiting time: 4 - 8 hours
Food:Â Restaurant (all year) and food truck (spring - autumn)
2. ILLUSION: The Wow Museum
12 themed rooms across 3 floors exploring how illusions change our perception through hands - on stations that combines art, science, and technology.
Fun Factors:
Immersion into illusions: Enter magical rooms that merge art, science, and technology to explore how illusions alter our perception
Hands-on experiment station
Stress free: Everything can be touched and played with
Scavenger hunt: A quest for kids to find Willow, a charming little character hidden throughout the museum.
Quizz book: Activities for older children
Considerations:
Compact size: Can be visited in 1 - 1.5 hr
Booking in advance required:Â Booking in advance is required due to limited tickets for specific timeslots, especially on weekends and holidays
Practical info:
Location: Werdmühlestrasse 10, 8001 Zürich (Near Zürich HB)
Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:00 - 20:00 | Friday 10:00 – 22:00 | Saturday 09:00 – 22:00 | Sunday 09:00 – 20:00 | Tuesdays Closed
2024 Prices: Adults:Â 23 CHF | Kids 6 - 16: 16 CHFÂ | Kids 2 - 5: 5 CHFÂ | Kids under 2: Free | Family tickets available | Thursdays: 15% discount (excluding holidays)
Recommended age: Best for 2-year-olds up
Visiting time: 1-1.5 hours
Food:Â Nearby dining options available, separate from the museum
3. CHOCOLATE: Lindt Home of Chocolate
A chocolate museum showcasing the rich history of chocolate, featuring chocolate tastings, a discovery walkthrough, chocolate courses and the world's largest Lindt chocolate shop.
Fun Factors:
Chocolate making process walk-through: Dive into the journey from cocoa bean to chocolate bar
Chocolate tastings: Savor liquid chocolate and chocolate bars
Chocolate courses (from 5 years old): Create and decorate your own chocolate bar (sepearate ticket required)
Shopping: Explore the World Largest Lindt Shop and benefit from discounted prices at the Lindt chocolate outlet (no ticket required)
Multilingual audioguides: Enjoy interactive audioguides at each station, offering engaging stories accessible via QR code scans
Considerations:
Partially interactive: Limited elements are interactive, which may frustrate children under 4 years old
Booking in advance required:Â Booking in advance is required due to limited tickets for specific timeslots, especially on weekends and holidays
Where:Â Schokoladenplatz 1, 8802 Kilchberg
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday 10 am - 7 pm
Prices: Adults:Â 17 CHF | Kids 8-15 : 10 CHFÂ | Kids under 8: Free | Group tickets, chocolate courses and guided tours available
Recommended age: Best for 4-year-olds up (not all elements are interactive)
Visiting time: 1-2 hours
Food: Lindt Café
4. SPORT: FIFA Museum
A large interactive football-themed museum featuring a walkthrough of football history, kids' booklets with quizzes, and various play stations.
Fun Factors:
Football history exhibition: Delve into the rich history of football, featuring gear, stadiums, players, rules, trophies, and other intriguing artifacts, alongside fascinating objects and multimedia displays
Interactive games: Guess the football mascot, a dancing station to mimic iconic celebration moves, a creative lab for arts and crafts, and a play-ball area for testing football skills on six tracks
Kids trail booklet: Follow a map to solve FIFA quizzes. Designed for kids who can write, but even 4-year-olds can join with help from parents. Available only in German.
Gaming stations: Visitors can test their e-sport skills on Xbox and PlayStation consoles
Considerations:
Only certain stations and games are interactive, while the main exhibition is not
No family friendly dining option - there is a picnic area with a vending machine and a restaurant targeting adults with limited opening hours
Where: Seestrasse 27, 8002 Zürich (Zürich Enge)
Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10 am - 6 pm | Monday closed
Prices: Adults:Â 26 CHF | Kids 7-15 : 15 CHFÂ | Kids under 7: Free | Group and family tickets available
Recommended age: Best for 4-5 year-olds up
Visiting time: 1-3 hours
Food:Â picnic area with a vending machine on site | Restaurant adjecent
5. HUMAN EVOLUTION: Kulturama
Explore the human body through three Exhibitions: Where we come from, Who we are, How we learn. Plus a hands-on discovery trail.
Fun Factors:
Interactive discovery exhibition: Discovery trail exhibition where kids can touch and play while learning about the biology of the human body and evolution - stress free for parents
Discovery drawers:Â Explore drawers filled with objects to investigate and play with
Interactive exhibition about how we learn: discover how our brains work with practical examples and hands-on activities (only open during weekends from 1 to 6 pm)
Considerations:
"Who we are" and "Where we come from" exhibitions are not interactive - objects are displayed behind glass, so there's no need to worry about kids breaking anything
No restaurant or café - there is a picnic area with a vending machine
Where: Englischviertelstrasse 9, 8032 Zürich
Opening hours: Tuesday / Thursday / Friday 1 pm - 5 pm | Wednesday 1 pm - 8 pm | Saturday / Sunday 1 pm - 6 pm | How we learn exhibition open only on Saturday - Sunday
Prices: Adults:Â 14 CHF | Kids 6 - 16 : 9 CHFÂ | Kids under 6: Free | Annual passes and further discounts available
Recommended age: Recommended for 6-year-olds up but 4-5 will also enjoy
Visiting time: 1 - 3 hours
Food:Â Picnic area with a vending machine
6. NATIONAL MUSEUM: Landesmuseum
The Swiss National Museum Zürich with a family section, interactive exhibits, family quiz bag and an adventure in a suitcase.
Fun Factors:
Four interactive themed family rooms:
Pirates: discover digital fishes in a magical chest, practice knot skills, learn about famous pirates
Trains: embark on a train, watch outside views displayed on giant screens and listen to stories
Oriental palace: fly magic carpets and watch"A Thousand and One Nights" stories
Creative: discover chest full of costumes, a mystery box with hidden objects and a creative table
Discovery suitcase (from 4 years old): a suitcase with activities to complete six tasks around the museum
Family Bag (from 7 years old): puzzle books which guides families through the museum
Free for kids up to 16 years old
Considerations:
With the exception of family rooms and the treasure hunt area, other exhibits don't allow touching or interactive play. If your kids are keen on hands-on exploration, consider skipping these sections.
Where: Next to Zürich HB (Museumstrasse 2, 8001 Zürich)
Opening hours: Tuesday - Wednesday / Friday - Sunday 10 am - 5 pm | Thursday 10 am - 7 pm
Prices: Adults:Â 13 CHF |Kids under 17: Free | Group tickets and season passes available
Recommended age: Family rooms from 2 years old | Discovery suitcase from 4 years old | Family bag and main exhibition from 7 years old
Visiting time: Excluding main exhibition: 1 - 3 hours | Including main exhibition 2 - 4 hours
Food:Â Bistro and Restaurant plus many options around
The four natural science museums of the University of Zurich - Anthropology, Botany, Palaeontology and Zoology - merged into one.
Fun Factors:
Animal discovery trail with a quizz: Dive into the world of animals. Download the app to track down specific animals and solve quizzes as you explore
Dinosaurs: Explore dinosaur statues and skeletons
Animal sounds: Â Interactive station to experience the sounds of various animal species
Miniature universe: Explore the world of insects under microscopes and magnifying glasses
Book and Quiz Guide: Kids can engage with the museum using a booklet and quiz printouts (available in German only, for an extra charge)
Toy Chest: Kids can explore drawers filled with toys and games
Free of charge
Considerations:
No cafe, restaurant nor picnic area
Where: Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zürich
Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10 am - 7 pm | Thursday 5:30 pm - 8 pm
Prices: Free
Recommended age: Best for 2-year-olds up
Visiting time: 1-2 hours
Food:Â Not available
8. VEHICLES: Zürich Tram Museum
A hands-on museum all about Zürich Trams, where you can jump in and play with different trams and miniatures.
Fun Factors:
Interactive Exploration:Â Visitors can freely explore trams, stress-free for parents
Operable Tram:Â Exciting hands-on experience with a tram that can be operated
Toys and Games:Â Entertainment for kids with provided toys and games
Educational Touch: Put on a cute helmet and get under the train to see the engineering aspects
Considerations:
There is no restaurant on site - shops available nearby
Where: Forchstrasse 260, 8008 ZürichÂ
Opening hours: Monday / Wednesday / Saturday / Sunday 1 pm - 6 pm
Prices: Adults:Â 14 CHF | Teenagers 16-18 : 9 CHF | Kids 6-16 : 7 CHFÂ | Kids under 6: Free | Group tickets and other discounts available
Recommended age: Best for 2-year-olds up
Visiting time: 1-2 hours
Food:Â No cafe or restaurant on site
9. FOOD: Mühlerama
An industrial mill where you can make flour and bake bread, plus a museum.
Fun Factors:
Craft your own flour: Each child received a bag of grains to mill into flour using a variety of manual tools
Bake your own bread: Hands-on kitchen with equipment to make dough and create our own bread
Slide down on a flour bag: Slide inside of the museum that spans across two floors
Learn about the industrial process of making flour: Discover a variety of working machines that clean grains, grind them, and produce flour on an industrial scale
Themed private parties
Considerations:
No dining options
Where: Seefeldstrasse 231, 8008 Zürich
Opening hours: Tuesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday 2 pm - 6 pm | Wednesday 2 pm - 9 pm | Sunday 10 am - 5 pm
Prices: Adults:Â 15 CHF | Kids 6 - 18 : 9 CHFÂ | Kids under 6: Free | Group tickets and other discounts available
Recommended age: Recommended for 6-year-olds up but 4 - 5 year olds will also enjoy
Visiting time: 1-2 hours
Food: No restaurant, café or picnic area
10. ENVIRONMENT: Umwelt Arena
Interactive exhibition hall dedicated to sustainability in production, consumption, transportation, work and living.Located at the border of Canton Aargau and Canton Zürich, it's technically in Aargau, but its proximity to Zürich makes it a must-visit on our list.
Fun Factors:
Discover sustainability through hands-on exhibits: from pedaling bicycles to generate electricity, simulating eco-friendly transportation methods, testing their balance on a platform, to creating movement with light and wind and more, kids can explore the captivating realm of sustainability.
Experience sustainability through games: from sorting rubbish into the right container to cutting wood, kicking a ball or trying out an electric car simulator to classic analog games like hopscotch.
Act sustainably through pretend play: Some booths are perfectly set up for pretend play, offering a fun and immersive experience for kids.
Hit the eco-friendly race track (from 5 years old): An eco-friendly 300-meter-long indoor race track where kids from 5 years old can try out pedal-karts, trottinettes, and various other fun vehicles, while adults can experience electric cars, E-Bikes, Segways, a rickshaw, a high wheel, a (parallel) tandem, and more.
Considerations:
Information boards and family flyer available in German only
Where: Türliackerstrasse 4, 8957 Spreitenbach
Opening hours: Wed- Sun 10 am - 5 pm |Â Note that opening hours for the race track differ
Prices: Adults:Â 21 CHF | Kids 6 - 16: 16 CHF
Recommended age: Best for 5-year-olds up, 3 - 4 year olds will also enjoy
Visiting time: 2 - 4 hours
Food:Â Restaurant on site