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Barfüsserkirche
Barfüsserkirche

Experience
history close up

Haus zum Kirschgarten: Vestibule
Haus zum Kirschgarten

Basel's greatest interiors
of the 18th century

Musikmuseum: Room: Concerts, Choirs and Dancing
Musikmuseum

Switzerland’s largest collection of musical instruments

BASEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM

History comes alive

Basel Historical Museum with its three sites is widely regarded as the most important museum of cultural history on the Upper Rhine. It collects, conserves, records and researches objects and artefacts of relevance to our cultural heritage for future generations, tells visitors the story of Basel, and is a place for discourse and engagement with the past, present and future.
Programme

‘Insanely normal’ special Sunday – 4 May 2025

On 4 May 2025, Basel Historical Museum will be putting people at the centre of its various activities to mark the special exhibition ‘insanely normal’.

Upcycling Music

‘Upcycling Music’ presents imaginative musical instruments made from recycled materials and invites visitors to try them out. From 16 January 2025.

Insanely Normal – The History of Psychiatry in Basel

The exhibition tells the story of psychiatry over the last 150 years.

General Inventory

This major project involves the examination and detailed cataloguing of over 300,000 collection objects.

ESC Memory Box – Submission form

Memories of the Eurovision Song Contest belong in the museum. We are looking for objects related to the ESC – and their stories. Can you help?

«verrückt normal» – Der Podcast zur Ausstellung

Im Podcast «verrückt normal» erzählen Katja Rehmann und Micha Gasser Geschichten aus der alten Basler Psychiatrie.

BASEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Our three sites

Each of our three sites is a museum in its own right with a modern and unique collection on a specific theme. Since all three are located within easy walking distance of each other, holders of a Combi-Ticket can visit all three museums in one day.

Gebäude: Barfüsserkirche

Barfüsserkirche has housed an exhibition on the history of Basel from prehistoric times to the present since 1894.

Opening hours
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Admission

Information for people with restricted mobilityInformation for the hearing impairedInformation for the visually impairedAccessibility
Majority wheelchair access

WLAN
Free wifi
Information video surveillance

Haus zum Kirschgarten: Building

Most of the interior is devoted to the 18th- and 19th-century period rooms formerly inhabited by Basel’s affluent bourgeoisie.

Musikmuseum: Building

The 24 cells of the former prison serve as showcases for 650 musical instruments spanning five centuries.

 
Contact

Management & administration
PO box | Steinenberg 4
CH-4001 Basel

Office opening hours
8:30 – 12 AM | 13:30 – 17 PM
Reception: +41 61 205 86 00
historisches.museum(at)bs.ch

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Logo: Culture inclusive
Open today from 10 AM to 5 PM
Open today from 11 AM to 5 PM
Open today from 11 AM to 5 PM
Tuesday to Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM
Wednesday to Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM
Wednesday to Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM