Swiss Museum of Transport Visitor Guide
The Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne is one of the city’s star attractions. It’s a massive museum that you could easily spend all day at – and still by no means see everything.
There’s something for all ages here, even for those who aren’t particularly interested in planes, automobiles, trains or other vehicles.
The Lucerne Transport Museum is therefore a place that appeals to everyone and a visit here is one of the best things to do in Lucerne.
Though modes of transport are of course a key feature, this is so much more than a mere museum of transportation. Also to be discovered here are areas, events and exhibitions ranging from Swiss chocolate to movies, the media and even a planetarium.
This guide will tell you need to know about visiting the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne – also known in German as Verkehrshaus, Verkehrshaus der Schweiz or Verkehrsmuseum Luzern.
Covered here is everything you can see and do at this popular museum in Lucerne. You’ll also find all the essentials including Swiss Transport Museum tickets, opening hours, where to shop and eat, getting there and the most frequently asked questions.
If you are interested in visiting the Transport Museum in Switzerland while you’re in Lucerne, read on to discover all you need to know before you go!
As Switzerland’s most popular museum, this is a place not to be missed.
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Swiss Museum of Transport Attractions and Exhibitions
Mobility at Swiss Museum of Transport
Mobility is clearly going to be a key theme at the Museum of Transport in Lucerne. Though road transport is covered, there are many other modes too.
How about railway or aviation history, tourism or even space travel? Being something of a Swiss speciality, you can also see and learn all about aerial cableways here, too.
Whatever kind of transport you can think of, you’re bound to find it at Verkehrshaus!
Swiss Museum of Transport Museum – Media World
The Red Bull Media World at the Lucerne Museum of Transport is a permanent exhibition. This explores how Red Bull athletes, of various disciplines, experience their adrenaline-fuelled sports.
8D sound, green screen studios, Virtual Reality and more means you can stand on a diving platform 27 metres above the ground. Or truly understand how it feels when a giant wave washes over you.
Swiss Chocolate Adventure at the Swiss Museum of Transport
If you have 20 minutes to spare – and who doesn’t when it comes to the sweet stuff – then the Luzern Transport Museum can teach you all about chocolate.
Find out how it’s grown, made and transported in the country that’s home to Lindt, one of the world’s most famous manufacturers.
The fascinating story is all cleverly delivered via an adventure ride, helping you to make the most of your time at the museum in Luzern. Rides commence at 1pm on weekdays and 11am at weekends.
Buy tickets just for the Swiss Chocolate Adventure here
Film Theatre at the Swiss Museum of Transport
Though you might be a regular cinema-goer at home, you’re unlikely to have ever experienced what you’ll find at the Luzern Museum of Transport. A 500 square metre screen awaits for a fully immersive experience.
Daily screenings focus on the natural world. You’ll never have seen marine creatures, African animals or dinosaurs or mountain peaks in such colour or detail before.
Planetarium at the Swiss Museum of Transport
You can also venture beyond planet Earth at the transportation museum in Luzern.
The planetarium dome here is the most modern in the cutting-edge country of Switzerland. A regular programme of shows will take visitors of all ages to the moon and the stars – and back again.
The Edge
The mighty Matterhorn is a true icon of Switzerland and now you can conquer the majestic peak on an indoor climbing wall at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Luzern.
Don a VR headset to reach 4478 metres above sea level – and experience a very real adrenaline rush.
Energy
The House of Energy at the Swiss Museum of Transport focuses on protecting our supply of energy while safeguarding the planet against climate change. Healthy political, academic and social debate on energy issues is encouraged here.
Swiss Transport Museum Tickets and Day Passes
Many people, particularly those who are travelling around Switzerland by train, ask whether or not admission to the Swiss Transport Museum with the Swiss Travel Pass is covered. The answer is below.
Swiss Travel Pass holders
While pass holders aren’t entitled to free entry, a great discounted rate does apply. Swiss Travel Pass holders get 50% off the usual day pass price.
Do note, though, that this doesn’t apply to admission for stand-alone attractions and exhibitions like the Swiss Chocolate Adventure and the Planetarium.
Ticket options
Click on the images above to buy your tickets.
There are several ticket options for the Swiss Museum of Transport. You can buy a full day pass which covers Media World, the Swiss Chocolate Adventure, the Planetarium and the Film Theatre.
Click here for Swiss Transport Museum full day pass prices and to buy
Another option is to go for a skip-the-line entrance ticket for the main museum. Here more than 3,000 exhibits will show you the history of travel by car, plane, water, rail and more. Even space travel is featured.
This ticket does not include entry to other areas, including the Planetarium, the Film Theatre, Media World or the Swiss Chocolate Adventure.
Click here for Swiss Museum of Transport ticket info and prices
The third option is to buy tickets for attractions such as the Swiss Chocolate Adventure separately.
Click here to check Swiss Chocolate Adventure ticket details and deals
Swiss Transport Museum Opening Hours
Summer: 10am to 6pm
Winter: 10am to 5pm
The Swiss Transport Museum opening hours vary according to whether it’s a weekday or a weekend. It’s open to visitors all year round, 365 days a year so you could even visit on Christmas Day if you want something different to do!
The doors open at 10am during both the summer and winter seasons. Closing times are 5pm in winter, and an hour later at 6pm in summer.
Swiss Chocolate Adventure Opening Hours
Rides on the Swiss Chocolate Adventure start at 1pm on weekdays, or at 11am during Saturdays and Sundays.
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Swiss Transport Museum shopping and dining
If you’re hoping to find shopping and restaurants at the museum, you’re in luck. The Swiss Museum of Transport shop stocks an impressive and typically Swiss range of goods as well as transport-themed items. Several eateries can also be found at the Lucerne museum.
Swiss Transport Museum shop
The Swiss Transport Museum shop is a large retail outlet selling a great variety of goods. It’s great for getting everyone ticked off your gift list in one go! Here you’ll find books, model vehicles, soft toys and souvenirs.
The shop also stocks a good selection of Swiss goods. You can buy a Swiss-made watch here for that special present. Hans Erni souvenirs (from the famous Lucerne artist) and a broad range of Lindt products are also available.
If you feel the need for snacks, sweets or refreshments throughout the day, you can also pick those up at the Swiss Museum of Transport shop.
Swiss Transport Museum restaurants
For a casual bite to eat, you can drop into the Film Theatre Lounge at the Swiss Museum of Transport. Visitors can also choose between Mercato, a self-service canteen with long tables and museum Arena views.
Piccard, a French-style brasserie offering waiter service and an outdoor terrace, is an other great dining option.
How to get to the Swiss Transport Museum
The Swiss Museum of Transport is located on Lidostrasse in Lucerne. This is close to public transport links and the lake. If you’re not staying in the city, you can reach it by car, train or boat.
Public transport
Luzern Verkehrshaus station can be reached by train or boat in around ten minutes from the main railway station and boat pier which are located next to the KKL Centre.
Buses also connect the city centre with Luzern Verkehrshaus station (journey time around 10 minutes), or you can walk via the lakeside promenade in around half an hour.
Once at Luzern Verkehrshaus station, it’s just a four minute walk to the museum via Haldenstrasse and Lidostrasse.
Parking
While there is some parking outside the front of the museum, this is strictly limited. Here you’ll find three electric vehicle rapid charging points, eight short-term parking bays for stays of two hours or less and four disabled bays.
Further parking spaces should be available opposite the lakeside lido and along Lidostrasse, the street on which the museum is located.
Swiss Transport Museum FAQs
Is the Swiss Transport Museum worth visiting?
The Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne is Switzerland’s most popular museum. You could easily spend a whole day here – or more. As there are attractions and exhibitions other than those related to vehicles, there’s something for everyone and people of all ages.
As you might expect, the Swiss Museum of Transport showcases all things transport related. There’s far more here to discover, however. Other attractions include Media World, the Swiss Chocolate Adventure, Film Theatre, the Planetarium, the Edge virtual Matterhorn climbing experience and the House of Energy.
How long should I allow to visit the Swiss Museum of Transport?
It would be possible to visit the Swiss Transport Museum in around three hours. This time frame, though, is likely to limit you to just the mobility area, which showcases all forms of transport.
In fact the Swiss Museum of Transport offers so much more than just modes of transport. People of all ages love the interactive exhibitions and experiences here. These include the Swiss Chocolate Adventure ride, Media World, the House of Energy, the Planetarium, the Film Theatre and even the Edge Matterhorn climbing experience using VR technology.
With so much to see and do plus a shop and several restaurants, it would be easy to spend a full day at the Swiss Museum of Transport. In fact you could spend all day here, from opening until closing, without seeing and experiencing it all.
Is the Swiss Transport Museum free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
Is admission to the Swiss Museum of Transport covered by Swiss Travel Pass? Unfortunately for pass holders the answer is no. There is good news, however, regarding the Swiss Transport Museum discount applicable to those with the pass.
If you have a Swiss Travel Pass you get 50% off the full day pass rate. This doesn’t apply, however, if you only buy admission to separate areas, attractions and exhibitions such as the Planetarium, the Chocolate Adventure and so on.
What is the admission price for the Swiss Museum of Transport?
Admission prices for the Swiss Transport Museum vary. As well as rates for adults and children, there are prices for groups, schools and members. Ticket prices also differ according to which areas you want to visit.
Swiss Museum of Transport tickets are available for the main mobility museum and Media World only.
These start at CHF 17.50 for adults (about USD 20). For a full day pass to all attractions, adults pay CHF 44.50 (around USD 50).
A third option is to buy separate tickets for each exhibition area. Prices for these range from CHF 18 (about USD 20) to CHF 24 (around USD 27).
These attractions are the Swiss Chocolate Adventure, the Planetarium, Film Theatre showings during the day and in the evening, and Red Bull’s The Edge.
Click here > to buy your tickets to the Swiss Museum of Transport
What is the Swiss Museum of Transport in German?
The Swiss Museum of Transport in German is Verkehrshaus der Schweiz, Verkehrsmuseum Luzern or simply Verkehrshaus.
Swiss Museum of Transport | Final thoughts
If you’ve been considering including the Swiss Museum of Transport on your itinerary, then I hope this article has helped you make up your mind.
With so much to see and do here, it’s a great way to entertain the whole family. Young kids and grandparents alike are sure to find something guaranteed to enthral.
The only downside of the Swiss Transport Museum, in fact, is that the name can be misleading!
There’s so much more to this Lucerne institution than mobility, including the famous Swiss Chocolate Adventure.
You can also visit the Planetarium, Media World, the Film Theatre and the House of Energy. You can even experience scaling the peak of the Matterhorn by donning a VR headset and harness and tackling the climbing wall.
Visiting the Swiss Museum of Transport is a quintessential experience in so many ways. If you’re spending any time in or near Lucerne, then make sure you don’t miss out!
Looking for somewhere to stay in Lucerne? Read our guide to the best hotels in Lucerne here. You can also read more about Lucerne in our Lucerne Travel Guide, find the best things to do in Lucerne and see our suggested two days in Lucerne itinerary.
Featured image by Pius Koller
