Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum
- Visit: more than 3 hours
Adults CHF 32 · Children* CHF 16 · Students/apprentices CHF 29
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Why go
- Explore rooms in more than 100 original buildings moved here from across Switzerland.
- See 250 farm animals, including native species and endangered breeds.
- See the Lütschental cheese storehouse from the Bernese region.
Plan your visit
Prices
From the venue's website · checked 12 Oct 2026
Opening hours
Today10:00 – 17:00Show all
Don't miss
- Adelboden farmhouseExplore this farmhouse dating to 1011 and learn about its residents through mixed-reality experiences.Museum groundsTwice weekly; smartphone and staff guidance required
- Novazzano manorSee the museum’s largest building: the manor from Novazzano, with 50 rooms, an Osteria and parts dating from the 13th to 19th centuries.Museum grounds
What's inside
- Regional sections show how traditional architecture varies across Switzerland, from the Jura and Bernese Midlands to the Alpine cantons and Ticino.
- The collection includes a half-timbered building from Richterswil dating to 1780.
- A 17th-century residence probably belonged to a wealthy family.
- A course centre is attached to the museum.
With kids
- Look for 250 farm animals, including endangered breeds, and historic crops growing on the grounds.
- Watch demonstrations of woodworking, beekeeping and chocolate-making.
Tips for your visit
- For the Adelboden farmhouse mixed-reality experience, bring a smartphone; staff guidance is provided. Sessions take place twice a week.
- The museum railway runs east to west and back, stopping at three stations.
- The west entrance is near Hofstetten bei Brienz. The east entrance is near Brienzwiler and a chocolate shop.
Interesting facts2
-
Ballenberg is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
Ballenberg - Wikipedia -
700 metres
The grounds stand 640–700 metres above sea level.
Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
- 1963A federal expert commission began examining a national open-air museum, with Ballenberg as its preferred site.
- 1968A private foundation was established to collect, study, preserve and interpret rural buildings and their fittings.
- 1978The museum opened as Musée suisse de l’habitat rural with 16 exhibits; the collection grew to 25 in 1980 and 61 buildings in 1985.
- 2003The Novazzano manor was inaugurated as the museum’s largest building.
- 2018An anniversary stamp series featured four designs by illustrator Pierre-Abraham Rochat.
Show all
- 2019The museum took over the former farmhouse research archive based in Zug.
Sources: Ballenberg - Wikipedia · ✪ Ballenberg, Freilichtmuseum der Schweiz · Öffnungszeiten Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg · Eintrittspreise Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg · Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg - Wikipedia · Musée suisse en plein air de Ballenberg - Wikip… · Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
- Website
- ballenberg.ch/
- Phone
- +41 33 952 10 30
Questions and answers
How much is admission?
Adults CHF 32; children CHF 16; students/apprentices CHF 29; AHV/IV CHF 29.
Can I take a traditional-craft course?
An attached course centre offers more than 100 courses and workshops each year for beginners and experienced makers.
Is there a summer play?
A summer play is staged in a historic setting each year.
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