Naturhistorisches Museum Bern
- Visit: 2–3 hours
adults CHF 12 · students, apprentices, OAPs, handicapped persons CHF 10
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Why go
- More than 220 life-sized animal dioramas feature preserved animals from Switzerland, Africa and Asia.
- Eight large skeletons rotate continuously on a carousel beside cabinets with 518 individual bones.
- H. R. Giger’s original Alien mask appears in the section on death.
- The scientific dog collection has more than 2,800 specimens from 240 breeds, the world’s largest such collection.
Plan your visit
Prices
From the venue's website · checked 12 Oct 2026
Opening hours
Today10:00 – 17:00Show all
Don't miss
- Endangered Asian animal dioramasFive dioramas feature snow leopards, orangutans, giant pandas, rhinoceroses and tigers.Upper basement
- Nordic AnimalsThis section features 66 individual animals across nine dioramas.Nordic Animals section
- World in the HeadThis section explores the senses, the brain, consciousness and senses humans lack.World in the Head section
- Native birds and mammalsMore than 600 native birds and mammals appear across 164 dioramas.Native birds and mammals section
- 300-kilogram crystal groupThe mineral exhibition centres on a crystal group weighing 300 kilograms.Mineral exhibition
What's inside
- The climate exhibition examines human-caused climate change through fossils from the museum’s collection.
- The gender and sexuality section uses avian mating displays, a blue whale head and a large sea turtle to explore reproduction and selection.
- Käfer & Co features beetles, butterflies, snails, shellfish and fossil animals.
With kids
- Families can use themed activity cases to explore the museum.
- Children can climb in Picas Nest, the forest adventure room.
- The nature lab has a bear for children to meet.
- The geology lab provides materials for young visitors interested in rocks and crystals.
- Animal stories take children on imaginary journeys into tiny worlds.
- A quiz or scavenger hunt is printed on the back of the family-program flyer; completed solutions can earn a small prize.
- Children over 14 may visit without an adult.
- Pushchairs are generally allowed in exhibition areas, with spaces provided for them.
Tips for your visit
- School visits: Classes need advance registration for “Earth, folks! – The changing climate.”
- School visits: School groups cannot book guided tours because of capacity limits.
- School visits: Teaching materials, advice, training courses and premises are free for school groups.
Interesting facts4
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6.5 million
The collections contain about 6.5 million scientific specimens, including about 5.5 million invertebrates.
Naturhistorisches Museum Bern - Wikipedia -
2001
The Oman meteorite collection contains more than 6,000 samples gathered since 2001. It is the largest systematically collected hot-desert meteorite collection.
Naturhistorisches Museum Bern - Wikipedia -
9,500 specimens
A reference collection of prepared fish contains about 9,500 specimens for future comparisons.
Naturhistorisches Museum Bern - Wikipedia -
The Albert Heim Foundation for cynological research is based at the museum and holds the world’s largest collection of canine skulls.
Natural History Museum of Bern - Wikipedia
Shorts
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Naturhistorisches Museum, Bern, Switzerlandwdztube
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Naturhistorisches Museum Bern | Queer – Vielfalt ist unsere Naturarttv
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Dinosaurier Sonderausstellung T. rex – Kennen wir uns? Naturhistorisc…Philipp Zanatta
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Naturhistorisches Museum BernVisuell-Akustik AG Technik für Bild und Ton
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Christian Bähler, Leiter Infrastruktur und Technik, Naturhistorisches…Burgergemeinde Bern
History
Bern’s oldest museum is owned by the Burgergemeinde Bern, which has financially supported it for more than 180 years. The Museum’s Society also provides substantial support.
- 1832The museum was founded.
- 1878–1936Exhibits were housed on Hodlerstrasse after an earlier period in a former college library gallery.
- 1932–1936The present building was erected from 1932 to 1934 and opened in 1936; it has since been expanded several times.
- 2014The museum took over the World Spider Catalog, created in 2000 by Norman I. Platnick, and converted it into a relational database.
Sources: Natural History Museum of Bern - Wikipedia · Bern - Wikivoyage (see) · Natural History Museum of Bern · Research | Natural History Museum of Bern · About us | Natural History Museum of Bern · Naturhistorisches Museum Bern - Wikipedia · Musée d'histoire naturelle de Berne - Wikipedia · Museo di storia naturale di Berna - Wikipedia · For schools | Natural History Museum of Bern · For families and children | Natural History Mus… · checked 24 Sep 2026
- Website
- nmbe.ch/
- Phone
- +41 31 350 71 11
Questions and answers
What does admission to Naturhistorisches Museum Bern cost?
Adult admission is CHF 12. Students, apprentices, pensioners and visitors with disabilities pay CHF 10.
Can children visit Naturhistorisches Museum Bern without an adult?
Visitors aged 14 and over may visit without an accompanying adult.
Are pushchairs allowed at Naturhistorisches Museum Bern?
Pushchairs are generally allowed in exhibition areas, with spaces provided for them.
What can families do at Naturhistorisches Museum Bern?
A family trail leads to the museum’s best-known exhibits and is suited to families visiting for the first time.
- See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
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