The Verkehrshaus der Schweiz — Switzerland’s Museum of Transport — is one of the country’s most engaging, hands‑on museums. It’s a place where you can walk through historic train carriages, climb aboard vintage buses, explore lake‑steamer engines, and trace the evolution of Swiss mobility from the earliest railways to today’s interconnected network. If you’re interested in how Switzerland moves, this is the place to go.
Here’s your guide to the museum’s history, its highlights, how to get there, and what it costs.
🛤️ A Museum Built on Swiss Mobility
The Verkehrshaus opened in 1959 with a clear mission: to document and celebrate Switzerland’s transport heritage. What began as a modest railway collection has grown into the country’s largest museum, covering everything from trains and boats to aviation, cableways, road transport, and communication.
The museum’s philosophy is simple: mobility is part of Swiss identity. The exhibits are immersive, interactive, and designed to show how transport shaped the country — from early mountain railways to the modern SBB network.
Over the decades, the museum has expanded to include:
The Rail Transport Hall
The Navigation & Cableways Hall
The Road Transport Hall
The Aviation Hall
The Media & Communication building
A planetarium, film theatre, and outdoor exhibits
But for Swiss We Go! readers, the heart of the museum is the story of trains, boats, and buses.
🚆 Trains: The Soul of the Verkehrshaus
The railway hall is a treasure for anyone who loves Swiss trains. You’ll find:
Historic SBB locomotives
Early electric engines
Mountain railway cars from the Rigi and Jungfrau regions
A full Gotthard tunnel model
Interactive simulators
Original station clocks and signalling equipment
One of the most impressive pieces is the Crocodile locomotive, a symbol of the Gotthard line and one of the most iconic engines in Swiss history.
The exhibits show how Switzerland built one of the world’s most reliable and efficient rail networks — and how rail shaped the country’s geography, economy, and daily life.
⛴️ Boats: Switzerland’s Lake Tradition
The Navigation Hall celebrates Switzerland’s long history of lake transport. Highlights include:
A full‑size paddle‑steamer engine you can walk around
Historic navigation instruments
Models of the major lake fleets (Lucerne, Geneva, Zurich, Thun/Brienz)
Exhibits on how lake boats supported tourism and local life
It’s a reminder that before trains and highways, lakes were Switzerland’s main transport corridors — and they remain an essential part of the country’s mobility culture today.
🚌 Buses: From Postal Coaches to Modern Mobility
The Road Transport Hall traces the evolution of Swiss buses and postal transport:
Vintage PostAuto coaches
Early motorbuses
The iconic yellow PostAuto horn
Exhibits on regional bus networks
Interactive displays on modern mobility and electrification
It’s a fascinating look at how Switzerland connected remote valleys long before railways reached them — and how buses continue to knit the country together today.
🚉 How to Get There
The Verkehrshaus is extremely easy to reach — fitting for a transport museum.
By Train + Bus
Take any train to Luzern
From the station, take bus 6, 8, or 24
Get off at Verkehrshaus
Total travel time from the station: 10 minutes
By Boat
A beautiful option, especially on clear days.
Boats depart from Luzern Bahnhofquai
The ride to Verkehrshaus-Lido takes 7 minutes
The museum is a short walk from the pier
By Train + Walk
If you prefer walking:
From Luzern station, follow the lakeside promenade
Distance: 2.2 km
Time: 25–30 minutes
It’s flat, scenic, and perfect in good weather
🎟️ Admission Fees
Prices may vary slightly by season or special exhibitions, but these are the standard rates:
Adults: CHF 37
Students / Seniors: CHF 27
Children (6–16): CHF 16
Children under 6: Free
Family tickets and combined tickets (museum + planetarium or film theatre) are available
The museum is included in some regional passes, but not in the GA or Swiss Travel Pass for full entry — though discounts may apply.
💡 Swiss We Go! Tip
Arrive early and plan at least 3 hours — the museum is huge, and the rail and navigation halls alone can easily fill an afternoon. If the weather is good, take the boat back to Lucerne for a perfect ending to the outing.