Kunsthaus Zurich

The Kunsthaus Zurich is one of the great art museums of Europe and the largest in Switzerland, and since 2021 it has occupied two buildings facing each other across the Heimplatz, at the top of the Old Town on the east bank. The original building, opened in 1910 by the art society that still runs the museum, holds the core collection, while the extension by the British architect David Chipperfield, a large, calm stone building linked by an underground passage, added space for the art from the 1960s onwards, for major exhibitions and for private collections on long-term loan. The collection is broad and deep. It has the largest group of works by Edvard Munch outside Norway, an outstanding holding of Alberto Giacometti's sculpture and paintings, a strong group of French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, among them Monet's water lilies, and a fine selection of Swiss painting, from Johann Heinrich Fuessli, the Henry Fuseli of The Nightmare, through Ferdinand Hodler and Felix Vallotton to the present. There are old masters, Dada works that recall the movement's birth in Zurich in 1916, Pop Art, and a garden of art outside. The Emil Buehrle collection of French nineteenth-century painting, shown in the extension, has been the subject of public debate about the provenance of some works, and the museum presents it with extensive context. In autumn 2026 the programme includes a Maria Lassnig and Edvard Munch exhibition and a presentation of collection highlights, alongside contemporary shows. The museum opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm and on Thursdays until 8pm, and is closed on Mondays. A ticket for the collection and small exhibitions costs around twenty-five francs, with higher combined prices when a major exhibition is on; entry to the collection is free for everyone on Wednesdays, children and teenagers under 14 enter free, and the audio guide is free when you book online.

How to plan your visit: decide first whether you want the collection alone or a major exhibition too, because the ticket tiers differ, and book the exhibition ahead for weekends. For a first visit, start in the original building with Munch, the Impressionists, Hodler and the Giacometti rooms, then cross under the square to the Chipperfield building for later art and the private collections. Two to three hours is enough for the highlights without fatigue. The museum has a cafe and a bar, a shop and a free garden of art outside that is open from early morning until late evening, and lockers for bags. Wednesday's free entry to the collection makes the museum one of the best-value sights in an expensive city, but Wednesday afternoons can be busy; the Thursday late opening is the calmest time.

Getting there: the Kunsthaus is on the Heimplatz, a short walk uphill from Bellevue or the Grossmuenster, and trams stop right outside. It pairs naturally with the Old Town in the morning and the Schauspielhaus theatre, also on the Heimplatz, in the evening. The restaurant Kronenhalle, a few minutes away near Bellevue, famous for the art on its walls, makes a classic Zurich lunch or dinner after the museum, though it needs a booking and a generous budget.

Holiday hours and extras: in the 2026 holiday season, the museum closes on 25 December and 1 January, opens until 4pm on 24 and 31 December, and keeps normal hours on 26 and 28 December. The museum takes part in Zurich's Long Night of the Museums each September. The Swiss Museum Pass and the Swiss Travel Pass give free or reduced access to many Swiss museums; check the Kunsthaus conditions for your pass before you go. On a rainy day in Zurich, it is the first place to head.