Museum of Art and History

Geneva’s Museum of Art and History (MAH) is the city’s flagship art-historical museum in the Les Tranchées quarter. Opened in 1910 in Marc Camoletti’s Beaux-Arts building, it brings together archaeology, decorative arts and fine arts under one roof.

• Camoletti’s building, erected 1903–1910 with a bequest from banker Charles Galland – a Beaux-Arts landmark with an inner courtyard.
• Holdings exceed 650,000 objects; only a fraction is on permanent display, with frequent temporary shows.
• Highlight – Konrad Witz’s 1444 “Miraculous Draught of Fishes”, an early topographically accurate landscape of Lake Geneva.
• Notable collections in archaeology and decorative arts – Egypt and the Classical world, arms and armour, Geneva watchmaking and enamels, plus prints and pastels by Jean-Étienne Liotard.
• Pay-what-you-want admission policy (suggested CHF 5–20) and late opening on Thursdays 12:00–21:00.

• Old Masters with Witz’s “Miraculous Draught of Fishes”.
• The Armoury hall and decorative-arts rooms: timepieces, enamels, furniture.
• The archaeology floor with Egyptian, Greek and Roman collections and Roman portrait busts.

Conceived in the late 19th century, the “Grand Museum” united dispersed civic collections after an architectural competition and a bequest from Charles Galland. The Camoletti building was handed over and inaugurated in 1910.

A 2016 referendum rejected Jean Nouvel’s extension. A fresh international competition followed; in 2024–2025 the jury unanimously selected the UMWELT project to guide future renovation and expansion.

Location: Rue Charles-Galland 2, 1206 Geneva; Les Tranchées ridge above the Old Town.

Getting there: Musée d’Art et d’Histoire stop – bus 7; Athénée – buses 3, 5, 20; Saint-Antoine – 92; tram 12 to Rive/Place de Neuve, then a 5–10-minute walk.

Access: Step-free entrance and lifts; disabled parking near the main door and on Bd Jacques-Dalcroze; assistance dogs admitted.

Visiting hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–18:00; Thu 12:00–21:00; Mon closed.

Visit duration: 1.5–3 hours for the permanent displays; longer with temporary exhibitions.

Best time: Thursday evenings for extended hours; rainy days suit the archaeology level.

Notes: Permanent collections – pay-what-you-want (guide CHF 5–20). Major temporary shows often run at the Musée Rath on Place Neuve.