What is this place

The Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne is a lakeside museum and education campus opened in 1959. It covers Swiss mobility on land, water, in the air and in space, plus communication and media.

Key features

  • Lakeside campus – multiple halls, outdoor exhibits and a boat pier; easy to pair with the Lido promenade and beach.
  • Planetarium and a giant-screen film theatre – separate programme of astronomy shows and science films.
  • Swiss Chocolate Adventure – a multimedia ride through the story of chocolate with a tasting finale.
  • Hans Erni Museum – a dedicated building on site for the Lucerne artist and designer.
  • Swissarena/interactive mapping – large-format “Switzerland from above” and digital media/navigation zones.

What to see

  • Rail and road halls – locomotives, carriages, early cars and service equipment.
  • Aviation and space – aircraft, helicopters, experimental craft and space displays.
  • Multimedia attractions: the planetarium, giant screen theatre and Swiss Chocolate Adventure.

History

Conceived in the mid-20th century, the campus on Lidostrasse opened in 1959 as a “living” technical park with working demonstrations.

In the late 20th–21st centuries it expanded steadily with a planetarium, film theatre, new halls and interactive areas. In the 2010s the Swiss Chocolate Adventure and refreshed multimedia galleries arrived while the museum kept its engineering core.

Practical information

Location: Lidostrasse 5, 6006 Lucerne – Lido district on the lakeshore.

Getting there: From Luzern Bahnhof take bus 6 or 8 to Verkehrshaus/Lido; lake boats call at Verkehrshaus-Lido; S-Bahn stop Luzern Verkehrshaus is 2–3 minutes away.

Access: Main areas are step-free with lifts and ramps; wheelchairs and strollers welcome.

Visiting hours: Open daily; museum generally 10:00–18:00; planetarium, film theatre and the ride run on their own schedules.

Visit duration: 2–4 hours for the core halls; half to a full day with shows and attractions.

Best time: Weekday mornings; in rain focus on indoor halls and the theatre, in fine weather add a lakeside stroll.

Notes: Zone and combo tickets available; planetarium and Swiss Chocolate Adventure are time-slotted – prebook; cafés, lockers and picnic spots on site.