Musée d'ethnographie de Genève

The Musée d'ethnographie de Genève is an ethnographic museum housing over 75,000 objects and 130,000 documents from various cultures and traditions worldwide. The collection includes materials documenting everyday practices, religious beliefs, and social customs of people from different parts of the world.

The museum was founded in 1901 and grew from academic activities at Geneva University, particularly through anthropological research. Its establishment marked an important phase for ethnographic studies in Switzerland and made Geneva a center for cultural documentation.

The collections show everyday practices and beliefs of communities from around the world that visitors experience firsthand. The objects and materials tell stories of different ways of living and how people have kept their traditions alive over time.

The museum is conveniently located near public transportation and easy to reach. Visitors should know it opens from Tuesday through Sunday with early morning hours available, and an on-site restaurant serves meals throughout the day.

The building itself is modern architecture with a distinctive form completed in 2014 that sets it apart from typical museum structures. Inside, workshops and research activities focus on the music and sounds of different cultures.

Location: Canton of Geneva

Location: Geneva

Inception: September 25, 1901

Founders: Eugène Pittard

Official opening: September 25, 1901

Part of: list of cultural properties in Geneva

Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11:00-18:00

Website: http://meg-geneve.ch

GPS coordinates: 46.19779,6.13731

Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:42