Heiden Museum

Heiden Museum is a history museum in this Appenzell region community and houses collections of natural history specimens, ethnographic objects, and historical artifacts. These holdings document the area's development across different periods.

The institution was founded in 1859 from two separate collections brought together by local reading societies, including natural history materials from Johann Konrad Rechsteiner. After relocating several times, it moved to the post office building at Kirchplatz in 1950, where it has remained ever since.

The museum displays how Heiden developed into a popular health resort in the 1800s and attracted visitors from across Europe seeking wellness. Visitors can see in the exhibits how this transformation shaped local life and changed the character of the town.

The museum is located in the post office building at Kirchplatz in the town center and is easy to find. Visitors should check in advance if they want a guided tour, as these are available for groups.

The natural history section displays its original 1952 arrangement, which is quite rare to find in museums today. This unchanged presentation lets visitors see how such collections were displayed in the postwar period.

Location: Heiden

Part of: list of cultural properties in Heiden

Address: Kirchplatz 5

Website: http://museum.heiden.ch

GPS coordinates: 47.44456,9.53480

Latest update: December 14, 2025 12:24