Pearls to be discovered
Ranging from the smallest pottery shard to a dinosaur skeleton, the collections of the Basel museums contain millions of objects. Amid this diversity, there are numerous hidden treasures, a small selection of which are introduced here.
Historisches Museum Basel
The Werthemann Stag is a goldsmithing masterpiece that doubled as a drinking game. During celebrations, wine was poured into the hollow bodies of the figures. To the amusement of the guests, a gear mechanism enabled the stag to roll across the table in unforeseeable directions. The pair of guests in front of whom the cup stopped had to drain it. They would drink simultaneously from the stag and the dog, both of which had detachable heads.
Tue–Sun, 10.00–17.00
Further information: Historisches Museum Basel
Hafenmuseum Basel
Switzerland’s only navigation simulator for ocean-going ships is located in the Basel Port Museum and invites visitors to take a virtual voyage to the world's major ports. Visitors can steer all types of vessels through locks, docks, and the open ocean between Antwerp and Hong Kong in all weather conditions. Under the guidance of instructors, you can also experience how naval officers are trained.
Tue–Sun, 10.00–17.00
Further details: Hafenmuseum Basel
Naturhistorisches Museum Basel
The mineral exhibition at Basel’s Natural History Museum features a magnificent specimen: the Grimsel crystal. It was unearthed during construction work on the Grimsel dam. After the discovery of the crystal, Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB) – a shareholder of Kraftwerke Oberhasli in the Bernese Oberland – received a crystal cluster. In autumn 2024, IWB gifted this sparkling beauty to the museum, which now exhibits the crystal, making it accessible to the general public.
Tue–Sun, 10.00–17.00
Further information: Naturhistorisches Museum Basel
Museum für Musikautomaten
Around 1850, Swiss clockmaker Charles Abraham Bruguier (1788–1862) created a magnificent golden bird cage with engravings and enamel decorations. To this day, it is inhabited by two mechanical birds that move their heads, tails, wings, and beaks, turn around, jump from perch to perch – and sing. In this extremely rare model, the birds’ movements are steered by small chains and pulleys. The singing is produced by a whistle and the beak movements are synchronised with the sound.
Tue–Sun, 11.00–18.00
Further details: Museum für Musikautomaten
Museum Tinguely
La Jalousie I is made of bamboo pieces strung on threads. A motor sets the curtain in motion, which then, depending on the speed, swings cheerfully back and forth or dances wildly. In the early 1960s, Jean Tinguely (1925–1991) usually left the material for his works in its raw state. In this case, however, he painted La Jalousie I black. This heightens the contrast between wall and curtain and allows the rhythmic movement to take centre stage.
Tue–Sun, 11.00–18.00
Further information: Museum Tinguely