Constant banging, ringing bells, and clattering sounds, the Museum Tinguely features the works of…read moreSwiss artist Jean Tinguely. Famous for kinetic sculptures, some of them are quite small and many are massive complex installations with many moving parts. With anything that moves, they are constantly breaking down. The museum does everything possible to ensure the longest life of these artworks. They do not run constantly, instead there are pedals or buttons to push that will activate the sculptures. It was a quiet and rainy Tuesday afternoon so the museum was not at all busy. This gave me nearly exclusive access to the artworks and the small theatre. I particularly enjoyed the movie showing the falling and crashing fluorescent lights. You can expect to spend at least two hours here. Don't miss the upside-down biplane hanging from the ceiling or the fountain in the courtyard! [Review 21233 overall - 81 in Switzerland - 198 of 2024.]

This is without a doubt the strangest museum I have ever been to. In Basel we visited Tinguely…read moreFountain. It's a fountain filled with the craziest contraptions that are almost like perpetual motion machines. They're moving iron sculptures that continuously loop through a short range of motion so it looks like they're walking, bobbing, etc. It was intriguing enough to make me want to visit the museum devoted to the works of this artist. If you have a Basel City Pass (which our hotel provided for free) you can use it to get half off of the admission price. I was not prepared for how large the museum was. I was expecting a little place but this museum is enormous! It houses everything from Tinguely's low-tech earlier works (like a moving hammer that keeps smashing a stuffed animal) to huge contraptions. You can even walk inside the machine with a carousel horse attached to it. It was really interesting reading about this artist and how he came to such prominence. With such strange art exhibits it's not a surprise that the layout of this museum is also strange. That's not necessarily a good thing. For some reason the section at the beginning with the majority of printed signs that tell about Tinguely's history isn't air conditioned. There is a roof to provide shade but it still felt like a sauna and was quite uncomfortable. After that you go through some glass doors and the rest of the experience is air conditioned. Why? Also once you wind your way to the innermost part of the museum we were quite surprised to find that you hit a dead end. You have to backtrack all the way back to get out. Really strange design but I guess not surprising. This was a fun visit that definitely gave us something to talk about!

Nice experience!…read more Entry is uncomplicated and lockers are provided for large bags/purses. Bathrooms are easily accessible. There's also a restaurant on the premises, which is really convenient. Great place to visit, especially if you're an art lover.

"Give me a museum and I'll fill it." -Pablo Picasso…read more It took a bit to find the galleries that I wanted but once there, wow. This is the art I love to see - impressionists galore! On a Tuesday morning, it was pretty quiet without schoolkids or large groups. There was nothing distracting me from enjoying the art. The exhibit of existentialist Bernard Buffet works was magnificent with a number of his pieces. Andy Warhol considered Buffet the "last great artist of Paris." Beyond that, Cy Twombly, Edgar Degas. Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Paul Cézanne, Vincent Van Gogh (I've never seen "Marguerite Gachet at the Piano" before and the "Self-Portrait with a Japanese Print" was amazing) , Claude Monet, Piet Mondrian, Marc Chagall, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse (paintings *and* sculpture!), Alexej Von Jawlensky's "Self-portrait") and more. What museum would be complete without works by Pablo Picasso and Alexander Calder and Salvador Dali? So much to see, so much to enjoy, so much to appreciate. It is one of the greatest art museums in Switzerland and I had a tremendous visit. Gift shop has lots to purchase but the prices for even the smallest prints are very high. I didn't even get a postcard today. [Review 21230 overall - 78 in Switzerland - 195 of 2024.]

Small museum of one floor of many large rooms. We visited the Matisse exhibition and it was…read moredisplayed well.

This museum was wonderful, filled with art by Pirosmani, Picasso, Thiebaud, Monet, Matisse,…read moreCezanne, Warhol, and an abundance of other artists. It takes quite awhile to go through all the galleries to see everything, especially if you read everything on the walls, too! It was really breathtaking to walk into a gallery and see the large Monet painting "The Water Lily Pond" hanging on a full wall; such a beautiful surprise. His "Water Lilies" was also in the same gallery. Definitely worth the visit and there's a discount offered (50%) when you present your BaselCard, which is a tourist card you can get for free from your hotel. 13.50 CHF (Swiss francs) at the time I went (November, 2023).

"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way." -Ernest…read moreHemingway So much interesting to see here even if it is a smaller museum. Lots of interactive displays and artisans at work. As I "write" this review on my laptop computer, I realize that paper is an art that is slowly being lost. Great little gift shop. I picked up two beautiful birthday cards (not cheap) with my daughter and my wife's upcoming "round numbers" that I hope will be appreciated. I think my friend Klaus-Dieter might appreciate their pens for sale. [Review 21228 overall - 76 in Switzerland - 193 of 2024.]

Pretty nice and suggestive museum. It is perfect for families and big groups with children and…read moreteenagers. Many are the possible activities: from paper making to water marbling, the Basler Papiermühle is well known by tourists coming from all over the world. Staff members are sweet with children, patient and willing to answer new questions. I really recommend it for a nice day with the family.

Rich historical museum in the heart of Basel. Wandering around Basel on a cold, rainy November day,…read morethis museum was more an escape than a planned activity. But it was serendipitous because this museum has a lot to offer. First off the setting: a former church, it retains all the earlier beauty of its religious bones. How many museums have vaulted ceilings and archways like this? The museum is focused on Basel's history from Celtic times to today; we found some of the religious objects to be magnificent, as are the amazing tapestries. Explanations of the exhibits are naturally in German, but translation tablets are available at the front desk. Well worth a lengthy visit.

A nice museum in Basel city center, we went on one of their free Sundays which was an added bonus…read more Plan to spend about an hour or so here; they have nice permanent exhibits as well as some temporary/travelling installations. Friendly staff, impressive organization and exhibits.

my only complaint is that i wish it was bigger! the exhibitions change quite frequently, so i hope…read moreto return a few times.

This museum is in the heart of downtown Basel, Switzerland and was a joy to tour. It's in a…read morebuilding that was built in the 1400s and is absolutely stunning. The tour itself is fascinating and deeply educational. It takes a few hours to see it all while listening to the audio guide. Seeing all the old books and medical implements was fun. How far we've come from bleeding people to cure illnesses. If you're ever in Basel, I highly recommend this tour. So much rich history.

Five stars despite never stepping a foot in this museum. This was on my to do list when I went to…read moreSwitzerland. I was just unable to find the museum. This museum covers the golden years of Pharmacy when the Pharmacist made the medications. I had some great memories when I was kid of watching the Pharmacist compounding drugs. It was probably the main reason why I study Pharmacy and became a Pharmacist. I started Pharmacy school at the tail end of the Compounding era. When I graded Pharmacy school the profession was clinical oriented. I always enjoyed compounding drugs, used to love making Progesterone suppositories. This museum must be amazing with all the Apothecary jars and scales.

If you love old toys, this is the museum for you. This is a privately owned museum with four full…read morefloors of toys that can be several hundred years old. The old teddy bears, dolls and doll houses were my favorite. The building is beautifully kept, easy to navigate and has a clean restroom on every floor. The staff was very pleasant and entry was free with Basel travel card given to me at the hotel. My wife and I really enjoyed this tour and it was like stepping back in time.

We were in Basel for a day and stopped to check this museum out. So glad we did - it was four…read morefloors of awesome old toys. Some reviews have called the displays cluttered - I found them to be wonderfully detailed with everything possible you can imagine in terms of Steiff - miniatures - dollhouse displays - and not just your traditional dollhouses - the mechanical toys - Ferris wheels and roller coasters were fab! There was a special showing focused on Plush - Play and Pioneers Women in Toy Design - which was interesting - I only wish there had been more of that information made available for things we were seeing. Definitely worth an hour or more - it's not necessarily a kids museum.