Natur-Museum, Lucerne

The Lucerne Nature Museum (Natur-Museum) is located on Kasernenplatz, adjacent to the Reuss River and the Spreuerbrücke bridge. The museum features a variety of exhibits, including taxidermied animals, minerals and crystals, as well as insect displays.

The museum's primary objectives revolve around providing the general public with information about natural history, curating and showcasing collections, and fostering awareness of the natural world and the environment.

The museum is organized across three floors and hosts three permanent exhibitions: "Erdwissenschaften" (earth sciences), "Biologie" (biology), and "Wunderwelt Insekten" (the fascinating world of insects). Temporary exhibitions have included topics such as nature photography and live animals.

The history of the Nature Museum in Lucerne dates back to the 18th century. The original museum, known as the Museum Lucernense Langianum, was established by Karl Nicolaus Lange. Around 1820 or 1825, the local Gymnasium school founded a natural history museum named the Naturalien-Kabinett der höheren Lehranstalt. In 1848, the contents of another natural history collection from Kloster Saint Urban were merged with the Museum Lucernense Langianum, followed by the integration of the Naturalien-Kabinett der höheren Lehranstalt in 1849. In that year, the combined collections were relocated to a new museum building on Franziskanerplatz, as their former premises were slated for demolition to make way for a road. From 1937 to 1976, the collection was spread across various cellars in the city. The Franziskanerplatz building later became occupied by the kantonalen Finanzverwaltung (canton financial administration). The current museum building on Kasernenplatz was constructed in 1976 and officially opened to the public in 1978.

Why You Should Visit:
Interesting science & nature museum with also some displays that are concentrated on the region. Fun to see and educational for children and adults alike.

Tip:
The ground floor hosts changing exhibits; the other three floors are non-changing.
The top floor holds a huge collection of insects from all over the world, which is as creepy as it is beautiful.
To access English explanations, simply rotate the triangular info boards until the English is facing out.