Museums

Museum der Kulturen Basel

Among the most important ethnographic museums in Europe, the museum's collection goes back to the mid-19th century.

Münsterplatz 20, 4051 Basel, Switzerland

The Museum der Kulturen Basel is among the most important ethnographic museums in Europe. Its collection of more than 320.000 objects is impressive and of world renown. It focusses on the cultural dimensions of people’s lives, which shape each society in different ways. Topics are always handled in relation to the here and now. The museum’s mission is to make visitors see the world from a new perspective.

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Contacts & Details
OPENING TIMES:
Tue – Sun 10am – 5pm

CLOSING DAYS:
Mon

ADMISSION:
Ticket

T: +41 61 266 5600
M: info@mkb.ch
W: Museum der Kulturen Basel

ADDRESS
Münsterplatz 20, 4051 Basel, Switzerland

ESTABLISHED
1849
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Current Exhibitions
Exhibitions
Thirst For Knowledge Meets Collecting Mania
The exhibition sheds light on some of the problematic areas of museum work which result from the institution’s history, the conditions of collecting, and the forms of display.
22 Mar 2019 - 22 Nov 2020
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
BIG – Things Interpretations Dimensions
The exhibition examines the fascination around size. Big things evoke great impressions and often enthuse...
01 Jul 2016 - 28 May 2021
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Past Exhibitions
Exhibitions
Hermès Editeur: Variations autour de La Longue Marche
For the 4th edition of the Hermès Éditeur project, Hermès invited Julio Le Parc, a major proponent...
16 Jun 2015 - 28 Jun 2015
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Holbein. Cranach. Grünewald, Masterpieces from the Kunstmuseum Basel
For just on a year the Museum der Kulturen Basel is hosting key works from the Collection of Old Masters...
11 Apr 2015 - 28 Feb 2016
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Opium
Ritual symbol, medicine, popular drug, poetic source of inspiration, foreign filth, cause of war, brown...
20 Mar 2015 - 24 Jan 2016
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Tallies, Pots and Costumes
It was an ambitious task the fledgling Museum of Ethnology (today’s Museum der Kulturen) set itself...
20 Nov 2015 - 10 Jul 2016
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Tallies, Pots And Costumes: Collecting And Showcasing Europe
It was an ambitious task the fledgling Museum of Ethnology (today’s Museum der Kulturen) set itself...
20 Nov 2015 - 10 Jul 2016
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Staying in Line, Single Objects in Series
Series are omnipresent: in art, the production of series is a commonly encountered method; philosophers...
29 Apr 2016 - 28 May 2016
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Striking Patterns: Global Traces in Local Ikat Fashion Design
In eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste people wear hand-woven, decorative ikat cloths as a mark of prestige...
21 Oct 2016 - 26 Mar 2017
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
From Cinnamon To Star. Heavenly Fragrances From All Corners Of The World
Christmas biscuits are not only about cacao and candid orange peels, they also rely on an array of spices...
18 Nov 2016 - 08 Jan 2017
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Migration. Moving The World
The exhibition aims at opening the discussion to the topic of migration, a topic that has influenced...
19 May 2017 - 21 Jan 2018
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Congo visits Rhine
The show presents works by the sculpturer Tsimba and photographer Baloji, both born in the Congo. On...
26 Jun 2017 - 06 Aug 2017
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
StrawGold
The permanent exhibition focuses on cultural appropriation and transformation processes and aims at displaying...
25 Oct 2014 - 15 Oct 2019
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Secrecy
Secrecy regulates who gets to know what and under what conditions, thus separating the insiders from...
13 Apr 2018 - 21 Apr 2019
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Exhibitions
Thirst for Knowledge Meets Collecting Mania
Museum der Kulturen Basel presents the exhibition Thirst for Knowledge Meets Collecting Mania, explores...
22 Mar 2019 - 19 Jan 2020
Museum der Kulturen Basel