Musée d'histoire des sciences - the Science of the Nature with us in Geneva!

Mika Vepsalainen
7 hours ago
2 min read

Join us on a visit to the Geneva Museum of the History of Science for a wonderful journey through the development of sciences.

The Geneva Museum of the History of Science showcases a rare collection of ancient scientific instruments from the 17th to the early 20th century. You will understand how astronomy, microscopy, gnomonics, electricity or meteorology have evolved over time. Located in the lovely park Mon-Repos, in the Villa Bartholoni from 1830, a few steps from the centre, this museum is definitely worth a detour! After your visit to the United Nations Palais des Nations, just walk down to the lake et voilà! At the museum, you will also see the beauty of the museum building, the lovely English garden, La Perle du Lac around it and spectacular views over the Lac Leman.

The Villa’s Palladian style shows marvellous geometrical simplicity while the interior decoration takes your breath with its mythological walls and choice of materials - the splendour of the original summer residence of the aristocratic Bartholoni family that also founded the oldest Swiss musical institution, the Geneva Music Conservatory in 1835 and were driving forces behind the railway station Geneva Cornavin.

The Museum itself was founded thanks to the efforts of two brothers de Saussure, a well know family in science in Switzerland and globally.

The museum has a small but very valuable collection of scientific equipment such as an astrolabe, a prototype of the universe as they understood it in the 14th century, or a graphometer to measure angles, described for the first time in the 16th century - just to name a couple. There are plenty of really interesting items for those who want to know how sciences have moved in time.

The current temporary exhibition, till the end of February 2023 “La montagne, laboratoire des savants” highlights over two hundred years of work on human development in the mountains, on the evolvement and changes in the glaciers and on the rock, the minerals and the solidity of mountain ranges.

The old charming building has no lift and the loo and the lockers for your bag are not accessible in a wheel chair or with a pram. There is a small show of interesting literature on sale next to the ticket desk.

There is no café but bring a snack and drink with you and enjoy the marvellous garden and the lake view with the Alps on the other side of Lake Geneva.