FAQs

Dogs are allowed on the museum site free of charge as long as they are kept on a short lead. However, they are not permitted inside any buildings where food is handled.

We accept payment in Swiss francs and euros (daily exchange rate) and various electronic methods of payment. und diverse elektronische Zahlungsmittel. You can find out which methods of payment these are on the page tickets and prices.

The museum’s shops mainly accept Swiss francs and euros (daily exchange rate).

No, the nearest ATM is located in Brienz, at the train station.

The Ballenberg Open-Air Museum offers various discounts on admission prices in cooperation with a range of partner organisations. An overview you will find on the page Tickets and prices. Swiss Museum Pass holders and Raiffeisen members (MemberPlus) may visit the Open-Air Museum free of charge.

There are changing tables available in the toilets at the "Alter Bären", "Degen" and "Wilerhorn" restaurants. There is also a changing table in the toilet block near the East Midlands buildings, next to the Wine Press house from Schaffhausen.

There is parking available near both museum entrances (East, Brienzwiler and West, Hofstetten). There are two electric charging stations at the West Entrance. On days when the museum is especially busy, a valet parking service will be in operation.

The Ballenberg train connects the museum grounds from east to west and back and stops at three stations along the way. It operates according to a timetable. Rides are included in the day pass and therefore free of charge.

The Ballenberg train can also be reserved for groups.

You can find more information on the Ballenberg train page.

Parking spaces for self-sufficient motorhomes are provided at the East Entrance, Brienzwiler. These spaces may be used from mid-April to the end of October, daily from 4 pm to 10 am. After 10 am, vehicles must be parked in the car park opposite. The motorhome parking spaces are subject to a fee:

Parking charges

• One hour: Free
• Each additional hour: CHF 1.00
• Daily rate from 6 am to midnight: CHF 5.00
• From midnight to 6 am: CHF 2.00/hour

The parking ticket must be validated at the ticket machine.

A rubbish bin and a plastic recycling bin are provided for waste. Other infrastructure such as water, sewage disposal, etc. are not provided. The toilet facilities at the East Entrance may be used during the museum season (mid-April to the end of October).

The car park near the West Entrance (Hofstetten) may not be used for overnight stays in a motorhome.

We provide several barbecue areas on the museum site, and firewood and running water are also available. You can also enjoy a meal at one of our restaurants.

Our museum site is also accessible for people with reduced mobility. The western part of the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum (Hofstetten) generally has fewer slopes and more wheelchair-accessible buildings. Ask for the "Ballenberg à la Carte" map at the West Entrance. This map will lead you on a route specially designed for people with reduced mobility.

Electric wheelchairs

Discover and explore the beautiful sights of the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum safely and comfortably with the all-terrain electric wheelchair from JST Multidrive. There are two electric wheelchairs at the West Entrance, which are available for reservation and can be rented per day for CHF 25,00.

Accessible toilets

There are a total of four wheelchair-accessible toilets available for you to use: they are located by the West and East Entrances, behind the Degen restaurant and near the East Midlands buildings.

Ballenberg Train

The Ballenberg train makes the Swiss Open-Air Museum more accessible than ever before to people with reduced mobility. Rides on the Ballenberg train are included in the admission price.

Lockers are available at the West and East ticket desks and can be rented for a deposit of CHF 1/CHF 2. We can also store any large items of luggage in a secure, lockable room for you.

Families can benefit from a reduced family admission price of CHF 63. This offer is valid for parents or grandparents with children or grandchildren aged from 6 to 15.

An overview of the stations and activities designed especially for families you will find on the page Families and children.

We offer a wide range of activity programmes for groups, which vary in theme and duration. You can find an overview of our group activities on the page Groups.

Groups of 10 people or more benefit from a reduced admission price. Our bookings team will be happy to advise you and offer you a personalised quote for your group trip to Ballenberg.

All sorts of crafts are demonstrated at the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum every day, and there are plenty of opportunities for visitors to get involved. In our daily programme, you’ll find our range of crafts and interactive stations, which changes on a daily basis.

Help us to ensure that Ballenberg remains the most vibrant museum in Switzerland: donating is a simple and straightforward way to support our unique open-air museum.

We’re just looking for a few more specific items for our collection.

Do you own an object from the rural past that you would like to donate to a museum? The Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg is very proud of the trust placed in us by many donors of historical objects.

Unfortunately we are currently unable to process any donation enquiries or accept any new objects into the collection. This temporary pause in accepting objects is expected to last until 30 April 2028.

The Department of Science at the Open-Air Museum is in the process of building a new database of all objects in our collections and archives. Work on this new program for managing, indexing and researching our objects is very time-intensive. This winter, our storage rooms will also need to be rearranged, and many objects will need to be moved. The administration and maintenance of our extensive inventories⁠ – providence research, indexing, object care, as well as data maintenance and data cleansing – is continuing alongside this work.

To enable us to focus all of our efforts on these tasks, unfortunately we must place a temporary pause on accepting objects.

Submitting an enquiry to another museum in your region may be a good alternative. You can find a list of museums who may be interested in your offer here: www.museums.ch/en/museums/museum-finder/.

Thank you for your understanding.

First, notify the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum via telephone on +41 33 952 80 44. The Ballenberg team will know what to do and provide assistance.

There are defibrillators located at the East ticket desk, on the Balm near the bowling alley and at the west entrance in Hofstetten on the corner of the works yard.

National emergency numbers:

• 144 Ambulance
• 117 Police
• 118 Fire services
• 1414 Rega (Swiss air rescue)
• 145 Swiss poisons information centre
• 112 European emergency telephone number