Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne – Switzerland

The tourist attractions in the Swiss Transport Museum have turned it into one of the premier destinations at Lucerne. If you are visiting the city, this is one site you will want to check out.

Location

The museum is in the city of Lucerne. Using the Swiss Federal Railway, you can reach the place from any city in Switzerland. You can also reach the site by bus or by boat at Vierwaldstattersee. The bus that will take you to the museum fronts the central railway station. The city itself is small enough to walk around on foot.

What to See

As the name makes plain, the tourist attractions in the Swiss Transport Museum is a repository of motorcycles, cars, airplanes and trains. The authentic rain engines are the most popular attractions in the complex. Visitors to the site can also admire the miniature working steam train and the model railroad. The complex is divided into sections.

One of the most popular is the air section. Apart from planes, the site also features space travel exhibits. The museums also explains how traffic has evolved with the development of various vehicles.

Aside from these, there are also films, simulations and interactive stations in the complex. There are more than 3,000 items on display, set over an area 20,000 sq m.

History

Also known as the Verkehrshaus der Schweiz, the museum opened in 1959. It was built mainly to showcase different types of vehicles.
Over the years, the displays at the museum have grown in number. On March 5, 2010 a Spacelab Pallet was given to the museum to be made part of its display. The Pallet was used during the 31 July – 8 August 1992 STS-46 mission.

Cost

The entrance fee to the site is 32 Chf for the adults. For children (6 to 16 years) it is 21 Chf. Children younger than that are free to enter.

Other Info

The museum is also a showcase of communications. The complex also has a considerable collection of work by the sculptor / painter Hans Erni. Aside from these, the museum also has a planetarium, and the Swiss Arena. This is a 1:20,000 scale aerial photo of Switzerland.

There are many other tourist attractions in the Swiss Transport Museum. One of these is the EURECA. It is a 4.4 ton satellite that was actually used in outer space. This object was launched in the 1990s as a joint effort by the US and Europe.