Geneva Museum of Ethnography – Conches

The Geneva Museum of Ethnography (Musee d’Ethnographie de Geneve) in Conches displays historic pieces from all five continents and an array of civilisations. With some 80,000 items from Africa, America, Asia, the Pacific, and Europe, the Geneva Museum of Ethnography offers a fascinating insight into historic cultures from around the world and is said to be one of the most important ethnographic museums and the second largest collection in Switzerland.

History of Geneva Museum of Ethnography – Conches

The museum was founded in 1901 by Eugene Pittard, with some objects in its collections from two centuries earlier. It was settled in a disused school in 1941, but after the collection grew, was expanded with a new building being built which opened in 2014.

The building looks impressive, though not overly large on the surface. However, it covers an exhibition area of 7,200 metres squared, and contains two extensive subterranean layers.

Geneva Museum of Ethnography – Conches Today

From African weapons and sculptures to pre-Columbian artefacts, Japanese samurai weaponry to historic musical instruments, the Geneva Museum of Ethnography offers an incredibly diverse number of things to see.

There is also an auditorium, conference rooms, an educational area, a media library, a bookshop, and a café which opens onto a stunning landscaped garden. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11am-6pm.

Getting to Geneva Museum of Ethnography – Conches

From the centre of Geneva, the museum is a 6 minute drive via Avenue du Mail. A number of public transport options are available which stop off at Musée d’ethnographie, after which the site is a minute’s walk.