With the pandemic measures loosened in Switzerland, there is once again the opportunity for more cultural events taking place. Next up is an event in the canton of Valais, where you can discover a number of museums free of charge – at night! The Museum night of Valais 2021 takes place on Saturday November 6 2021. The last time the event was organised was in 2019, the pandemic stopped the 2020 edition from happening.
The concept of ‘night at the museum’ was first born in Berlin, Germany in the early 90’s. On one night, visitors could visit a wide range of museums in a city or region, either free of charge or for a flat fee. Since that first event, museum nights have gained popularity all over the world. The popular Night at the museum Hollywood movies might definitely have helped too! We can not promise that you’ll see prehistoric elephants come to life in the Valais edition of museum night, but there is definitely enough to explore regardless!
Pick up your bracelet at a participating museum
Over 30 museum in the canton participate in the cultural event. Among them are not one but two(!) wine museums, the Matterhorn museum and the Valais art museum. As the museums are spread out all over the canton, it is unlikely you will be able to visit more than a few of them on November 6th. To help you get around during the museum night, visitors can use most public transport in the canton for free! The only thing you need for free entrance and transport is the museum night bracelet. These bracelets can be picked up free of charge between October 22 and November 4 at the participating museums.
It is important to note that due to the ongoing pandemic, a COVID certificate is required to enter museums in Switzerland for everyone 16 years and up. This also applies to the Museum night of Valais/Wallis.
Free public transport during Museum night of Valais
On the day of the event, all public transport can be used free of charge by anyone wearing the above mentioned bracelet. The program at most of the museums start around 17.00 or 18.00. The museums close their doors again around 23.00
On the website of the museum night of Valais, you can find different thematic tours that combine 2 or more museums during the night. On the website, you also find a list of all participating museums.
Check out the Museum night of Valais website for all information about this event. Here, you also find a PDF that summarises the program at the 40+ participating museums. The website is only available in French and German.
Which museums will you discover during this years Valais night of the museum?
