Lausanne Historical Museum

In its permanent exhibition, it tells the story of Lausanne, from its prehistoric origins through to the economic, social and urban revolutions of the 19th century.

The most amazing item is surely the incredible model representing 17th century Lausanne on a 1/200 scale. It is based on a 1638 map made from a high view point and the first cadastral map of 1723.

The entire model, which weights 1500 kg and required two years of work by four model makers, shows 850 buildings, 1700 chimneys, 500 people and… 4000 vines.

Yes, because there was once a time when Lausanne’s vines reached as far as Place Saint-François.

Each year the Museum also presents several temporary exhibitions, some of which are directly inspired by the research conducted on its collections. As part of its educational and didactic mission it also organises a number of workshops geared towards children.

The Historical Museum houses 550,000 works and objects, its mission being to collect materials that tell the story of the local area: crafts, social life, the economy, arts…

The collections boast a wealth of iconographic exhibits presenting the city, its inhabitants and their ways of life, including oil paintings, engravings, maps, posters and photographs, the first plates of which date back from the time of the pioneers in 1840. These are complemented by thousands of objects, including pewter, costumes, pottery, furniture and tools, with an outstanding selection of pieces of Lausanne silverware taking pride of place.

The Museum regularly publishes articles and works and organises seminars and conferences. Its library contains 5000 titles.