Knowledge & culture

Laténium – Archaeology park and museum in Neuchâtel

Immerse yourself in times long ago

Located in the middle of an idyllic park on the shore of Lake Neuchâtel, the Laténium is the biggest archaeology museum in Switzerland. “Yesterday… Between the Mediterranean and the North Sea” – 500 centuries of local history in the heart of Europe: this is the theme of the permanent exhibition at the Laténium. It takes visitors through 50,000 years of history using fun and interactive aids.

The Laténium’s museum and archaeology park stretch for over 30,000 m2. The museum’s permanent exhibition displays 50,000 years of history from Neanderthal times to the present day. Orientation marks, listening experiences, models and factual and easy to understand texts inspire visitors again and again to continue on their voyage of discovery without losing their excitement. The tours also stop off at mini laboratories where you can familiarise yourself with the work of archaeologists as well as play educational games for children and use video screens and interactive terminals. The Laténium is a winner of the Council of Europe’s Museum Prize.
The freely accessible Laténium archaeology park is an ideal place to take a walk and recounts the history of the relationships between our ancestors and their surroundings since the end of the ice age.

Coronavirus notice Please take note of the protection plan and any restrictions set by the provider.

Opening hours Today (Friday) open

Museum

Mon closed
Tue–Sun 10.00–17.00 hours

Open on Easter Monday and Whit Monday
The Laténium is closed on 25 December and 1 January.

Archaeology park

Free access

Subject to change without prior notice.

Rates

Free admission to the museum

On Wednesday, admission to the museum is free.

CHF 9.00 Adults
CHF 5.00 Students, seniors, unemployed
CHF 4.00 Children aged 7–15.99
CHF 20.00 Families (2 adults + children)

Reduced prices for groups of 10 or more people. Free admission on the first Sunday of the month.

Prices incl. VAT / Prices subject to alteration.

“Des choses”

Temporary exhibit from 28 Mai 2021 to 9 January 2022

The exhibition “Des choses” will present to the public some disconcerting, even disturbing archaeological objects, whose singularity often confines them to the register of anecdotal or “miscellaneous” : a small batch of white sand brought back from a long journey and found in a Bronze Age habitat on the Swiss Plateau, a yew stick badly cut by a child to play with a bow 5000 years ago, a collection of fossil sea urchins gathered 3000 years ago, whose shapes were used to decorate terracotta spindle whorls in the Bronze Age, …

These “special cases” bring us back to the banality of the daily life of our predecessors, to their intimacy, even to their mental universe usually considered difficult to define through the study of material remains. Their evocative potential obliges archaeologists to approach them through as yet little-used analytical grids such as the emotional, the sensitive, the poetic, etc., which gives them a particular narrative value. This unusual material culture thus leads archaeologists to confront the limits of their own scientific approach.

The exhibition is staged by scenographer Adrien Moretti and set up by the Laténium team, which includes archaeologists, curator-restorers and specialist technicians.