Across several floors, Bern’s Museum of Communication (Museum für Kommunikation in German) celebrates the past, present, and future of all things communications. For highlighting Europe’s diverse cultural heritage, it won the Council of Europe Museum Prize in 20191.
The Museum of Communication is a highly interactive and fascinating museum located in the heart of Bern. It is home to exhibitions about the history of everything connected to communication, such as postal services, telephones, computers, and networks. Additionally, the museum houses one of the world’s largest stamp collections. In this museum, adults and children can learn and have fun.
What to Expect: Museum of Communication
Lots of artifacts related to various forms of communication are at the Museum of Communication. You’ll also learn about communication between humans and computers.
The Museum of Communication also has a pleasant mix of old and new, and there are lots of activities. Family discussions and sending letters asynchronously are also covered in the museum. Also, if you’re into acting, you can do things related to film and sound. Check out this quick overview of what to expect at the Museum of Communication.
All about Communication
As the name implies, you can find a lot of stuff about communication here. These are some of the examples we found.
- Postal services
- Computers, networks, and data
- Multi-person games
- Film, multimedia, photography
- Vehicles (horse carriages, cars, vans, bicycles)
- Telephones and mobile phones
Museum of Communication Layout
The museum has predominantly an open floor plan, so you can wander around as you like. It’s up to you how you want to see the museum. For some people, this might be overwhelming and chaotic.
Comparing it to other museums like Technorama or Verkehrhaus, you might be surprised by how open and mixed everything is. In other more structured museums, various floors or sections are labeled and separated by theme. Inside the Museum of Communication, they do have themes per area logically, but there aren’t any clear signs because of its layout.
Our normal routine is to start on the bottom floor and work our way up. Ultimately, it’s up to you how you handle it. And I think that despite its confusing layout, it’s still pretty interesting.
Recommended for Older Kids
Kids of all ages will have fun here. As the theme is mostly about writing and speaking, I think it’s better suited to older kids who can read and participate in the activities. Kids can mail, write, or draw silly stuff, post messages, and then race to catch the ones that go through the tubes.
Younger kids can do interactive stations made just for them. The front desk staff will give them instructions at the entrance. Generally, there’s definitely more for kids in primary school, teenagers, and adults at this museum. Smaller kids might do better at a place like Technorama or Verkehrshaus.
How much time do you need for the Museum of Communication?
You can easily spend two to three hours in the museum. There’s plenty to keep visitors entertained. In any case, there’s a small café restaurant attached to the museum, so you can stay all day.
We usually spend the whole day here because it’s so popular with my kids. We usually come mid-morning, have a quick lunch at the restaurant, and stay until the museum closes.
Then again, it’s hard to spend as much time on interactive exhibits when it’s crowded. If you can, try coming in early or during weekdays.
Practical Tips: Museum for Communication, Bern
- The museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is closed on August 1 (National Day) and December 25 (Christmas Day).
- Strollers and wheelchairs are allowed. Wheelchairs can be provided if required.
- The Café Pavillon is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- Picnics are allowed on the red chairs outside. There are tables available as well.
- Lockers are available near the entrance. You can deposit your jackets and bags here.
- There is a small shop near the entrance.
How to Get to Museum for Communication, Bern
The Museum for Communication is located in the Kirchenfeld district of Bern. There are 11 cultural and educational institutions in the Museumsquartier Bern, including the Bern Historical Museum, the Swiss Alpine Museum, and the Natural History Museum Bern.
| Address | Helvetiastrasse 16, 3000 Bern |
| Bus | Bern, Helvetiaplatz |
| Tram | Bern, Helvetiaplatz |
Final Thoughts: Museum for Communication, Bern
Museum for Communication is definitely worth a visit, no matter what time of year it is. You have a good mix of modern and historical content. Interactive and educational exhibits are part of the permanent collection. Plus, changing temporary exhibits make every visit new and exciting, so there is always something to discover.
To be honest, the Museum for Communication in Bern surprised me quite a bit. It was much more enjoyable than I expected. The museum is definitely interesting for adults and older children, but younger ones will also find something to amuse themselves with. Having been here several times, we look forward to returning soon.
Resources
- 1 The Council of Europe Museum Prize. European Museum Forum. Accessed 1 December 2022. https://www.europeanforum.museum/en/winners/council-of-europe-museum-prize/.
- Museum for Communication, Bern. https://www.mfk.ch/en/.