Museums have a fascinating history that stretches back to antiquity. The first known museums were established in ancient Greece and Rome. One of the earliest examples is the Museum of Alexandria, which was founded in the 3rd century BC. It was a centre for science and research and housed an impressive collection of manuscripts and works of art.

In Switzerland, the treasuries of churches and monasteries, as well as their libraries, are among the first collections to be mentioned that had a museum-like character. They contained relics, manuscripts and ecclesiastical artworks, but also natural objects. The collections of weapons and spoils of war that were stored in armouries, which were established in the early modern period, later developed into museum collections as well. The Renaissance saw a revival of interest in art and science in Europe, which led to the establishment of numerous private collections. Some of these collections were cabinets of art or curiosities, which attempted to depict the world as an artistic microcosm using international exhibits.

In Switzerland, too, the first museums were established primarily based on collections belonging to private individuals or bourgeois associations. After initial exhibitions in schools and public buildings, more and more rooms and buildings were set aside or built as museums from the mid-19th century onwards. Examples include the museum on Augustinerstrasse in Basel (1844-1849) and the Musée Arlaud in Lausanne (1841). The sale of national cultural artefacts to foreigners also contributed to the founding of museums around the same time, sparking an interest in the preservation of historical artefacts in Switzerland. This development reached its peak with the founding of the Swiss National Museum in Zurich in 1898.

In the course of advancing industrialisation and urbanisation at the beginning of the 20th century, more and more museums with a thematic focus on rural culture emerged in Switzerland. This development was also associated with the heritage protection movement and the romanticisation of folk art, customs and traditions.

From the mid-20th century, museums with specific exhibition focuses or related to individual personalities, such as the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne (1959) or the Tell Museum in Bürglen UR (1966), opened in particular. In the 1990s, the number of museum openings in Switzerland reached a peak with over 200 new openings.

Museums play an important role in society by preserving knowledge, promoting education and making cultural heritage accessible. Today, there are over 1000 museums in Switzerland, covering an incredible range of topics, from art and history to science and technology.