Glacier Garden

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Museum
Travel back in time and discover what Lucerne looked like when glaciers covered the land. Or when subtropical palm beaches were a feature of the landscape.

The Glacier Garden contains kettle basins dating from the last Ice Age 20,000 years ago, as well as fossilised shells and palm leaves from the subtropical ocean region of 20 million years ago.

Felsenwelt

The Glacier Garden adventure now also leads into the dark mountain interior. In the Felsenwelt, the Lucerne sandstone tells some of its history and reveals its hidden secrets. Starting from its formation at the primordial sea, the unfolding to the mountains to the modeling during the ice ages. The journey through millions of years leads by an underground lake to the center of time and through a futuristic Gartenhof up to the Sommerau. Upon their return to the light, guests can enjoy a view of Lucerne all the way to the Alps.

The quest game "Lily & Börni" allows children and families to discover the Glacier Garden in a playful and interactive way. 

The Museum

In this stage of your journey through time, you will explore the sometimes, whimsical objects in the Amrein family's cabinets of curiosities. Many of them date back to the 19th century. But quite a few are also older. They bear witness to the diverse interests of the founding family of the Glacier Garden.

While the women collected furniture and household furnishings, the men were interested in geology and in the booming field of archaeology.

As a result of the increasing lack of space, the former residence was transformed, at an early stage, into a multi-faceted museum.

A particular specialty are the numerous historical landscape reliefs, such as the glacier relief by the famous alpine geologist Albert Heim - a friend of the Amrein family - in the newly designed glacier salon. 

The mirror maze

Its 90 mirrors sow utter confusion and make it look as if the routes through the maze are never-ending – even though they are, in fact, short. Feel your way slowly along the passages – and enjoy finding your way out.

Ten museums with one pass

With the Lucerne Museum Pass you can visit ten museums for two consecutive days at the price of CHF 39.

Guided tours

Guided tours by appointment; drinks by prior arrangement. Guided tours with/without drinks outside normal opening hours by prior arrangement.

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Price info

Price adult: CHF 24.00
Price child: CHF 12.00
Price reduced: CHF 18.00
Information on reduced prices: AHV/IV/apprentices/students on presentation of an ID card

Target group

  • Individual guests

  • Groups

  • School classes

  • Families

Equipment / Furnishings

  • Wheelchair accessible toilets

Directions & Parking facilities

The Glacier Garden is located right next to the Lion Monument in the city of Lucerne.

On foot
The destination can be reached in about 15 minutes from the train station and the Old Town.

By bus
Bus lines 1 or 19 run from the train station to the Löwenplatz stop.

Coaches
The nearby Löwenplatz parking lot is available.

Passenger cars
The Cityparking and Löwencenter parking garages are located in the immediate vicinity.

Accessibility / Location

  • Accessible by public transport

  • Central location

  • In the city

Accessibility

The new attractions (Felsenwelt, Sommerau, Sandstone Pavilion) and most of the existing facilities are wheelchair-accessible.

A wheelchair-accessible toilet is located in the Bistro Salwideli and in the Sandstone Pavilion.

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Getting there

Stiftung Gletschergarten Luzern
Denkmalstrasse 4
6006 Luzern