Located on the shore of Lake Geneva between the cities of Vevey and Montreux, the Swiss Museum of Games in La Tour-de-Peilz is dedicated to the preservation, research and dissemination of various forms of parlor games. Unlike many other museums in the world, the Swiss Museum of Games distinguishes the "game" from "toys" (dolls, model making, etc.). It is the oldest of its kind and unique in Europe. The collection spans more than 10,000 games, from antiquity to the present and from all over the world.
History of the museum
Following a plebiscite in 1979, the municipality of La Tour-de-Peilz acquired the castle located directly on the shores of Lake Geneva. The historic setting should then be made accessible to the public and provide a space for recreation and play. The ‘friends of the castle’ association was entrusted with the development and revitalization of the premises and a first exhibition titled "Table Games and Checkers" took place in November 1981.
Soon after, the city council commissioned Michel Etter, then a teacher at the École Supérieure in La Tour-de-Peilz, to design a museum concept and acquire a first collection of games.
In 1987, the museum was officially inaugurated and quickly made its place in the Swiss museum world. In fact, in Switzerland no one had ever thought about preserving these important memories, such as children's and adult games. In 1989, the museum received a special mention in the European Museums of the Year award.
From 2003 onwards, the museum and its collections were transferred to the Foundation created for this purpose. Shortly thereafter, the association of the friends of the museum replaced the association of the friends of the castle.
Since 2002, the museum has been managed by archaeologist and game expert Dr. Ulrich Schädler.
Permanent exhibition
The permanent exhibition offers a panorama of the wide world of games from antiquity to the present and through various game typologies. The exhibition is divided into 10 parts:
Voyajeux (games from Africa, Asia and South America) Back to the beginning (Ancient Games) European Games before the Industrialization Playing Cards - card games The body at stake (skill games) India – country of games The games market "Ye Olde Castle" - English Pub Games Win the jackpot! (Lotteries and lotteries) Outdoor games
Since 2007, the museum has a playful outdoor playground, which invites for a walk in the castle garden. The large family of outdoor games with or without equipment is also well represented in the museum.
A café and halls for rent complete the museum's offer.
Temporary exhibitions
1988 « Rêves de pierre »
1989 « Jeux d’échecs : objet d’art »
1990 « La Suisse en jeu »
1990 « Jeu : tu, ils collectionnent… »
1991 « Jeux de boules et de billes : du hasard au calcul »
1992 « Chance, les jeux de hasard pur »
1993 « Loterie »
1995 « Hist(oie)res »
1998 « Le jeu d’échecs céramique »
1998 « Abattre pour jouer »
2000 « Construire, une passion »
2000 « L’Art de jouer »
2001 « B.D. un monde en jeux »
2001 « Billard : sport ou jeu ? »
2002 « Le corps en Jeu »
2004 « Kempelen – Echecs-o-mat »
2004/5 « Americanopoly »
2005/6 « Au fil du monde. Les jeux de ficelle »
2007 « Premio Archimede »
2008/9 « Le jeu discret de la Bourgeoisie. Deux siècles de culture ludique européenne » 2009 « Instant Chess », œuvres réalisées par les étudiants de la Haute École du Liechtenstein 2009/10 « Montagne et jeux. Entre cimes et neige à travers les jeux de société » 2010/11 « UKIYO-E. Estampes japonaises de Go de la collection Erwin Gerstorfer » 2011 « Premio Archimede » 2011/12 « Ecce Homo Ludens. Le jeu dans l'art contemporain » 2012 « Créateurs de chances. Les loteries en Europe » 2013 « La création de jeux, passion ou travail » 2014 « Le Tarot révélé. Jeu et divination » 2014 « Le jeu et l'Histoire se rencontrent. La Première Guerre Mondiale » 2015 « Veni, Vidi, Ludique ». Jouer avec l'Antiquité 2015/6 « Jeux du Château d'Hauteville. La vie ludique de Château autour de 1800 » 2015/16 « Le Mah-jong dans tous les sens » 2016 « La Vie Sauve » Présentation du plus grand puzzle du monde 2016 « Le collectionneur voyageur ». La collection d'échecs d'André Curchod 2016/17 « So British! »Les jeux anglais 2018/19 « Albert Smith. Le spectacle du Mont-Blanc »