Château de Prangins has cleared out its basement to make way for a completely new exhibition for families, in the form of a role play focusing on travel in Switzerland and means of transport from the 18th to the 20th century. It is an innovative way for visitors to immerse themselves in the Switzerland of days gone by and take a trip through a wide variety of landscapes. The exhibition will be inaugurated on 11 October from 14:00., with a festive event for families featuring lots of games and entertainments (admission free, masks must be worn).

Are museums really boring, dusty, serious places? Far from it! For the first time in Switzerland, a museum is launching a permanent exhibition in the form of a role play specially designed for very young visitors, with two levels to choose from in four languages (French, English, German, Italian): one for children aged 4 to 10 and the other for ages 11 and above.

The exhibition puts the visitor centre stage to create an immersive experience that is different each time, depending on the choices players make as they go along. It can take anything from 5 to 20 minutes to play through each scenario.

Surrounded by authentic objects from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries - from spectacular exhibits such as Pictet's coach to striking items such as a cardboard model of a boat and the poignancy of children's patched-up shoes as well as parlour games and souvenir plates - visitors can pretend to be a nobleman surveying his estate in a carriage, a young Englishwoman passing through Switzerland on the way back from the Grand Tour (the educational trip undertaken by young people from wealthy families), or a child from Ticino setting off to sweep chimneys in Milan, and experience a journey through Switzerland motivated by either pleasure or necessity.

Each visitor can play the parts of nine individuals in total from three eras - the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries - travelling around using means of transport from the time, starting with a stage coach and a boat before moving on to a train and a paddle steamer.

A railway station platform with a music box and clock, a landing stage with a souvenir kiosk and a funicular station are just some of the sets that bring to life the places where people wait before continuing their journey.

For the youngest visitors, there are items to play with: a stereoscope - the ancestor of 3D glasses - an interactive model funicular and a revolving postcard stand full of useful advice on how to complete the game!


Exhibition curators: Marie-Hélène Pellet and Ana Vulić