Museum of Art and History: the visitor listing
Geneva's big museum, four minutes from the Old Town, shows its permanent collections for free, including Konrad Witz's Miraculous Draught of Fishes, where Lake Geneva is recognisable.
Photo: Attila Nóbik, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Why go?
The MAH is Geneva's largest museum, and its permanent collections are free. Archaeology, fine arts, applied arts: you can spend an hour or a whole day there.
Its most famous piece is Konrad Witz's Miraculous Draught of Fishes, painted in 1444, where Christ walks on a recognisable Lake Geneva, with the Salève and the Môle on the horizon. It is one of the first realistic landscapes in European painting.
Good to know
The museum is closed on Monday and opens late on Thursday. Temporary exhibitions may charge, with a voluntary contribution of 5 to 20 CHF for some.
Our advice
Ask where the Witz is displayed when you arrive and start with it, before the afternoon crowds. The city's other museums, free or not, are compared in our museums guide.
Read on: Geneva Old Town on foot and Things to do in Geneva.
Sources: the establishment's website, Geneva Tourism, Google Maps (address, rating and reviews checked on 23 October 2026). Distances are walking estimates.
Frequently asked questions
Is Geneva's Museum of Art and History free?
Which day is the MAH closed?
Mathieu Jaquet
Mathieu guided groups through the Old Town for seven years, from St. Pierre Cathedral to the Bastions. He builds his routes on foot, stopwatch in hand, and cuts whatever does not fit into a real day. He would rather write that a visit is not worth the ticket than pad out a list.
