Kunsthaus Zurich

What Kunsthaus Zurich does

Kunsthaus Zurich is a Swiss private art museum founded in 1910 and operated by the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, a private association under Swiss law. It is Switzerland's largest art museum, housing a permanent collection that spans 800 years of art history from the Middle Ages to contemporary works, augmented by major on-loan private collections including the Alberto Giacometti Foundation, Emil Bührle Collection, Merzbacher Collection, Hubert Looser Collection, and Knecht Collection. The museum occupies the Heimplatz 1/5 site in central Zurich (with the Chipperfield-designed extension and additional Moser-Bau space) plus a research library at Rämistrasse 45, and draws 500,000+ annual visitors and 25,000 members.

The institution generates revenue through a portfolio of streams: per-visit ticket sales (CHF 24 full / CHF 17 reduced), tiered membership subscriptions (Single CHF 135, Couple CHF 225, Junior CHF 40 annually), museum retail shops, on-site gastronomy at 'Bei Moudi am Kunsthaus', venue rental for corporate and private events, educational programs and guided tours, and corporate sponsorship arrangements with UBS (main partner) and Swiss Re (partner for contemporary art). Distribution is omnichannel: physical museum visits, online ticketing at tickets.kunsthaus.ch, digital members platform at join.kunsthaus.ch, and group bookings for schools and corporate clients.

Digital services include an online collection platform (collection.kunsthaus.ch), an interactive visitor guide (visitorguide.kunsthaus.ch), a DigiLab digital archive documenting 1,530+ exhibitions since 1910 (digilab.kunsthaus.ch), and a library OPAC. The 2025-2026 exhibition calendar includes Marisol, Wolfgang Laib, Kerry James Marshall, the first Swiss retrospective of Vilhelm Hammershøi, the Wu Tsang 'La montaña invertida' sound installation, Refik Anadol's 'Glacier Dreams' immersive installation, and the Maria Lassnig / Edvard Munch pairing. Marketing spans the institutional website, active social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), email newsletter, and a press/media corner for earned coverage.

Name

Kunsthaus Zurich

Legal name

Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft

Website

https://kunsthaus.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kunsthaus Zurich is Switzerland's largest art museum, operated by the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft. Founded in 1910, it presents an 800-year-spanning collection, rotating exhibitions, and educational programs, serving 500,000+ visitors annually and 25,000 members through tickets, memberships, sponsorships, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Art museum exhibitions
• Permanent art collection
• Art education programs
• Museum membership programs
• Venue rental events

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Admission fees for exhibitions and permanent collection access. Standard tickets CHF 24/17, reduced rate available.
2. Membership Program: Annual memberships providing free admission, event invitations, shop discounts, and magazine delivery. Tiers include single (CHF 135), couple (CHF 225), and junior (CHF 40).
3. Museum Shops: Art & Design Shops selling exhibition merchandise, catalogs, and art-related products.
4. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Corporate partnerships with major sponsors including UBS and Swiss Re for cultural sponsorship.
5. Gastronomy: On-site dining facilities including Café, Bar and Restaurant 'Bei Moudi am Kunsthaus'.
6. Private Events and Rentals: Venue rental for corporate events, team building, and private functions.
7. Educational Programs: Guided tours, workshops, school programs, and specialized educational offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kunsthaus Zürich operates as an art museum presenting rotating international exhibitions alongside a permanent collection spanning 800 years of art history from the Middle Ages to the contemporary period. Its core deliverable is in-person and online access to art through ticketed exhibitions, museum memberships, educational tours and workshops, venue rentals, and on-site retail and gastronomy. The museum also maintains a research library, a digital collection portal, and an interactive visitor guide to extend access beyond the physical building.

Product overview

Kunsthaus Zürich is Switzerland's largest art museum presenting a comprehensive portfolio of offerings centered on art appreciation, education, and cultural engagement. The museum operates as a unified institution combining physical exhibitions (rotating shows like Marisol, Wu Tsang, Vilhelm Hammershøi alongside permanent collection presentations) with digital services (Online Collection, Visitor Guide, DigiLab). Revenue streams include membership programs (Single, Couple, Junior tiers), venue rental, and retail through Art & Design Shops. Research and educational services are provided through the Library & Archive with specialized Dada collection. The museum's 800-year art history collection spans Medieval to Contemporary periods, enhanced by significant private collections (Bührle, Giacometti, Merzbacher, Looser, Knecht).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibitions and Permanent Collection Rotating international exhibitions and a permanent collection spanning the Middle Ages to the contemporary period, including works by Giacometti, Monet, Munch and others; ticketed access for individual visitors.
• Membership Program
• Private and Corporate Events / Venue Rental
• Educational Programs and Guided Tours
• Art & Design Shops
• On-site Gastronomy (Café, Bar, Restaurant 'Bei Moudi am Kunsthaus')
• Library and Archive
• Private Collection Presentations (Bührle, Giacometti, Merzbacher, Looser, Knecht)
• Online Collection

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UBScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUBS serves as the main partner of Kunsthaus Zürich, providing corporate sponsorship and cultural partnership support. The partnership positions UBS as a key supporter of Swiss arts and culture.
• Swiss RecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss Re is the partner for contemporary art (Partner für zeitgenössische Kunst), supporting the museum's commitment to contemporary art programming and exhibitions.
• Stadt ZürichcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCity of Zurich provides cultural support and partnership as the municipality where the museum is located, supporting local arts and culture initiatives.
• The Leir FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Leir Foundation supports the Wu Tsang exhibition 'La montaña invertida' as part of the ReCollect! series, providing funding for this specific contemporary art intervention.
• Klanghaus ToggenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Klanghaus Toggenburg for the development of the sound installation component of the Wu Tsang exhibition, combining artistic and acoustic expertise.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Albertina Museum: Vienna art museum combining a major Habsburg-era collection with rotating blockbuster exhibitions (e.g., Monet, Picasso). Comparable in German-speaking European cultural positioning, premium pricing, and family/individual membership economics.
• Städel Museum: Frankfurt art museum with a permanent collection spanning 700+ years old masters through contemporary; similar institutional scale, pricing, and historic-private-collection model (founder's collection comparable in spirit to Kunsthaus's private holdings).
• Musée d'Orsay: Major European art museum with comparable collection scope (Impressionism, post-Impressionism, classical modernism) and blockbuster exhibition programming. Closest continental peer in art-historical depth and visitor scale.
• Tate Modern: London-based contemporary and modern art museum of similar size and international drawing power. Comparable in event-driven exhibitions, commercial sponsorships, and museum-shop merchandise revenues.
• Pinakothek der Moderne: Munich modern and contemporary art museum in the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen network. Closely comparable on collection scope (modern/contemporary), ticketing tiering, and educational/school-group programming.
• Kunstmuseum Bern: Swiss art museum of similar institutional scale and programming model (permanent collection plus temporary exhibitions). Directly comparable on visitor volume and member/revenue mix.
• Kunstmuseum Basel: Switzerland's other major art museum with a comparable permanent collection (old masters to contemporary). Closest domestic peer competing for visitors, donors, and exhibition prestige within Switzerland.

Broad incumbents

• National Gallery (London): Larger British national art institution with a 13th-20th century collection overlapping Kunsthaus's old masters through early modern holdings. Different scale and ownership structure (state-funded), but a clear comparator in exhibition programming and visitor base.
• Museo Nacional del Prado: Spain's flagship art museum; relevant comparator for old-masters/classical-modernism collection depth, exhibition programming, and corporate sponsorship model, though significantly larger and state-backed.
• MoMA - The Museum of Modern Art: Larger, internationally dominant art institution with significant overlap in classical modernism and contemporary programming, retail/merchandise, and member tiers. Comparable in revenue diversification and digital platforms (MoMA's app/store) but operates at much higher scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KunsthausZurich
• Facebookfacebook.com/kunsthauszuerich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kunsthaus-z%C3%BCrich
• Instagraminstagram.com/kunsthauszuerich

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kunsthaus Zurich