Sauriermuseum Aathal

What Sauriermuseum Aathal does

Sauriermuseum Frick is a municipal natural history museum in Frick, canton of Aargau, Switzerland, owned and operated by Gemeinde Frick. Founded in 1991, it specializes in Late Triassic dinosaur fossils from the adjacent Tongrube Gruhalde clay pit, operated by Tonwerke Keller AG. Its core collection centers on a complete Plateosaurus skeleton displayed in original find position, the world's first known juvenile Plateosaurus skeleton ('Fabian'), and Switzerland's first theropod skeleton (Notatesseraeraptor frickensis), notable for preserved stomach contents. The museum also exhibits marine fossils (ammonites, belemnites, ichthyosaurus) from the Early Jurassic Arietenkalk and a Proganochelys turtle.

The museum generates revenue through a multi-stream model: low-price admissions (CHF 10 adult / CHF 5 child), private guided tours (CHF 100 plus admission), school tours (CHF 100 guide fee plus CHF 5 per person), an Escape Game (CHF 120-150 for groups of 5-10), children's birthday events, and on-site shop sales of publications and merchandise. Public access is restricted to Sunday afternoons (13:00-17:00); group bookings are arranged off-hours. The site also offers the Klopfplatz public fossil-hunting area and the Dino-Lehrpfad educational trail through the village. Distribution is direct-to-consumer and walk-in, with light marketing via website, Facebook, and earned regional press.

In 2024-2025 the museum expanded its footprint by acquiring a former Jakob Müller AG production hall, which opened as the new Saurierhalle on 30 March 2025, housing the 8m Plateosaurus XL and the fossil preparation process. The museum employs approximately 15 staff, is governed by a Saurierkommission chaired by municipal councilor Ramona Bernet, and is led by director Dr. Andrea Oettl. Scientific research is conducted in partnership with the University of Zurich (Prof. Torsten Scheyer, PD Winand Brinkmann) and the University of Bonn (Prof. Martin Sander). Field excavation leadership transitioned from Ben Pabst to Ursina Bachmann in 2024.

Name

Sauriermuseum Aathal

Legal name

Sauriermuseum Frick

Website

https://sauriermuseum-frick.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sauriermuseum Frick is a municipal natural history museum in Frick, Switzerland, specializing in Late Triassic dinosaur fossils. It serves families, school groups, and tourists through Sunday public access, guided tours, an escape game, school programs, and on-site fossil hunting at the adjacent Klopfplatz.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Dinosaur museum
• Paleontology exhibits
• Fossil displays
• Natural history museum
• Museum education

Headquarters

HQ city

Frick

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Admission fees: Individual visitors pay admission fees to enter the museum. Standard rates are CHF 10 for adults and CHF 5 for children aged 5–16.
2. Guided tours: Customised guided tours are offered outside Sunday opening hours to groups of all kinds. Cost is CHF 100 plus admission fees.
3. Shop sales: The museum operates a small shop selling dinosaur-themed books, figurines, stationery, and toys. Own publications include brochures on Plateosaurus, meteorites, and children's activity books.
4. Escape Game: A 90-minute escape game experience for groups of 5–10 persons, priced at CHF 120 for up to 5 persons and CHF 150 for 6–10 persons.
5. Children's birthday parties: Birthday party packages combining museum tours with crafting activities and a snack.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sauriermuseum Aathal operates a dinosaur museum presenting paleontological fossil exhibits and skeletal displays for public visitation. The museum offers on-site exhibitions of prehistoric specimens and educational programming related to paleontology and natural history.

Product overview

Sauriermuseum Frick is a natural history museum specializing in dinosaur and fossil discoveries from the Late Triassic period. The museum operates as a single unified attraction offering permanent exhibitions (Plateosaurus skeleton, predatory dinosaurs, marine fossils, turtles, and miscellaneous specimens) alongside rotating special exhibitions. Educational programs include guided tours, school visits, children's birthday parties, and an escape game. The site also features the Klopfplatz public fossil hunting area, the Wälchligarten rest area, and a dinosaur educational trail. In 2025, the museum expanded with a new Saurierhalle displaying the preparation process and the 8m Plateosaurus XL specimen. The museum is an institution of the municipality of Frick and collaborates with the University of Zurich on paleontological research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Klopfplatz: A fossil hunting site at the Tongrube Gruhalde where visitors can search for fossils themselves
• Wälchligarten
• Dino-Lehrpfad
• Erlebnissonntag
• Escape-Game

Products and services

• Museum Exhibitions
• Educational Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 groups welcomed per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Zurich conducts scientific research on the Frick dinosaur fossils, including the theropod Notatesseraeraptor frickensis (PD Winand Brinkmann) and other specimens (Prof. Torsten Scheyer). Research covers Raubdinosaurier (theropods), Aetosaurus, pterosaurs, turtles, and lizards. The juvenile Plateosaurus research is also handled by University of Zurich.
• University of BonnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Plateosaurus specimens are studied primarily by a research group at the University of Bonn led by Prof. Martin Sander.
• Tonwerke Keller AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe clay pit (Tongrube Gruhalde) where the dinosaur fossils are found is operated by Tonwerke Keller AG. Since 2004, regular excavations have been coordinated with the company so that commercial clay extraction and fossil excavations do not obstruct each other. Hartmut Lehmann, Werkleiter of Tonwerke Keller AG, is a member of the Saurierkommission.
• Jakob Müller AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince autumn 2024, the municipality of Frick has been granted use of a vacant production hall of Jakob Müller AG, which now serves as the Saurierhalle (Dinosaur Hall) extension of the museum.
• Gemeinde FrickcoreOthersSauriermuseum Frick is a municipal institution (Institution der Gemeinde Frick). The municipality provides the museum premises, maintains the Wälchligarten outdoor area, and holds the Saurierkommission oversight role. Mayor Ramona Bernet serves as commission president.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Universität Zürich Zoologisches Museum: Academic natural history museum affiliated with the University of Zurich, one of Sauriermuseum Frick's core research partners. Comparable in Swiss-German regional audience and school programming, but with broader zoological scope and a different funding/governance model.
• Naturhistorisches Museum Basel: Switzerland's largest natural history museum, also in the German-speaking Swiss region. Overlaps with Sauriermuseum Frick in paleontology collections and school programming, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader taxonomic scope.
• Naturhistorisches Museum Bern: Another major Swiss natural history museum with broader scope than Sauriermuseum Frick but overlapping in dinosaur/paleontology exhibits and family/school programming. Operates at significantly larger scale with multiple permanent exhibitions.
• Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève: Major Swiss natural history museum in the French-speaking region. Comparable as a Swiss national natural history institution with paleontological collections and educational programming, though serving a different linguistic/cultural catchment.
• Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology: World-renowned Canadian paleontology museum specializing in fossil exhibition and active research. Comparable in dinosaur-focused mission, family/school programming, and academic partnerships, but at vastly larger scale and with broader opening access.
• Naturalis Biodiversity Center: Major Dutch natural history institution combining research, collections, and public exhibition. Comparable in operating model as a research-driven museum with dinosaur/paleontology exhibits and family programming, but at significantly larger scale with a national/international audience.
• Museum für Naturkunde Berlin: Major German natural history museum with significant dinosaur fossil collections (including the iconic Brachiosaurus). Overlaps with Sauriermuseum Frick in paleontology exhibits and research collaborations, but operates at a much larger institutional scale.

Direct peers

• Sauriermuseum Aathal: The other major dinosaur-focused museum in Switzerland, located in Aathal. Closely comparable in subject matter (Swiss dinosaur fossils, family-friendly programming) and operating scale, making it the most direct domestic peer despite the different municipal operator.
• Dinosaurier Museum Altmühltal: Specialist German dinosaur museum in Bavaria focused on European Late Jurassic dinosaur finds. Closely comparable in mission (dinosaur-focused family attraction with educational programming) and scale, though operating in a different national market with broader opening hours.
• Jura Museum Eichstätt: Smaller German natural history museum with strong paleontology focus on the Solnhofen limestone fossils, supported by a research partnership with the University of Erlangen. Comparable in being a university-adjacent specialist paleontology museum with educational programming for families and schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Sauriermuseum-Frick-186895088159803
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sauriermuseum-aathal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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