Textilmuseum St.Gallen

What Textilmuseum St.Gallen does

Textilmuseum St.Gallen is a private non-profit cultural institution located at Vadianstrasse 2 in St. Gallen, Switzerland, operating under Verein Textilmuseum St.Gallen with assets held by Stiftung Textilmuseum (founded 2018, absorbing Stiftung IHK in 2019). Founded in 1878 as the Industry and Trade Museum and opened in its current historicist 'Palazzo Rosso' building in 1886, the museum houses one of Europe's most significant textile collections — approximately 56,000 objects spanning historical embroidery, lace, fabrics, costumes, sample books, fashion photographs, and design drawings from across several centuries and continents. The institution serves general museum visitors, school groups, families, textile industry professionals, and international cultural tourists through permanent and rotating exhibitions, a specialized textile library, guided tours, educational workshops, curatorial consultation, and a physical museum shop; approximately 2,000 objects are additionally accessible through an online catalogue and the TextileStGallen mobile app.

The museum generates revenue through a diversified mix of transactional and recurring streams: tiered admissions (12 CHF adult / 9 CHF group / 5 CHF student and youth, with broad free-entry categories), annual library memberships (10 CHF), private guided tours (140–280 CHF), Tröckneturm venue rentals for events and weddings, corporate and individual Museum Club memberships, shop retail, and donations/sponsorships. Corporate sponsors include AKRIS AG, Bischoff Textil AG, Christian Fischbacher Co. AG, Forster Rohner Gruppe, UBS Switzerland AG, and St. Galler Kantonalbank, with the museum itself supported by a roster of named staff across collections, exhibition, education, communication, fundraising, and visitor services.

The museum is currently mid-execution of a CHF 48 million renewal project (2026–2030), financed equally between private donors and public authorities (Canton St. Gallen, City of St. Gallen, Canton Appenzell AR), which will add a 1,000 m² underground exhibition hall. It is also participating in the Horizon Europe TEXTaiLES research project (2024–2027) with nine European universities focused on digital recording and visualization of textile cultural heritage, and maintains international museum partnerships with the V&A, MAK Wien, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, and Schweizer Nationalmuseum. Leadership is transitional, with Heinrich Christen as Interim Director and Katharina Epprecht as Interim Project Manager.

Name

Textilmuseum St.Gallen

Legal name

Verein Textilmuseum St.Gallen

Website

https://textilmuseum.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1878

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Textilmuseum St.Gallen is a private non-profit museum in St. Gallen, Switzerland, preserving one of Europe's most significant textile collections (~56,000 objects) and serving general visitors, schools, textile industry professionals, and cultural tourists via exhibitions, a textile library, guided tours, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Textile Museum and Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Delicate/Heritage Textile Conservation & Restoration (HSAJAKAH), Vintage & Heirloom Textile/Garment Conservation (HSAJAGAH), Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Textile heritage preservation
• Museum exhibition services
• Textile library services
• Educational museum programs
• Cultural tourism experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Gallen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Museum entry fees charged to visitors with tiered pricing for adults (12 CHF), groups (9 CHF), students/youth (5 CHF), with free admission for children under 18 from certain cantons, members, media, and various card holders
2. Museum Shop: Physical retail operation selling exclusive textile items including foulards, jewellery, traditional Glarnertüechli scarves, embroidery, Swiss designs, and souvenirs. Located on ground floor, accessible without museum ticket. Posts items within Switzerland on request.
3. Museum Membership (Verein Textilmuseum): Annual membership fees providing free admission, with various membership tiers and corporate sponsors (AG Cilander, AKRIS AG, Bischoff Textil AG, Christian Fischbacher Co. AG, Filtex AG, Forster Rohner Gruppe, St. Galler Kantonalbank, Textilland Ostschweiz, UBS Switzerland AG, etc.)
4. Guided Tours: Private guided tours offered in German, English, and French with pricing from 140 CHF (1 hour) to 280 CHF (2 hours), plus admission fees. Additional fees for tours outside regular hours.
5. Textile Library Services: Annual library fee of 10 CHF for open access library use, free for students under 30 and museum members. Inter-library and postal lending available for 10 CHF per item.
6. Tröckneturm Venue Rental: Historic drying tower available for private and corporate events (60-80 persons), weddings, and meetings. Includes ground floor with projector, screen, WiFi, and kitchen facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Textilmuseum St.Gallen is a non-profit textile museum that operates permanent and rotating exhibitions, a specialized textile library, an online collection catalogue of approximately 2,000 textiles, and educational programs for schools and families. The museum also runs a retail shop selling textile-related goods, offers multilingual guided tours, and rents out the historic 1825 Tröckneturm drying tower as a venue for private and corporate events.

Product overview

Textilmuseum St.Gallen operates as a comprehensive cultural institution offering multiple interconnected services. The core offering includes a permanent exhibition ('Of Material Value') showcasing the history of Swiss textiles, rotating special exhibitions (2-3 per year), and a digital collection catalogue with approximately 2,000 accessible textiles online. The museum provides educational services through school programs and workshops, operates a specialized textile library with open access and lending services, and maintains a digital presence through the TM Digital platform and a free TextileStGallen app. Additional services include guided tours, restoration consultations, a museum shop, and membership programs including an exclusive Museum Club for industry professionals. The museum is undergoing a major renewal project (2026-2030) to transform its historic 1886 building into a professional cultural institution with expanded exhibition spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tröckneturm St.Gallen: A historic drying tower from the heyday of the textile industry in St.Gallen, dating to 1825. It is one of the most important architectural witnesses of the golden age of Eastern Swiss textile industry. The tower can be rented for private and professional events, and serves as a wedding venue since January 2023.

Products and services

• Permanent Exhibition "Of Material Value" (Guter Stoff) Long-running permanent exhibition showcasing historical Swiss textiles, embroidery, lace, fabrics, costumes, sample books, and fashion photographs through three interpretive themes. Designed for general museum visitors, families, and school groups.
• Online Collection Catalogue Digital catalogue making approximately 2,000 textiles from the museum's broader 56,000-object collection publicly searchable and viewable online. Objects span several centuries and many parts of the world. For researchers, designers, students, and the general public.
• Textile Library Specialized open-access library on the museum's first floor containing books, catalogues, models, historical sample books, fashion sketches, and photographs related to textiles. Open Wednesday 12-5pm with lending services available to registered members. Aimed at textile industry professionals, designers, researchers, and students.
• School Programs and Educational Workshops Guided tours, workshops, and the Textile and Design Laboratory for K-12 and higher education covering textile history, production techniques, globalization, sustainability, and consumption. Free admission for schoolchildren up to age 18 in public schools in St.Gallen city and canton.
• Guided Tours Private guided tours of exhibitions, the Textile Library, and the Tröckneturm, available in German, English, and French. Duration-based pricing from 140 CHF (1 hour) to 280 CHF (2 hours), plus admission fees.
• Tröckneturm Venue Rental Historic 25-meter drying tower from 1825 available for private and corporate events (60-80 persons), weddings, and meetings. Includes ground floor with projector, screen, WiFi, and kitchen facilities. Also offers guided tours.
• Museum Shop Retail shop on the museum's ground floor selling exclusive textile items including foulards, fine jewellery, traditional Glarnertüechli scarves, embroidery from Eastern Switzerland, and innovative designs from young Swiss designers. Accessible without museum ticket; postal shipping available within Switzerland on request.
• Museum Club Membership (Museumsclub der Textilindustrie) Premium membership program for textile industry professionals and designers offering unlimited access to the Textile Library, photography rights for catalogue samples, and 25% discount on private exhibition tours.
• TextileStGallen Mobile App Free smartphone app allowing users to explore the lasting effect of the textile industry on St. Gallen and surrounding region. Usable on-site or remotely from home, available on App Store (id1456297987) and Google Play.
• Collection Consultation Service (Beratung über Mittag) Curatorial consultation service where visitors can bring textile items for examination by the curator, who provides information about the treasures. No valuations are provided in accordance with ICOM Code of Ethics. For private collectors and visitors.
• Textile Restoration Services Textile restoration services offered by the museum's textile restorer and conservator. Documented work includes the complete restoration and reassembly of a historical ball gown attributed to Empress Eugénie de Montijo made of Alençon lace.

Quantifiable outcome

• Museum attracts visitors from Switzerland and abroad with varied event programme and museum-related educational activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TEXTaiLES (EU Project)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Horizon research project on textile digitization tools and methods for cultural heritage, involving nine European universities (2024-2027). Strengthens international scientific engagement and positions museum at forefront of textile heritage digitization.
• SwissTextilescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational textile industry association providing support and collaboration for textile-related initiatives and exhibitions.
• St. Gallen-Bodensee TourismusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism partnership for visitor promotion and cultural tourism initiatives.
• Schweizer NationalmuseumminorOthersNational museum partnership for potential exhibitions and collections sharing.
• Museum für Gestaltung ZürichminorOthersDesign museum partnership for cultural exchange and exhibition collaboration.
• Victoria & Albert MuseumminorOthersInternational museum partnership for potential exhibitions and cultural exchange.
• MAK Museum für Angewandte Kunst WienminorOthersAustrian applied arts museum partnership for international cultural exchange.
• Hochschule Luzern – Design & KunstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for research collaboration and student engagement.
• Universität BernminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for art history and textile arts research programs.
• HSG Universität St.GallenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal university partnership for research and educational initiatives.
• kklick Kulturvermittlung OstschweizminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural mediation organization for schools and families in Eastern Switzerland.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/textilmuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/textilmuseum
• Pinterestpinterest.ch/textilmuseumstgallen/pins
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/textilmuseum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Textilmuseum St.Gallen