Naturama Aargau

What Naturama Aargau does

Naturama Aargau (legally Stiftung Naturama Aargau) is a private foundation established in 2002 that operates the cantonal natural history museum in Aarau, Switzerland, and serves as the Canton of Aargau's designated competence center for nature and environmental topics. Its core product surface combines a permanent exhibition ("Aargauer Zeitreise") with rotating special exhibitions (including "Cool down Aargau" and "Die Katze"), an on-site Café Friedrich and museum shop, and a broad portfolio of nature education programming spanning teacher professional development, species identification courses, family excursions, children's clubs, municipal climate seminars, and an advisory hotline (Hotline Natur). The technology stack includes a TYPO3 CMS website (built by hausformat AG), Welante reservation software, a Swiss Newsletter platform (mailXpert GmbH), and immersive educational features such as the BATVISION VR experience and the "Rette Lumo!" AR game.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of streams: museum admissions (CHF 15 adults, CHF 10 children), course and workshop fees (CHF 20-306, with many free for AG/SO cantonal teachers), room rentals, Naturama Club annual memberships, on-site café and shop sales, tax-deductible donations, corporate sponsorships (notably CHF 200,000 from Mobiliar Genossenschaft for the Entsiegelung program), and recurring cantonal and municipal government funding. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer museum visits, community-led engagement through the Naturama Club and three targeted newsletters, event-driven acquisition via exhibitions and seasonal programs (Bat Night, Familiensommer, climate walks), and institutional sales to schools, municipalities, and the Aargauische Naturforschende Gesellschaft.

Customer segments span families with children, K-12 schools and teachers, Aargau municipalities (Stadt Aarau, Baden, Wettingen), nature enthusiasts and hobbyists, and a smaller corporate member base. Strategic priorities have shifted under new CEO Simon Härdí (confirmed March 2026) toward climate adaptation services and the Asphaltknacker de-sealing program, positioning Naturama beyond traditional museum education into recurring municipal climate consulting and nature promotion across the canton.

Name

Naturama Aargau

Legal name

Stiftung Naturama Aargau

Website

https://naturama.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Naturama Aargau is a nonprofit foundation operating the natural history museum in Aarau and serving as Canton Aargau's competence center for nature and environmental education, delivering exhibitions, teacher training, family programs, and municipal climate advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum & Environmental Education

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG), Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Environmental education
• Nature conservation services
• Teacher professional development
• Climate adaptation consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarau

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Museum Admissions: Entry fees for museum visitors, with differentiated pricing for adults, children, families, and free entry for club members and certain groups
2. Café and Shop: On-site Café Friedrich and museum retail shop providing food, beverages, and nature-themed merchandise
3. Course and Workshop Fees: Registration fees for educational courses including nature knowledge courses, teacher training, and nature promotion workshops, with many free offerings for AG/SO cantonal teachers
4. Room Rentals: Rental of museum spaces for private events and group visits
5. Naturama Club Memberships: Annual membership providing free museum entry, free event participation, and member benefits
6. Sponsorships and Donations: Support from sponsors and tax-deductible donations used for permanent exhibition renewal, special exhibitions, and nature projects
7. Cantonal and Municipal Funding: Government funding from Kanton Aargau and municipalities for specific programs including climate adaptation, nature promotion, and environmental education initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Naturama Aargau operates a natural history museum and environmental education centre in Aarau, Switzerland, delivering permanent and rotating exhibitions, family and school programming, teacher professional development courses, species identification and nature promotion workshops, and climate adaptation advisory services for municipalities. It also offers the Naturama Club membership programme, the Asphaltknacker de-sealing service, an on-site café (Café Friedrich), museum shop, and AR/VR educational experiences such as the "Rette Lumo!" AR game and BATVISION VR.

Product overview

Naturama Aargau operates as the Aargau competence center for nature and environmental topics, functioning as a combined museum and educational institution. The core offering comprises interactive museum exhibitions including the permanent "Aargauer Zeitreise" and rotating special exhibitions (Cool down Aargau, Die Katze, anniversary exhibitions), supplemented by a diverse portfolio of nature education programs. Educational offerings include professional development courses for teachers, family nature excursions, species identification courses, and nature promotion courses. Advisory services encompass climate consulting for municipalities and the Asphaltknacker de-sealing program. The institution also provides children's programming (Kinderclub), a nature hotline, membership club, virtual tours, and on-site café and shop facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Naturama Club: Membership program offering free museum entries and event participations for individuals, families, and companies passionate about nature.
• Asphaltknacker
• Café Friedrich
• Naturama Museums-Shop

Products and services

• Dauerausstellung - Aargauer Zeitreise (Permanent Exhibition) Permanent exhibition on Aargau's natural history including dinosaurs, mammoths, local habitats, and living animals for visitor discovery and education.
• Sonderausstellung "Cool down Aargau" Special exhibition on climate change adaptation in Aargau, demonstrating measures such as de-sealing surfaces, planting trees, and water retention to cool environments for a livable future.
• Sonderausstellung "Die Katze - unser wildes Haustier" Upcoming special exhibition exploring domestic cats as beloved pets, their wild nature, and their relationship with biodiversity.
• Jubiläumsausstellung "Unsere Umwelt, unsere Verantwortung" Anniversary exhibition celebrating 40 years of the Environment Department, highlighting the everyday roles of clean air, productive soils and intact waters.
• AR-Game "Rette Lumo!" Augmented reality adventure game for children aged 8+ in which players explore the museum with tablets following the story of anglerfish Lumo.
• Galerie Helix (Photography Gallery) Rotating photography gallery inside the museum hosting themed exhibitions such as "POROTOP" by LUNAX on climate-warming awareness.
• Kurse für Lehrpersonen (Teacher Professional Development Courses) Professional development courses for teachers covering outdoor teaching, learning assessment in outdoor settings, curriculum planning, and subject-specific training (NMG, BNE, nature studies).
• Familienexkursionen & Familiensommer Family-friendly nature excursions during school holidays including wildlife tracking, bat observation, and guided biodiversity tours.
• Artenkenntniskurse (Species Identification Courses) Species identification courses teaching participants to identify and observe local flora and fauna in various habitats.
• Naturförderkurse (Nature Promotion Courses) Practical nature promotion courses covering scythe mowing, invasive species management, wild hedge planning, and unsealing surfaces.
• Klimaberatung Aargau (Climate Advisory Service) Climate advisory service for municipalities providing guidance on climate adaptation strategies, local climate action planning, and implementation support.
• Asphaltknacker-Programm Programme supporting municipalities, institutions, and private individuals in de-sealing paved surfaces and greening areas, based on the sponge city principle.
• Hotline Natur (Nature Helpline) Telephone and email helpline where experts answer public questions about nature and everyday nature-related inquiries.
• Kinderclub (Children's Club) Children's club offering age-appropriate nature activities, including forest exploration, wildlife discovery and seasonal nature programmes.
• Gemeindeseminare (Municipal Seminars) Seminar offerings for municipalities covering climate strategies, sustainable greenery, ecological infrastructure, and climate oases.
• Naturama Club Membership Annual membership programme offering free museum entry, free event participation, and community belonging for individuals, families, and companies.
• Café Friedrich & Museums-Shop On-site café and museum shop providing refreshments and nature-themed merchandise for museum visitors.
• 360°-Rundgang (Virtual Museum Tour) Virtual 360-degree tour allowing remote exploration of the museum's exhibitions and spaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 140,000 cats estimated in canton Aargau - large addressable market for biodiversity education
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AsphaltknackerinnencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026The Asphaltknackerinnen organization provides technical expertise and hands-on support for desurfacing projects, accompanying private property owners through the Entsiegelung process and connecting them with local landscaping companies.
• Kanton AargaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCantonal government collaboration on multiple programs including Abteilung Landschaft und Gewässer commissioning nature courses, climate adaptation initiatives, and biodiversity promotion projects throughout the canton.
• Stadt AaraucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership for climate walks, Entsiegelung projects, and community environmental education programs.
• Stadt BadencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership for private property desurfacing initiative alongside Aarau, Wettingen, and the canton.
• Gemeinde WettingencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership for private property desurfacing initiative in the canton.
• Jurapark AargauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on landscape reading and experience course, connecting museum education with regional nature park offerings.
• PH FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal registration partner for some teacher professional development courses including Draussen unterrichten, Universum Boden erkunden, and An Gewässern forschen.
• Aargauische Naturforschende Gesellschaft (ANG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANG nominated Gregor Hartmann as president of the foundation council in March 2026, strengthening the connection between the museum and the cantonal natural sciences society.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Fondation Rivières: Swiss environmental NGOs (e.g., WWF Switzerland, Pro Natura) operate adjacent environmental education and policy advocacy programs. Adjacent as ecosystem participants and potential partners in cantonal-level nature education delivery.
• Verkehrshaus Luzern: Largest Swiss experience museum and a relevant benchmark for school group programming, on-site food/retail, and event-driven revenue mix in a Swiss museum context.

Broad incumbents

• Zoo Zürich: Large Swiss zoological institution combining conservation, education, and visitor experiences. Overlaps with Naturama's wildlife education and species identification course offerings.
• Museum für Naturkunde Berlin: Major German natural history museum with research-driven exhibitions and digital innovation program. Relevant as a scaled-up operating model for educational content, digitization, and visitor engagement.
• Senckenberg Nature Research Society: German natural history research and museum network combining scientific collections with public exhibitions and citizen science. Comparable on research-to-public programming.
• Umwelt Arena Schweiz: Swiss sustainability and environment experience center. Overlapping on environmental education and B2B/corporate engagement; notably the former employer of Naturama's current CEO.

Emerging players

• Biosphäre Potsdam: German environmental education center delivering interactive exhibits on biodiversity and climate. Comparable as a purpose-built nature education venue with immersive digital experiences.

Direct peers

• Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern: Swiss natural history museum operating exhibitions, school programs, and citizen science offerings. Directly comparable in scope of natural history curation and educational outreach.
• Naturhistorisches Museum Basel: Canton-level natural history museum in Basel, Switzerland with comparable permanent and special exhibitions, education programs, and cultural mandate. Closest structural analog to Naturama Aargau in size and mission.

Regional players

• Papiliorama Kerzers: Swiss tropical butterfly and nature attraction with tropical hall, Nocturama, and educational programming. Adjacent Swiss nature-based visitor experience competing for similar family and school audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/naturama_aargau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naturama-aargau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Naturama Aargau