Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis

What it is

The Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis tells how Zermatt went from a farming hamlet to a mountain resort, and how the Matterhorn changed everything. It is an underground museum, beneath the church square: you walk in and wander among original houses from old Zermatt, with their interiors, as if the village had been buried. Hence the name, Zermatlantis.

What you see

The piece everyone looks for is the broken rope from the first ascent of the Matterhorn, in 1865. Edward Whymper's party reached the summit on 14 July, but on the way down the rope snapped and four of the seven men fell down the north face. The museum keeps the rope and objects belonging to the climbers who died.

There are also much older finds, such as a Neolithic stone axe and the discoveries of a 16th-century mercenary, a relief model of the Matterhorn showing its climbing routes and a multimedia room with scenes from "Der Berg ruft", Luis Trenker's film about that ascent. Audio guides are available in German, English, French and Japanese; not in Spanish.

An unhurried visit takes around an hour.

Opening hours

It opens only in the afternoon and closes in November. According to Zermatt Tourismus:

• 1 to 19 November 2026: closed.
• 20 November to 17 December 2026: Friday to Sunday, 15:00 to 18:00.
• 18 December 2026 to 31 May 2027: every day, 15:00 to 18:00.
• 1 June to 30 September 2027: every day, 14:00 to 18:00.
• October 2027: every day, 15:00 to 18:00.
• 1 to 18 November 2027: closed.

Tickets

Adults, CHF 12; over-64s, CHF 10; students, CHF 8; ages 10 to 16, CHF 7; children under 10 accompanied by an adult, free. Groups of 8 or more pay CHF 10 per person. With the Swiss Museum Pass you get in free, and the Swiss Travel Pass, the Swiss Flexi Pass and the Swiss Youth Pass are also accepted.

Getting there

It is on the Kirchplatz, the church square, right in the centre of Zermatt, a few minutes' walk from the station along the main street. Zermatt does not allow petrol or diesel cars: if you come by car, leave it in Täsch and take the shuttle train.

Accessibility, children and dogs

The museum is wheelchair accessible. Zermatt Tourismus describes it as suitable for families. Dogs are not allowed.

When it fits

It is the plan for a rainy afternoon, or for the day when the Matterhorn is hidden and a cable car is not worth paying for. It also suits the end of the day, after coming down from the mountain, since it opens in the afternoon: if you have been up the Gornergrat or seen the Hörnlihütte, here you understand what happened on that ridge in 1865.