If you are looking for an engaging, family-friendly outing in Central Switzerland—especially on a rainy weekend—the Ziegelei Museum (Brickworks Museum) in Cham is a true hidden gem. Located just outside Zug and less than 35 minutes from both Zurich and Lucerne, this interactive museum blends regional industrial heritage and architectural craft with hands-on building stations that kept our kids entertained for nearly three hours. Here is our review of what to expect at the Ziegelei Museum Cham, including an overview of the kid-friendly exhibits and practical tips for planning your visit.
A Brief History: From Monastic Clay to Modern Museum
The area surrounding the museum, known as the Kellenmattgraben, has long been prized for its rich, high-quality clay deposits. As early as 1645, clay was extracted here to manufacture bricks and roofing tiles for a nearby Convent. In 1873, brickmaker Martin Lörch purchased the land and established a traditional manual brickworks (Handziegelei), which operated until 1933. After sitting dormant for decades, the property was preserved in 1982 by the Stiftung Ziegelei-Museum. Today, it stands as the only preserved historical manual brickworks in Switzerland.
Parent Tip: When traveling around Switzerland, take a closer look at historic town rooflines. You will often spot glazed, ornate tiles arranged in vibrant patterns. Visiting this museum gave us an up-close look at this craft, leaving our whole family with a much better appreciation for the manual labor and artistry behind every single tile.
Exploring the Indoor Museum
The main exhibition building spans three levels: a basement gallery, a ground floor (reception, museum café, and gift shop), and an upper exhibition floor. The entire facility is step-free and equipped with an elevator, making it completely stroller-friendly.
Upper Floor: Construction Ceramics & Interactive Play
The upper level details the history and technology of structural ceramics. While the exhibition space is relatively compact, it is exceptionally well organized for families. The open floor plan allowed me to browse the historical displays and read through the placards while still keeping an eye on the kids as they moved between play areas.
- Self-Guided Tours: Adults can choose from four distinct thematic trails—History, Beliefs, Work, and Invention. There is also a dedicated discovery trail for children. While the exhibit signs are in German, the museum provides free guest Wi-Fi, making it quick and easy to translate text using a smartphone camera.
- Hands-On Stations for Kids: Our kids spent the bulk of their time on this floor. Highlights included:
- Giant foam bricks for building walls and forts.
- Glazed ceramic roof tiles to sort and arrange into patterns.
- Miniature stacking bricks for architectural designs.
- A ceramic marble run that was an instant favorite with our children.
Lower Level: Historic Kiln Molds & Sound
After spending most of our morning upstairs, we made a quick stop in the basement gallery. This space houses antique clay molds, decorative ornamental tiles (Feierabendziegel), and historical firing tools.
- Kid-Friendly Highlights: Children can design and cut their own paper tiles to tack onto a miniature roof display. There is also a set of playable ceramic chime/xylophone instruments that demonstrate the musical acoustic resonance of fired clay.
Outdoor Exhibits & Grounds
The museum grounds sit alongside a protected nature biotope formed in the old, rainwater-filled clay pits.
The Historic Ziegelhütte (Brickworks Shed)
This open-timber historical barn showcases the original workspace where raw clay was pressed into wooden molds.
- Clay Workshop (Offene Tonwerkstatt): Every Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, the museum opens the workshop for visitors of all ages to mold raw clay and hand-craft their own bricks. We visited on a Saturday, so we couldn’t participate, but seeing the drying shelves filled with earlier creations convinced us we need to return on a Sunday.
The Ofenturm (Kiln Tower)
Rising above the grounds is the 9-meter Ofenturm (Kiln Tower), an architectural centerpiece constructed from prestressed rammed earth that hosts rotating art installations. A spiral staircase leads to an open viewing deck overlooking the surrounding wetlands. Keep in mind that the open-grate metal stairs might feel intimidating for anyone with a fear of heights (the top exit hatch was closed during our visit).
Forest Walk & Nature Biotope
Adjacent to the outdoor café seating and the brick barn is a peaceful nature trail looping through the woodlands. It is a spot to let kids burn off energy outdoors after touring the indoor galleries.
Final Thoughts: Ziegelei Museum Cham
We were pleasantly surprised by our visit to the Ziegelei Museum. It strikes an ideal balance for families: authentic local history for adults and engaging, tactile building challenges for kids. If your children love building with LEGOs, wooden blocks, or magnetic tiles, they will have a blast experimenting with the materials here. It is an affordable, rewarding rainy-day outing in the Zug and Lucerne area, and we are already planning our return trip on a Sunday to get our hands messy in the brick-making workshop.
Be sure to check out our other Canton Zug family guides for more regional day-trip inspiration!