This museum could be incredible but instead it’s a very frustrating experience, especially for non-English speakers. I don’t expect everyone to cater to English speakers; these problems transcend that.

There are many impressive Ancient Greek and Egyptian pieces, but little information about most of them in any language, even less so in English.

There is a map that is supposed to highlight some key important pieces and provide additional info, but the map isn’t always correct and the additional information is in German and formatted in a way that makes it difficult to scan with your phone for translation.

There are information placards in most rooms, but they are printed on clear plastic, which means there are shadows from the text on the wall immediately behind. This makes it look like more text and so if you take a picture for translation, the translation app is completely confused. Simply using an opaque background would solve this problem without the need for posting an English translation.

I just found myself very confused and wanting so much more information as I gazed on the impressive collection. Why were some things in a display case and others out in the open? Were the uncovered pieces replicas? Why are so many pieces from these cultures in Switzerland instead of in their native countries? After a couple of hours in the museum I still have no idea about any of this.

Adding insult to injury, a good portion of the museum was closed as of early September 2022.