Musée d'Art et d'Histoire — Attraction in Geneva

Short review: not a good place for family’s with young children/babies who want/need to bring a buggy. Long review: I had made sure I’d checked the website for access details as I’m always worried we won’t get round somewhere with the buggy. I may have missed some fine print or possibly there was more info on the French site, who knows. But it said disabled access available which usually means buggy’s are good to go also. We started our freezing cold windy day by doing a full circle of the building as it was obvious from the large flight of steps and small door way that the main door was not the for mentioned access. When we did find the door it turned out we had to be “buzzed” in through a large service entrance and taken up by a staff member to the museum. If I was a disabled person I would of felt totally embarrassed and degraded. We decided to eat first. Now I must mention that the food was excellent, however it was in the form of a strange fine dining kind of experience which only added to the bewilderment and uncomfortableness we already felt as it didn’t feel particularly welcoming to us and our 6 month old son. So on trying to navigate the museum a few things become apparent. Firstly the service lift we had come up in had put us at the end of the first lot of exhibitions, so we had to walk “backwards” through everything only to then double back in order to find a second lift to the rest of the museum. Secondly the signposting is utterly horrible and unhelpful. Thirdly after eventually locating said lift (my husband had to go on a small expedition to find it as staff weren’t very helpful) we had to go back out into the freezing wind to use it and then on trying to leave the museum were told we couldn’t go the quick and easy way back through the exhibits but in fact had to go right the way through everything from the first room to the last!? Utterly ridiculous! All in all the complete weirdness and difficulties trying to navigate the museum completely overshadowed what are in fact quite nice exhibits....

It is my first time to upload this kind of message But I cannot help writing this because it was the worst experience for me during this Geneva trip And I have never experienced such bad manner by a officer in the reception desk so far in any tourist attractions On 13th April afternoon(around 15:00), the man who worked in reception forced me to give donations in very rude manner shouting loudly

When I asked whether I could donate with coins, he told me that I should donate with bills showing 10 sFr from cash box or card

Because of his bad manner, my mind of donation was disappeared and I asked him what the meaning of donation is Then suddenly he threw the ticket on the desk and shouted at me It was terrible manner He seemed like a racist to Asian So I did not enter the museum Because nobody want to enter after being treated in such disrespectful manner

I do not believe that it is because of museum policy but If museum want to get any money, please honestly request us at least the minimum entrance fee without using word of donation Then I will gladly pay it

Because Donation means that person can decide whether to give or not and how much money we give

I asked him for his name But he refused to tell me his name

So I think it is the only way to complain this kind of thing should not happen again to anybody

So far I have met many great Swiss persons so I have loved Swiss But today my mind was changed because of his...

The Building as itself gave me an impression. This time as a budjet traveller I was happy to find out : it's "pay what you wish". I asked if I could later just buy cards from their musum Shop and pay like that. I like the massive long stairs and style of the atmosphere. About the paintings ; I have to say, I was so interested and even pleasantly schocked by the faces of some of the portraits and characters on paintings. My experiences of 15th - to - 19th century "classical paintings" has not included yet these wonky and maniac smiles and very extra ordinary face expressions. That was very impressive personally to me. Forget the "humble" and "sweet" and "religious" and "serious" medieval and late 17th century seriousness and "Mona Lisa's smiles". These guys are straight from mental ward and some of them smiling in meaning no good, I swear. There is some real magic in this collection, also included paintings from artists like "Vincent van Gogh" and several other well known Masters. I left with crazy empty headed grotesque cards with picture of a demon angel child to be sent to my art professor grandmother. I can highly recommend this museum and and it's art collections. In best possible case they even make you tripping...