Ski Museum Directory
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
The Ski Museums of the World guidebook is organized alphabetically first by country, and then by city/town. (For example, within the United States, you will find the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame listed under Ishpeming, rather than Michigan.) Within each nation’s listing, the dedicated ski museums appear in the first section, followed by other museums, collections and libraries that contain ski-history material. Museums or collections that are in storage, or have recently closed, are listed at the end of the guide.
Click here to read an overview of this guide by author and ski historian E. John B. Allen
Publication of this guidebook was partially supported by a generous grant from the Marc Hodler Foundation in Switzerland.
Trbovlje,
Španc Ski CollectionAddress:Trbovlje, 1420 Slovenia Contact: Boris Zupan Email: evazupan2@gmail.com Telephone: () Website: |
Unha, Lleida
The Snow MuseumAddress:Unha, Lleida Spain Contact: Email: vielha@baqueira.es Telephone: (34) 973 644 030 Website: www.bazueira.es/aran-aneu/vall-aran/aran-museos Snow seen from a scientific, ethnological, and sporting point of view. |
Falun, Dalarna
Dalarnas IdrottsmuseumAddress:Falun, Dalarna Sweden Contact: Elisabeth Thorin Email: elisabeth.thorin@dalarnasmuseum.se Telephone: (46) 023 138 24 Website: www.dalarnasidrottsmuseum.se |
Åsarna, Jamtland
Skimuseum ÅsarnaAddress:Åsarna, Jamtland 840 31 Sweden Contact: Email: info@asarnaskicenter.se Telephone: (46) 687 302 30 Website: www.asarnaskicenter.se |
Umeå, Västerbotten
Swedish Ski MuseumAddress:Umeå, Västerbotten 903 42 Sweden Contact: Email: info@vbm.se Telephone: (46) 9016 3900 Website: www.vbm.se Open air cultural museum of Västerbotten. Incorporates the best ski museum in Sweden, with excellent library. Ski Museum is part of Västerbotten museum complex. |
Mora, Dalarna
The Vasalopp MusuemAddress:Mora, Dalarna 792-32 Sweden Contact: Email: info@vasaloppet.se Telephone: (46) 250 392 25 Website: www.vasaloppet.se Museum of the Vasalopp. Special exhibits, one on Mora Nisse. |
Schönenwerd, Solothurn
Bally Shoe MuseumAddress:Schönenwerd, Solothurn 5012 Switzerland Contact: Email: receptioncaslano@bally.ch Telephone: (41) 916 129 111 Website: www.bally.com One of the largest collections of boots and shoes with occasional early ski boots. |
Grindelwald, Berne
Heimatmuseum GrindelwaldAddress:Grindelwald, Berne 3818 Switzerland Contact: Marco Bomio Email: grindelwald-museum@bluewin.ch Telephone: (41) 338 5343 02 Website: www.grindelwald-museum.ch The winter sport section is on the second floor. |
Arosa,
Heimatmuseum und Kulturarchiv Arosa-SchanfiggAddress:Arosa, 7050 Switzerland Contact: Email: info@arosa-museum.ch Telephone: (41) 796 765 658 Website: www.arosa-museum.ch Local museum with local archive. Essential to call ahead. |
Bad Ragaz, St. Gallen
Jürg Hess CollectionAddress:Bad Ragaz, St. Gallen 7310 Switzerland Contact: Jürg Hess Email: hess_juerg@bluewin.ch Telephone: (41) 79 616 7885 Website: Massive private collection of equipment, especially skis and bindings. |
Les Blois, Jura
Laurent Donzé CollectionAddress:Les Blois, Jura 2336 Switzerland Contact: Email: l.donze@bluewin.ch Telephone: (41) 794 188 252 Website: Private collection of c.a. 2000 cross-country skis. |
Zermatt, Wallis
Matterhorn MuseumAddress:Zermatt, Wallis 3920 Switzerland Contact: Email: matterhornmuseum@zermatt.ch Telephone: (41) 279 674 100 Website: www.zermatt.ch/en/museum Mostly on growth of Zermatt from mountain farm community to summer and winter alpine resort with much on Matterhorn climbing. |
Tramelin, Berne
Musée Du Ski GeiserAddress:Tramelin, Berne 2720 Switzerland Contact: Email: info@geiser-sports.ch Telephone: (41) 324 874 160 Website: www.geiser-sports.ch The ski museum is in the shop, various exhibits are available for ski clubs etc. |
Pontresina, Grisons
Museum Alpin PontresinaAddress:Pontresina, Grisons 7504 Switzerland Contact: Annemarie Brülisauer Email: museum@pontresina.ch Telephone: (41) 818 427 273 Website: www.pontresina.ch/museumalpin Local museum with some ski material. Exhibit on 50th anniversary of Engadin marathon. |
Näfels, Glarus
Museum Des Landes GlarusAddress:Näfels, Glarus 8752 Switzerland Contact: Jürg Davatz Email: info@freulerpalast.ch Telephone: (41) 556 121 378 Website: www.freulerpalast.ch Local museum, skiing being one of seven major exhibits with emphasis on Glarus. |
Vaz/Obervaz, Grisons
Obervaz MuseumAddress:Vaz/Obervaz, Grisons 7082 Switzerland Contact: Birgit Parpan Email: museum.vaz@bluewin.ch Telephone: (41) 81 385 21 59 Website: www.vazobervaz.ch/sportmuseum Local museum displaying importance of tourism and holding late 19th century skis. |
Saas-Fee, Wallis
Saaser MuseumAddress:Saas-Fee, Wallis 3906 Switzerland Contact: Damian Bumann Email: museum@3906.ch Telephone: (41) 792 202 853 Website: www.3906.ch/de/leben/kultur/saasermuseum Local museum with some ski-related material. |
Münchenstein, Basel
Sport Museum of SwitzerlandAddress:Münchenstein, Basel 442 Switzerland Contact: Email: info@sportmuseum.ch Telephone: () Website: As of 2019, closed and in liquidation. |
Bern, Berne
Swiss Alpine MuseumAddress:Bern, Berne 3005 Switzerland Contact: Email: info@alpinesmuseum.ch Telephone: (41) 3135 004 40 Website: www.alpinesmuseum.ch Includes skis of Hermann Hesse. Good library. |
Swiss Ski LiftsAddress:Switzerland Contact: Jakob Schuler Email: via website Telephone: (41) 79 894 51 01 Website: www.skilift-nostalgic.ch A virtual museum; comprehensive on-line depiction of ski lifts in Switzerland. |
Orsières,
Swiss Ski MuseumAddress:Orsières, 1937 Switzerland Contact: Luzi Hitz and Pierre Schneider Email: info@swissskimuseum.com Telephone: (41) 21 921 9866 Website: www.swissskimuseum.com A virtual museum; the most comprehensive online depiction and explanation of skiing development in Switzerland, run by ISHA board member Luzi Hitz and Pierre Schneider. |
Magglingen, Berne
Swiss Sports UniversityAddress:Magglingen, Berne 2532 Switzerland Contact: Email: via internet at 'media library' Telephone: (41) 323 276 226 Website: www.ehsm.ch No ski exhibits but very good library. Essential to call ahead. |
Luzern, Lucerne
Swiss Transport MuseumAddress:Luzern, Lucerne 6006 Switzerland Contact: Email: mail@verkehrshaus.ch Telephone: (41) 413 704 444 Website: www.verkehrshaus.ch Includes a replica of the Davos-Bolgen ski lift, and much on aerial tramways and their inspection. Good library. |
Lauterbrunnen, Berne
Talmuseum LauterbrunnenAddress:Lauterbrunnen, Berne 3822 Switzerland Contact: Esther Graf Email: info@talmuseumlauterbrunnen.ch Telephone: (41) 338 553 586 Website: www.talmuseumlauterbrunnen.ch One of 12 sections is a small display of skis. |
Oberwald, Wallis
Toni Hischier's Ski MuseumAddress:Oberwald, Wallis 3999 Switzerland Contact: Email: Telephone: (41) 793 299 400 Website: www.obergoms.ch/activities/for-mind-soul/museums Private collection of over 1000 skis. |
About the Author
E. John B. Allen is an emeritus professor of history at Plymouth State University and the historian for the New England Ski Museum, both located in New Hampshire, USA. Allen has had an interest in ski history since 1976. He’s an active member of the editorial review board for Skiing History, the bimonthly journal of the nonprofit International Skiing History Association (ISHA), helping to vet all articles for historical accuracy prior to publication. In writing his ten books on skiing, he has traveled to many of the museums listed in this guide. His leading books include From Skisport to Skiing: 100 Years of an American Sport (1993), The Culture and Sport of Skiing from Antiquity to World War II (2008), and FIS: 100 Years of International Skiing (2010), coauthored with Egon Theiner. He’s also the junior partner in a 2019 translation by William Frank of a Russian ski book by K.B.E.E. Eimelius, Skis in the Art of War. In 2020, his short book on 35 skiing artworks and artists will be published in Vienna.
Allen has edited two books of conference papers, International Ski History Congress Collected Papers (2002) and The Spirit of Skiing (2009). He has also published more than 60 articles and book chapters in regional, national and international journals, and written 13 encyclopedia entries. He has consulted on ten films, including Legends of American Skiing, which has appeared on the the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) from time to time since the early 1980s. He is a frequent lecturer in the United States and Europe and has been keynote speaker at academic conferences in Norway, France, Finland and in Austria, and a seminar leader in Switzerland in 2018. In 2009, he made an eight-lecture tour of Slovenia. He has received the Ullr award from the International Skiing History Association (ISHA) for three of his books and ISHA honored him with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.