Kunstmuseum Basel: main building, new building, Gegenwart, prices and free hours

The Kunstmuseum Basel is made up of three buildings, and if you do not know that, you will plan badly. The main building (Hauptbau) and the new building (Neubau) stand side by side on St. Alban-Graben, while the Gegenwart site is separate, by the Rhine in St. Alban-Vorstadt.

This page tells you which building to prioritise if time is short, what admission costs, when the collection is free and which exhibitions are announced until early 2028. On top of that come two closures that catch many visitors off guard.

Hauptbau, Neubau or Gegenwart: which first?

Together the Hauptbau and Neubau make the most efficient visit: they are next to each other and share the same opening hours. The Gegenwart is a separate place, not a wing of the museum, and you reach it with a short walk of its own.

For a single hour, the answer is the Hauptbau, with a selection of the old masters' rooms. Two to three hours are enough for the Hauptbau and a special exhibition in the Neubau, half a day for all three buildings, provided the Gegenwart is open.

Photo: Basmus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How much is the Kunstmuseum, and when is it free?

The collection is free at set times: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 5pm to 6pm, and Wednesdays from 5pm to 8pm. That applies to the collection, not necessarily to special exhibitions, which is exactly what causes surprises at the desk.

The 25 and 30 francs are not a contradiction between sources but two tickets. If you only want the collection you pay less; if you come for a major exhibition you pay more. Check on the day whether the Museum Pass covers every exhibition.

During Art Basel 2026, admission was free with the VIP First Choice Pass and the Artist VIP Pass, and the Preview VIP Pass gave a discount. That only applied to those fair passes, not to the general public.

When is the Kunstmuseum open?

Wednesday evening is the Hauptbau's only late opening, and it coincides with the collection's longest free period. If you want peace and quiet, a weekday morning will serve you better.

The closures you need to know about

The Gegenwart is closed up to and including 27 November 2026 while an exhibition is installed, and reopens on 28 November 2026 with "Wenn ich hier bin", a show of the contemporary collection running until 21 March 2027. Until then, pictures showing all three buildings together are misleading.

During Fasnacht, according to baselswitzerlandtours.com, the museum is closed from 15 to 17 February 2027. For 24 December 2026 the sources contradict each other: one mentions a closure, while the museum's visitor page shows opening from 10am to 6pm on Christmas Eve. Check that day directly with the museum.

Which exhibitions are on until 2028?

"Van Gogh, Hodler and a Convertible" is more than a row of paintings. It tells the story of Gertrud Dübi-Müller, collector, photographer, motorist and mountaineer, and her closeness to artists; the museum calls it the first comprehensive exhibition about her.

Alongside it, in 2026 the museum showed the collection of Karl and Marianne Im Obersteg-Buess as a study of friendship, collecting and taste. Both exhibitions show what defines the Kunstmuseum: a collection that grew out of Basel patronage.

What do you see in the Hauptbau?

The Hauptbau tells the museum's identity: medieval art, the Renaissance with Hans Holbein the Younger, Konrad Witz, Swiss and Basel painting, Arnold Böcklin in the 19th century and modernism with Picasso and Cubism. Holbein and Witz give the museum a historical depth that no new building can replace.

A hang is not an inventory, though. Works are lent, restored or moved, and the museum does not publish a list of works currently missing. If you are coming for a particular painting, ask beforehand.

What does the Gegenwart site show?

The Gegenwart is devoted to contemporary art, with a collection and exhibitions, and is not a second version of the Hauptbau. After installation it reopens with "Wenn ich hier bin", a show of its own contemporary collection.

In summer 2027 comes "Vanguardistas", the exhibition on 100 years of Latin American women artists, from 1 May 2027 to 5 September 2027. It therefore runs during Art Basel as well, which makes the Gegenwart a worthwhile detour during fair week.

Can you skip the queue?

An online ticket can shorten the wait at the desk but does not guarantee entry without queuing. There is the queue at the desk, the check at the entrance, time slots for some exhibitions and, during fair week, general crowding.

The museum does not say whether there is genuine fast-track entry, compulsory booking or a quota per slot. For major exhibitions, allow some extra time and ideally arrive at opening.

What might disappoint?

• A famous work is on loan or being restored.
• A special exhibition takes up almost the whole Neubau.
• The Gegenwart is closed for installation, as until the end of November 2026.
• The three buildings are not linked by an indoor route.
• The price depends on whether a special exhibition is included.

There is no list of works currently missing, no share of masterpieces on view and no guarantee that Holbein, Witz, Böcklin or Picasso are hanging. None of that is a reason to avoid the museum, but all of it is a reason to check the "Plan your visit" page and the day's exhibition the day before.

When does the BaselCard pay off at the Kunstmuseum?

Always, if you have it anyway: guests at Basel accommodation receive it with the visitor tax. The collection then costs 18.75 CHF instead of 25, and a special exhibition 22.50 CHF instead of 30.

For two adults that saves 12.50 to 15 francs per visit, plus free trams. If you only want the collection and have time in the evening, the free hour is cheaper still, but you give up the special exhibition and quiet rooms.

How do you get to the Kunstmuseum?

The Hauptbau and Neubau are in the heart of Grossbasel, within walking distance of Barfüsserplatz and the Minster. For the Gegenwart by the Rhine, plan a short separate walk, as there is no indoor link.

By car, the Kunstmuseum car park is the obvious choice, at 3 CHF an hour during the day and no more than 30 CHF a day. Free spaces are shown on Basel parking live, and trams and fares are explained in getting around Basel.

Is the Kunstmuseum accessible?

Our sources do not publish a breakdown per building covering step-free access, lifts, door widths, toilets and loan wheelchairs. Architectural photos prove nothing about accessibility.

If you depend on it, clarify the details with the museum directly before your visit, for each of the three buildings separately.

How busy is it during Art Basel?

During Art Basel 2026 the museum opened from 15 to 21 June with special hours, mostly 9am to 6pm and, exceptionally, on Monday too. No special hours have been published for June 2027 yet, and the 2026 hours do not apply automatically.

Expect more groups and bigger crowds in the major exhibitions that week, although there are no figures. The fair itself, from 17 June 2027 to 20 June 2027, is explained in our guide to Art Basel.

Photo: Michielverbeek, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How do you combine the Kunstmuseum with other museums?

The classic pairing is the Kunstmuseum on day one and the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen on day two. For a change from painting, head to Museum Tinguely on the other bank of the Rhine.

How to turn that into a plan is in things to do in Basel, and every sight with the time it takes in things to see in Basel. You will find the right district to stay in in where to stay in Basel.

Sources: Kunstmuseum Basel (plan your visit, updated 21 October 2026, current exhibitions, 2027 preview, pages on "Van Gogh, Hodler and a Convertible" and "Friendship, Collecting, Taste", Art Basel 2026), baselswitzerlandtours.com (free hours, closures on 24 December and during Fasnacht), Art Basel (2027 dates), Parkleitsystem Basel.