A visit to the WOW Museum in Zurich is a good example of how I try to combine our hockey trips with exploring the surrounding area whenever possible. On the last Saturday in August, our daughter was scheduled to participate in girls’ hockey training and then join the others as ice escorts before the Women’s Hockey Tour games in Kloten. We decided to use the break between games for a quick visit to the WOW Museum in downtown Zurich.
WOW Museum – how to get there
The best way to get there is by public transport, as the WOW Museum is located right in the center of Zurich, near the main train station. From there, it is about a 3-5 minute walk to Werdmühlestrasse 10, where the museum is located. If you are arriving by tram, get off at the Bahnhofstrasse stop, from where it is about a 3-minute walk.
The nearest parking garage is Urania, but it can fill up very quickly on weekends. We left our car in the parking garage behind the main train station.
Opening hours and admission
Before visiting the WOW Museum, you need to reserve a time slot, because it is very popular and relatively small. We went on a whim — and we were very lucky that the weather was beautiful that Saturday afternoon, which drew people outside rather than to the museum. It is open daily except Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays until 10:00 p.m.
Admission for adults is CHF 23, for students CHF 19, for children (6–16 years) CHF 16, for children (2–5 years) CHF 5, and children under 2 years old are admitted free of charge. A family ticket for CHF 73 includes 2 adults and 2 to 4 of their own children aged 0 to 16. There is a 10% discount with the Zürich Card. On Thursdays, there is a 15% discount on admission (except during school holidays and public holidays).
There are lockers available in the cloakroom. I recommend bringing as few things as possible – but don’t forget to take your cell phone (fully charged), you’ll need it!
Our WOW Museum Experience
Right at the beginning, we were greeted by friendly staff who explained that we could connect to their free Wi-Fi and that we should follow the QR codes at each station. These take you to their app, where you can take entertaining selfies at selected locations—which, by the way, is a great way to make the most of your visit (and get perfect photos).
The first “room” was a mirror maze that would make your head spin and force you to think about what is real.
You will find lots of clever visual tricks here, such as this ladder that appears to lead to a swimming pool. There are also several rooms with mirrors that temporarily change your perspective.
On the upper floor, you will find a quieter room where you can try out various interactive activities and smaller visual illusions. And I must say that these spinning discs reminded me a lot of another place dedicated to the human senses – Sensorium in Rüttihubelbad, where you will also encounter similar optical games.
Summary
- The WOW Museum is a fun, clever, and visually impressive place. Everything is modern, imaginative, and highly interactive—from the very first minutes, it draws you into a world of optical illusions.
- In terms of age, my experience suggests it is ideal for children aged 4–13. It’s not suitable for very young children, and you can’t bring a stroller – the spaces are narrow and some installations require free movement.
- Also, when there are a lot of people here, the noise can be pretty intense (it’s a tiny space).
- At first, I thought it was pretty expensive for a family outing. But honestly, we were entertained the whole time; we laughed a lot, and if we had enough time, we could easily spend two hours there, maybe even more.
- I really appreciated the selfie stations and the fact that you can download all the photos for free later. Overall, it’s a real “Instagram pictures” hotspot.
