The Alexis Forel Museum is an art museum housed in a medieval house on Morges’ Grand-Rue, founded in 1918. Here you can discover temporary exhibitions of Swiss art, old prints and a historic interior with an Italian-style courtyard.
Fine and applied arts museums
Main highlights
- Temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, photography, design and decorative arts
- Historic house listed as a heritage site of national importance, with an Italian-style inner courtyard
- Old prints from Italy, Flanders and France collected by Alexis Forel
Overview
The Alexis Forel Museum is an art museum founded in 1918 in Morges by Alexis Forel (1852-1922), a chemical engineer turned engraver, and his wife Emmeline Forel (1860-1957), a painter and pastel artist. That year, the couple acquired the Maison Blanchenay, also known as the Grande Laiterie, at Grand-Rue 54.
The building is listed as a historic monument of national importance. It has been part of the medieval town fabric since Morges was founded in 1286. From the 16th century onwards, numerous rebuilds gave it its present appearance.
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What to see and do
The museum showcases the Swiss art scene and its fine arts collections. The temporary exhibitions alternate between contemporary art, photography, design and decorative arts, across more than 700 m² spread over three floors.
The permanent collection brings together Italian, Flemish and French prints gathered by Alexis Forel. Works by Emmeline Forel, painter and pastel artist, complete the collection and illustrate women’s artistic creation in the early 20th century.
The building itself is part of the visit. Staircases, corridors and nooks lead from one room to the next. Colonnades, earthenware stoves and original fireplaces sit alongside the exhibited works, around an Italian-style inner courtyard.
Practical information
Getting there : the museum is on the pedestrianised Grand-Rue, a 5-minute walk from Morges station. Paid parking is available near the town centre.
Visit duration : about an hour and a half.
Audience : the museum offers at least one activity for families or children.
On site : guided tours and educational activities.
Visitor tips
The programme changes regularly, so check which exhibition is on before you come. Allow time to explore all three floors and to pause in the inner courtyard.
The pedestrianised Grand-Rue, with its antique shops and cafés, is a great way to extend your outing in the historic centre.
Nearby
- Morges Castle, a 13th-century Savoyard square fortress on the shores of Lake Geneva, houses a group of museums dedicated to military history and the arts.
- The Maison de l’île aux oiseaux in Préverenges introduces visitors to the birds of the Venoge estuary.
- The Romanesque Church of Saint-Sulpice, built in the 11th and 12th centuries by Cluny Abbey, stands on the shores of Lake Geneva.
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