Guided Tours
Guided Tours
Education plays an important part at the Vitra Design Museum. A specially trained team develops specific educational activities that are tailored to audience´s needs and enable visitors of different ages to learn about and engage with design and architecture. Our educational activities are aimed at children and young adults, as well as expert audiences, students and all design- and architecture enthusiasts. A wide-ranging programme of tours, workshops, talks and other events allows visitors to gain a deeper insight into the multifaceted field of design and architecture. We are happy to assist you in choosing an activity suitable for you and your group.
> Privately bookable guided tours
For further information and reservation please contact us via info(at)design-museum.de or T +49.7621.702.3200
Architecture Tours
Architecture Tours
Architecture Tour 2h (DE)
TOUR
Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m., VitraHaus
Friday–Sunday and on public holidays
11 am and 2 pm, VitraHaus
Discover the Vitra Campus with a guided tour and learn about the story of the Vitra company and its architecture campus in Weil am Rhein. The tour spotlights the Fire Station by Zaha Hadid, the Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando, and the Vitra Schaudepot by Herzog & de Meuron without neglecting the architectural landmarks along the way: the factory buildings by Frank Gehry, Nicholas Grimshaw, Álvaro Siza, and SANAA, the Umbrella House by Kazuo Shinohara, Jean Prouvé’s petrol station, and the Doshi retreat by Balkrishna Doshi with Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof. The VitraHaus by Herzog & de Meuron is open to the public and you are welcome to explore its interiors after the tour.
€ 18.00 per person, concessions € 16.00 per person
Tickets
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Architecture Tour 2h (EN)
TOUR
Monday–Thursday, 12 noon, VitraHaus
Friday–Sunday and on public holidays,
12 noon and 3 pm, VitraHaus
Discover the Vitra Campus with a guided tour and learn about the story of the Vitra company and its architecture campus in Weil am Rhein. The tour spotlights the Fire Station by Zaha Hadid, the Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando, and the Vitra Schaudepot by Herzog & de Meuron without neglecting the architectural landmarks along the way: the factory buildings by Frank Gehry, Nicholas Grimshaw, Álvaro Siza, and SANAA, the Umbrella House by Kazuo Shinohara, Jean Prouvé’s petrol station, and the Doshi retreat by Balkrishna Doshi with Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof. The VitraHaus by Herzog & de Meuron is open to the public and you are welcome to explore its interiors after the tour.
€ 18.00 per person, concessions € 16.00 per person
Tickets
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Architecture tour 2h (FR)
Every first Saturday of the month and on French public holidays (1 and 11 November, 25 December, 1 January)
2.30 pm, VitraHaus
Discover the Vitra Campus with a guided tour and learn about the story of the Vitra company and its architecture campus in Weil am Rhein. The tour spotlights the Fire Station by Zaha Hadid, the Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando, and the Vitra Schaudepot by Herzog & de Meuron without neglecting the architectural landmarks along the way: the factory buildings by Frank Gehry, Nicholas Grimshaw, Álvaro Siza, and SANAA, the Umbrella House by Kazuo Shinohara, Jean Prouvé’s petrol station, and the Doshi retreat by Balkrishna Doshi with Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof. The VitraHaus by Herzog & de Meuron is open to the public and you are welcome to explore its interiors after the tour.
€ 18.00 per person, concessions € 16.00 per person
Guided Tours – Vitra Design Museum
Guided Tours – Vitra Design Museum
The exhibitions in the Vitra Design Museum and Vitra Schaudepot can be visited independently or with guided tours. Groups can book guided tours individually. Along with German and English, we also offer guided tours in French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. Please note that only guides of the Vitra Design Museum are allowed to conduct guided tours through the exhibition and on the Vitra Campus.
Geoffrey Bawa: Architecture for the Senses
GUIDED TOUR (DE)
From 4 October 2026, every Sunday and on public holidays
3 pm, Vitra Design Museum
With a career spanning over 50 years and more than 200 completed projects, Geoffrey Bawa (1919–2003) ranks among the most influential architects in twentieth-century Asia. His work uniquely combines the principles of Modernism with regional and traditional elements, developing a distinctive architectural language that responds sensitively to the site, local materials, and cultural identities. Bawa’s oeuvre had a lasting influence on the architecture of post-colonial Sri Lanka and encompasses hotels, private homes, schools, universities, factories, office buildings, and the country’s Parliament building. Today, his approach is being rediscovered worldwide and serves as an inspiring model for socially and environmentally sustainable architecture.
Duration: approx. 60 minutes
€ 10.00 per person, concessions € 8.00 per person, plus admission
Tickets
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Geoffrey Bawa: Architecture for the Senses
GUIDED TOUR (EN)
From 3 October 2026, every Saturday
3 pm, Vitra Design Museum
With a career spanning over 50 years and more than 200 completed projects, Geoffrey Bawa (1919–2003) ranks among the most influential architects in twentieth-century Asia. His work uniquely combines the principles of Modernism with regional and traditional elements, developing a distinctive architectural language that responds sensitively to the site, local materials and cultural identities. Bawa’s oeuvre had a lasting influence on the architecture of post-colonial Sri Lanka and encompasses hotels, private homes, schools, universities, factories, office buildings, and the country’s Parliament building. Today, his approach is being rediscovered worldwide and serves as an inspiring model for socially and environmentally sustainable architecture.
Duration: approx. 60 minutes
€ 10.00 per person, concessions € 8.00 per person, plus admission
Guided Tours – Vitra Schaudepot
Guided Tours – Vitra Schaudepot
Verner Panton: Form, Colour, Space
The guided tour focusses on the highlights from the Vitra Design Museum collection, including rare and singular pieces from designers such as Gerrit Rietveld, Alvar Aalto, Charles & Ray Eames but also less well-known or anonymous designs, rarities and prototypes.
Panton: From Pop to Postmodern
CURATOR’S SPECIAL (DE)
Saturday, 28 November 2026
3:30 pm, Vitra Schaudepot
He hung chairs from the ceiling and transformed interiors into colourful playgrounds; few designers have shaped design in the second half of the twentieth century as decisively as Verner Panton (1926 1998). To mark the 100th anniversary of the Danish designer and architect’s birth, the Vitra Design Museum is presenting an exhibition of his work at the Vitra Schaudepot. »Verner Panton: Form, Colour, Space« illuminates Panton’s work across design periods, from iconic designs such as the Panton Chair, the Cone Chair, and the Flowerpot lamp to visionary living landscapes as well as rarely shown furniture and architectural projects. A walk-in reconstruction (edition 1/8) of the legendary Fantasy Landscape from 1970 invites visitors to immerse themselves in Panton’s sculptural, colour saturated worlds. This guided tour offers an in-depth insight into the curatorial concept behind the exhibition and demonstrates how Verner Panton’s work is explored through selected objects, archive materials, and historical contexts. It highlights the criteria for selecting objects, the approach to the museum’s collection. Furthermore, it explains how scholarly research, collection management, and exhibition design combine to create a new perspective on Panton’s work.
Duration: 1 hour
€ 18.00 per person, plus abmission
Book tickets here
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Verner Panton: Form, Colour, Space
TOUR (DE)
Every second Sunday and on public holidays
2 pm, Vitra Schaudepot
The tour will be held in German.
23.05.2026 – 09.05.2027
He designed living landscapes and suspended chairs from the ceiling: Danish architect Verner Panton (1926–1998) is one of the twentieth century’s most influential designers. His work – from furniture, fabrics, and lamps to sculptures, buildings, and interiors – radically redefined form, colour, and space. In 2026, Panton would have turned 100.
The exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum’s Schaudepot presents a part of his work chronologically and thematically, with chapters dedicated to key creations such as the Panton Chair (c. 1956–1967) and the 1970 Visiona II installation. It also explores Panton’s historical context, from new materials and production techniques to postwar social changes and the Space Age. The Vitra Design Museum maintains one of the most important Verner Panton collections of Verner Panton designs. These holdings serve as a key resource for exhibitions, loans and publications all under approval by the owner of all rights Verner Panton Design AG. The highlight of the exhibition is a walk-in reconstruction (edition 1/8) of the legendary 1970 Fantasy Landscape from 1970.
Duration: 60 mins
Booking opens on 31 May 2026
€ 10.00 per person, reduced rate € 8.00 per person
Book tickets here
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Panton for Kids
INTERACTIVE TOUR (DE)
Saturday, 22 August (11am), 19 September (11 am), 17 October, 21 November 2026 and 16 January 2027
3 pm, Vitra Schaudepot
Bright colours, rounded forms, and bold ideas: that is architect and designer Verner Panton’s world. His furniture and interiors continue to surprise us even today. Some of his chairs appear to float, others emit a magical glow. Join this family friendly interactive tour of the Vitra Schaudepot and discover how Verner Panton experimented with forms, colours, and light. Playfully focused on iconic objects, children experience designing as an activity full of fun and surprises.
€ 18 per child aged over 13 including accompanied adult, € 16 per child aged under 13 including accompanied adult.
Entry to the exhibition »Verner Panton. Form, Colour, Space« (for child and accompanied adult) is included.
Book tickets here
Special Tours
Special Tours
Garden and Sculpture (DE)
TOUR
Every Sunday and on public holidays from 1 April to 31 October
1 pm, VitraHaus
Projects by renowned architects and landscape designers – including the Tane Garden House by Tsuyoshi Tane, the Oudolf Garten by Piet Oudolf, and Renzo Piano’s »Diogene« Tiny House – demonstrate practical new ideas for sustainable building. Join a guided tour of the Vitra Campus and discover its garden and garden architecture!
€ 12.00 per person, reduced rate € 10.00 per person
Tickets
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Garden and Sculpture (EN)
TOUR
Every Saturday from 1 April to 31 October
1 pm, VitraHaus
Projects by renowned architects and landscape designers – including the Tane Garden House by Tsuyoshi Tane, the Oudolf Garten by Piet Oudolf, and Renzo Piano’s »Diogene« Tiny House – demonstrate practical new ideas for sustainable building. Join a guided tour of the Vitra Campus and discover its garden and garden architecture!
€ 12.00 per person, reduced rate € 10.00 per person
Tickets
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Doshi Retreat (DE)
TOUR
Every first Sunday of the month and on public holidays
4 pm, Vitra Design Museum
The Doshi Retreat adds a new structure to the Vitra Campus with a unique function: a space dedicated to contemplation. Designed by Balkrishna Doshi with his granddaughter Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof, it is his first completed project outside India, and also the last he worked on before his passing in 2023. Doshi was awarded the Pritzker Prize in early 2018. With the exhibition »Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People«, the Vitra Design Museum presented the first international retrospective about Doshi outside of Asia in 2019.
XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel for the Doshi Retreat was generously donated by ArcelorMittal.
€ 10.00 per person, reduced rate € 8.00 per person
Tickets
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Doshi Retreat (EN)
TOUR
Every first Saturday of the month
4 pm, Vitra Design Museum
The Doshi Retreat adds a new structure to the Vitra Campus with a unique function: a space dedicated to contemplation. Designed by Balkrishna Doshi with his granddaughter Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof, it is his first completed project outside India, and also the last he worked on before his passing in 2023. Doshi was awarded the Pritzker Prize in early 2018. With the exhibition »Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People«, the Vitra Design Museum presented the first international retrospective about Doshi outside of Asia in 2019.
XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel for the Doshi Retreat was generously donated by ArcelorMittal.
€ 10.00 per person, reduced rate € 8.00 per person
Tickets
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Hidden Treasures: The Subterranean Storage Spaces (DE)
TOUR
Friday | 11 September 2026
3 pm, Vitra Schaudepot
This tour will be held in German.
On this exclusive experience, you will explore the hidden treasures of the Vitra Design Museum. The Special Tour takes you through the highlights of our stored collections not generally accessible to the public. Discover industrial furniture design, lamps, and other masterpieces by designers including Aino Aalto, Verner Panton, Gaetano Pesce, and Charles & Ray Eames.
€ 40.00 per person
Wunderkammer
Wunderkammer
The »Wunderkammer« presents an engaging display of more than one thousand objects from the collection of former Vitra Chairman Rolf Fehlbaum. Similar to its historical antecedents, the Wunderkammer on the Vitra Campus brings together curiosities and artefacts from around the world. For all their variety and multiformity, the toy robots, space toys, comic book characters, merchandising products, and folk art in the collection share their origins in twentieth-century popular culture. Visitors to the Vitra Campus can explore the Wunderkammer on a guided tour.
Wunderkammer (DE)
TOUR
Every last Sunday per month and on public holidays
3 pm, Vitra Schaudepot
The tour will be held in German.
Robots & Space Toys: the »Wunderkammer« presents a spellbinding display of more than one thousand objects from the collection of former Vitra Chairman Rolf Fehlbaum. Mostly created by anonymous artists and designers, the robots, space toys, comic book characters, folk art, and advertising in this modern cabinet of curiosities are amazingly varied – and yet they cannot deny their shared origins in twenty-century pop culture.
€ 18.00 per person, reduced rate € 16.00 per person
Vitra Production Tours
Vitra Production Tours
Vitra Production Tour (DE)
TOUR
Every Wednesday (except public holidays)
1.30 pm, VitraHaus
Look behind the scenes and discover the Vitra Campus as a production site! On this guided tour of Frank Gehry’s factory building, you will see an Aluminium Chair come into being. The design classic by Charles & Ray Eames has been produced at Vitra to consistently high-quality standards for many decades. Find out about its story and learn about Vitra’s commitment to innovation, premium quality, and sustainability. The tour is rounded off by a demonstration at the Vitra test centre.
€ 12.00 per person, reduced rate € 10.00 per person
Tickets
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Vitra Production Tour (EN)
TOUR
Every Thursday (except public holidays)
1.30 pm, VitraHaus
Look behind the scenes and discover the Vitra Campus as a production site! On this guided tour of Frank Gehry’s factory building, you will see an Aluminium Chair come into being. The design classic by Charles & Ray Eames has been produced at Vitra to consistently high-quality standards for many decades. Find out about its story and learn about Vitra’s commitment to innovation, premium quality, and sustainability. The tour is rounded off by a demonstration at the Vitra test centre.
€ 12.00 per person, reduced rate € 10.00 per person
Offers for Children
Offers for Children
For children, we offer guided tours though the current exhibition and the Vitra Campus which are specially adapted to our young guests. The participants are introduced to the theme in an entertaining way, interact with the guide and are made familiar with the huge importance of design and architecture in their everyday environment. Also many of our workshops for children and pupils include a guided tour, followed by a practical workshop under the direction of experienced teachers.
> Privately bookable guided tours for school and university groups
For further information and reservation please contact us via info(at)design-museum.de or T +49.7621.702.3200
Offers for Schools
Offers for Schools
For school classes, we offer guided tours though the current exhibition and the Vitra Campus which are specially adapted to our young guests. The participants are introduced to the theme in an entertaining way, interact with the guide and are made familiar with the huge importance of design and architecture in their everyday environment. Also many of our workshops for children and pupils include a guided tour, followed by a practical workshop under the direction of experienced teachers.
> Privately bookable guided tours for school and university groups
For further information and reservation please contact us via info(at)design-museum.de or T +49.7621.702.3200
