Musée Wassmer – Grand Rue 58 – 1700 Fribourg – Suisse

Fribourg -> Swiss sewing machine museum with quaint objects -> Wellcome

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Swiss Sewing Machine Museum Logo
Swiss Sewing Machine Museum with Quirky Objects
Museum facade

A private collection to discover
by appointment
or request only

Located in a beautiful 18th-century patrician house
Over 250 historic sewing machines
More than 3,000 unusual objects from around the world
in 12th-century vaulted cellars

Interior view of the museum with objects



Guided tours in French, German, and English.
Allow a good hour, collection at the exit
(Suggested donation from CHF 7.-/person)
(Private, non-subsidized museum – additional donations are appreciated)

Payment: Cash or TWINT.

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Guided tour reservation form

Museum exhibition room

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FRIBOURG celebrates the 100th anniversary of Jean Tinguely!

Exhibition poster honoring Jean Tinguely
Tinguely 100 anniversary celebration
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World's largest sewing machine
“The Goliath”, the world’s largest sewing machine (1.90m)

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Historic sewing machine
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Ancestor of the lighter
The ancestor of the lighter
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Objects from the collection
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Rolling cane
The rolling cane (ancestor of the shopping cart) for errands
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Museum view
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Chestnut shelling shoes
Old shoes used to shell chestnuts -> Ardèche (France)

Old Singer sewing machine
Old Singer sewing machine
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Iron collection
Magnificent collection of irons from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries
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First washing machines
Must-see: the first washing machines, notably the old American washing machine from 1865
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Musical sewing machine cover
Sewing machine and Musical cover
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Bird sewing machine
“The Bird” sewing machine
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First mechanical vacuum cleaners
Collection of the first mechanical vacuum cleaners, above the Step-Fitness vacuum cleaner, 1905, England
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New Home Sewing Machine
New Home Sewing Machine, Paris, France
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Museum night

“Kiki” Édouard, founder of the museum, during one of his epic guided tours.

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In 2025, the museum celebrates its 40th anniversary, an adventure born from a long family history starting with the Wassmer hardware and ironmongery store in Fribourg, founded in 1890 by Peter Wassmer, who was also the mayor of Derendingen in the canton of Solothurn. Over time, this family business transformed, giving rise to a unique museum where curiosities, antique sewing machines, and unusual objects intertwine, bearing witness to the craftsmanship of yesteryear and the passionate commitment of several generations of the Wassmer family. Housed in a beautiful patrician home in the old town of Fribourg, the museum invites its visitors on a journey through time, blending anecdotes, remarkable collections, and an atmosphere that is as convivial as it is intellectual.
Wassmer Hardware Store

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Museum Wassmer Fribourg

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Swiss Sewing Machine and Unusual Objects Museum
Grand-Rue 58, 1700 Fribourg
Guided tours only. Allow a good hour, collection at the exit (suggested donation from CHF 7.-/person)
Reservations:
www.museewassmer.com

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About the museum founder’s son
A multidisciplinary artist, he draws his inspiration from matter, music, light, and movement. Currently guide, owner, curator, restorer, secretary, and caretaker of the Swiss Sewing Machine and Unusual Objects Museum in Fribourg, he explores sculpture, design, photography, and sound composition with a unique sensitivity.
Learn more about his background – his works as part of the museum’s creation collection

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Thank you for visiting the site
and we look forward
to welcoming you soon
at the museum!