Collection of Outsider Art in Lausanne: a visit that awakens curiosity

Why You Want to Go There

In Lausanne, the Collection de l’Art Brut offers a different experience from traditional museums. Here, you discover works created outside official circuits, often by self-taught artists. The atmosphere is calm, intimate, conducive to discussions and questions from children. It’s a visit that broadens perspectives and nurtures curiosity, without being too long or too heavy for the youngest.

What Your Children Will Discover

You move from one room to another, encountering very personal universes: abundant drawings, surprising assemblages, notebooks, sculptures, and inventions. Children enjoy spotting details, looking for recurring patterns, imagining the stories behind each work. It’s visual, sometimes bewildering, always stimulating. You also learn that art can be born anywhere, with few resources, and that everyone has their own way of expressing the world.

What to Know Before You Go

• Recommended age: from 5–6 years old, depending on individual sensitivity. Teens also find it appealing.
• Duration: plan for 60 to 90 minutes for a leisurely visit. It can be shorter with little ones.
• Type of activity: calm, educational, and sensory. Perfect for family discussions.
• Reservation: not necessary for a free visit (except for groups). Paid entry; check current rates on the website.
• Accessibility: indoor museum, accessible by stroller and for people with reduced mobility (elevator). Cloakroom and restrooms on site.
• Public transport: very well served (Beaulieu district). By car, public parking nearby.
• To bring: comfortable shoes, a small bottle of water. Snack to take outside (no picnics in the rooms). A notebook and some crayons can extend the visit.
• Safety: protected works and clear signage. Remind children to look with their eyes.
• Season: open all year round, ideal in rainy, cold, or heatwave weather.
• Benefits for your children: curiosity and critical thinking, creativity, empathy towards varied life paths, confidence in their own perspective, vocabulary to describe and feel.

Parents' Tips

• Take a first free tour without reading everything, then return to 3 or 4 works that spoke to you.
• Ask open-ended questions: “What do you see?”, “How does it make you feel?”.
• Keep a flexible pace: a quiet break between two rooms helps the youngest.
• Plan a small ritual after the visit: drawing, keywords, photo of the ticket, to anchor memories.
• Some universes can be intense: adapt the route to your children's sensitivity.

Useful Information

• Address: Avenue des Bergières 11, 1004 Lausanne
• Official website: https://www.artbrut.ch
• Contact: +41 21 315 25 84 · [email protected]
• Hours: open all year round, generally from Tuesday to Sunday; closed on Monday. Check the hours and holidays on the website.
• Weather: perfect in any season; comfort guaranteed in case of rain or heat.
• Access: by TL, stops around Beaulieu (several lines depending on your route). By car, Beaulieu parking a few minutes' walk away. Strollers and wheelchairs: access facilitated by elevator.

Why We Recommend It

Because this visit changes children's perspectives on art and the people who create it. You find true stories, crazy ideas, simple materials transformed into treasures. It’s a soothing, accessible outing that nourishes discussions at home and inspires drawing, crafting, and inventing.

In Two Words

A short, sensitive, and inspiring cultural outing in Lausanne, ideal for awakening curiosity. Want more ideas? Create your Kidora account or subscribe to our newsletter to not miss anything in French-speaking Switzerland.