Swiss Organ Museum

Come and discover this astonishing organ collection in a 15th century barn-stop that was once a stage on Switzerland's oldest Roman road to the Great St. Bernard.

When the building was due to be demolished, it was decided to house the organs that Jean-Jacques Gramm had collected at Essertes-sur-Oron. Since 1985, thanks to the unceasing efforts of its curator, the great nave has seen an important collection develop under its admirable roof structure. It is arranged in vast spaces on two floors, so as to present the many aspects of the subject in a coherent way. The height of the museum means that several entire organ cases can be viewed.

A treasure trove of educational resources presents twenty-three centuries of history, music, organ building and technique.
- We discover the hydraule, the prototype of the very first organ built in 246 BC in Alexandria, reconstructed in life-size.
- At the other end of the scale is a large neo-classical Tschanun organ (1934), with 2,700 pipes and 39 stops.
- Between these two poles, we can admire the ancestors of the organ and several instruments from different periods, a historic Italian organ, a regale, a domestic organ from Emmental, one of the first pneumatic organs in Switzerland, several harmoniums, a pedal piano, monumental consoles, open instruments whose operation can be easily observed, several six-metre-high cases, including the one built in Morges in 1778 by Samson Scherrer.
- Various pieces of equipment are available for popular acoustic experiments.
- The collection concludes with automatic organs, clocks, serinettes and several barrel organs in perfect condition.

The museum is also full of other objects of interest to both laymen and specialists.