The Kunstmuseum Basel hosts an exquisite collection of European art from the medieval period to the 20th century. Highlights include a whole room dedicated to masterpieces by Picasso, and works by Holbein and Monet.
The Beyeler Foundation has 140 modern classic artworks in their collection, including 23 Picassos.
One of Basel’s favorite sons, Jean Tinguely, has a museum dedicated to his incredible animated mechanical sculptures. The Museum Jean Tinguely is devoted to his works, and also includes works by other “kinetic” modern artists.
The Museum of Ancient Art (Antikenmuseum), has a fine collection of ancient artworks, mainly Egyptian, Greek, Italic, Etruscan, Roman, from the 4th millennium BC to the 7th century AD; also works from the Near East and Cyprus.
Other area museums include: the Museum of Culture, with ethnographies of Europe, the South Pacific, Mesoamerica, Tibet, and Bali; the Music Museum, featuring the history of 16th-to-20th century music and 650 instruments; the Caricature & Cartoon Museum, with cartoons, parodies, and pastiches of 700 artists from a dozen nations; and a toy museum, the Spielzeug Welten Museum, with 6000 teddy bears, dolls, toy shops, doll houses, and miniatures.
