The museum in figures
The Natural History Museum Basel is part of the presidential department. Below are its key financial, research and visitor numbers for 2024.
Income
86% of our income comes from contributions by the canton of Basel-Stadt. Besides that, we finance the museum's operation through admission fees, sales in the museum shop, revenue from services and through third-party funds from sponsors, benefactors and foundations.
Expenditure
60.2% of our expenses relate to staff costs. 22.3% are needed to cover the cost of renting the museum's premises. Around a sixth of our expenditure is used on running the museum, maintaining the collections, carrying out research and for exhibitions.
Income in detail
| Admissions | 681'196.– | 5,44% |
| Museum shop | 187'308.– | 1,50% |
| Guiding Tours/Events | 95'886.– | 0,76% |
| Other revenue | 68'977.– | 0.55% |
| Third-party funding exhibitions | 186'666.– | 1,49% |
| Third-party funding research | 326'528.– | 2,61% |
| Public contributions provenance research | 159'984.– | 1,28% |
| Public contributions | 10'817'287.– | 86,37% |
| Total | 12'523'832.– | 100% |
Expenses in detail
| Material costs | 2'191'970.– | 17,50% |
| Property rental | 2'789'336.– | 22,27 |
| Staffing costs | 7'542'526.– | 60,23% |
| Total | 12'523'832.– | 100% |
Visitors and users
| Permanent exhibitions | 84'001 | 52.8% |
| Temporary exhibition SEXY - Driving force of life | 50'845 | 32% |
| Temporary exhibition Wildlife Photographer of the Year | 24'193 | 15.2% |
| Total number of visitors and other guests | 159'037 | 100% |
| Other guests* | 4'879 | |
| *Other guests using the museum's location without visiting the exhibitions. |
School groups
| Canton Basel-Stadt | 1'419 | 68,8% |
| Canton Basel-Land | 450 | 21,8% |
| Rest of Switzerland | 144 | 6,9% |
| Abroad | 51 | 2,5% |
| Total | 2'064 | 100% |
Figures for collections and research
| Number of loans of objects | 12'361 | |
| Number of new collection objects | 12'448 | |
| Number of days on which guest scientists visited | 346 | |
| Scientific publications by the museum's own employees | 61 | |
| Scientific publications by external scientists about parts of the collection | 62 |
Events
In 2024, the museum team designed and carried out a total of 456 different events.
Annual reports (in German only)
Annual report 2024
Annual report 2023
Annual report 2022
Annual report 2021
Annual report 2020