Happy New Year DP, nice to see you back.
I agree - my husband and son are regular visitors to Technorama and can easily spend the whole day there.

SBB are offering special deals on Technorama this month. Discounted rail ticket including bus from station and entry to Technorama. Looks a bargain to me.

http://ext.sbb.ch/offer/detail/?id=100984

After reading a broke-grad-student post on another thread, I wanted to revive this excellent thread. Summer's here, allegedly, which means open-air concerts. Here are the dates for free opera concerts in Centralhof, which is a pretty courtyard just off Paradeplatz in Zurich:
https://www.zuercher-festspiele.ch/e...he-centralhof/

Zuercher Festspiele are broadcasting opera and ballett on a huge screen at Muensterhof this weekend; entry is free (though the Carlton also does a dinner/covered seating deal).

Beverage stands open from 6 p.m., entry from 7 p.m., performances start at 9:30 p.m. Friday is Koenigskinder, Saturday is Swan Lake and Mahler's Symphony No. 4, Sunday is Tosca.

Werdinsel Openair 2010.
It started Friday 06/08 and runs from 15:00 on Saturday 07/08....today...
There were some good bands yesterday and about a thousand people had a lot of fun.
I think I can recommend it for a good day out tomorrow. Entry is free.
I'm working on the stage the whole day so pop by and say hi to the long-haired guy looking after the stage.... if I have time I will even be social...

Winterthur:
Coalmine - Forum for Documentary Photography http://coalmine.ch/fotogalerie_englisch.html


Zurich:
focus terra (Geology, History of the earth): http://www.focusterra.ethz.ch/index_EN

Theaterspektakel in Zurich begins this week, just about when the weather turns nice again too.

For those who have never been, it's a theater festival but there are lots of street-style performances and exhibitions to see for free. It's a really nice way to spend a summer evening - you can swim first, then eat, then just wile away the evening watching the entertainment.

Rudolfingen hosts its annual (and free) pumpkin-fest the weekend of November 5 and 6. I've never been but am told it is stunning: the whole village turns out all the lights--indoor as well as streetlamps--and at dusk more than 1,000 carved pumpkins are lit up throughout the village.

I was just out near there today, and was told by a local to get there early, shortly after dark, to avoid the crowds.

ronorp.ch has a cute write-up (in German) of cheap Januarloch stuff to do if you're still smarting from holiday budgetary excess. Such as first-come, first-served free pasta at La Stanza Thursdays and a week listing of which clubs aren't charging a cover fee eg Mascotte and Amber Tuesdays, La Catrina and alte Boerse Thursdays.

Thanks the hotel link is very helpful.

You can also get the ronorp.ch newsletter in English (for us poor unfortunate souls who can't understand enough German yet), but I think it is only a weekly summary, and sometimes by the time I receive it in my inbox, some of the events have already passed for the week.

I loved this: as part of Waidspital's open house April 16, kids can bring in their teddy bears for free medical treatment...

Free entry in the Lausanne city museums on the first saturday of each month.

Free bike rentals in several swiss cities: http://suisseroule.ch/

...an unusual "deal" for Skin Cancer Day tomorrow, May 9. You can drop in and have moles and sun spots looked at free of charge by dermatologists in your area, in many cases without an appointment. Listing of doctors participating on the Krebsliga's (cancer society) website.

not making this up: NZZ's lifestyle supplement is sponsoring a cycling event for metrosexuals on fancy bikes this weekend. Starts at 2:30 p.m. at Landesmuseum, ends at 4:30 p.m. with drinks at the Park Hyatt and prizes including a Sfr. 6000 Ochs and Junior watch for most nattily-dressed guy.

The ETH student organization has a film club. They show movies for film lovers, almost every Tuesday, at 8pm - for incredible CHF 5. The bar opens at 7.30. It is not a proper movie theatre, but rather a big room with rows of chairs. This semester, they show British movies. Next movie is A Hard Day's Night on March 6, 2012.

Link to the program: http://www.filmstelle.ch/
Address: Universitätsstrasse 6, Zürich

Enjoy
Idgie

And another one!

On June 29 / 30 and July 1, the Zurich Operahouse and the Tonhalle will broadcast their performances on big screens set up at Münsterhof. Best to get there early, entrance is free. See also Bartholomew's post above.

It is a while yet, but on the other hand, the sooner you know the easier it is to plan. Here are the details, also on other free events in the course of the Zurich Festival: http://www.zuercher-festspiele.ch/en...6151fa029fb564

Enjoy
Idgie

And another one - this time it is not really free but still looks like quite a good deal.

Some movie theaters in the big cities in Switzerland show recordings from the Royal Opera House in London once a month. The program can be found here: http://www.kitag.com/

Tickets are CHF 35 (regular), 30 (students, retirees), 25 (if you have a cinema card, i.e., carte bleue). Yes, not free, but still seems like a good deal if you are into opera or ballet.

Have fun
Idgie