Places to Explore
PEACE MUSEUMS
Visit these museums and sites to learn more about the League of Nations and its successor the United Nations
The Palais des Nations was built to house the League of Nations
The inside of one of the conference rooms ahead of a meeting of the Big Four in 1955
1 UNITED NATIONS AND LEAGUE OF NATIONS MUSEUM
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Inside the Palais des Nations, once home of the League of Nations and a current property of the United Nations, is a museum celebrating the history of both organisations. The museum contains a wealth of historical documents, objects and artworks from both the UN’s own collection and also those of private organisations and individuals. The current exhibition on display is entitled 100 years of Multilateralism in Geneva and explores the history of this principle in relation to both the League and the United Nations.
Located in Ariana Park in Geneva, the Palais des Nations was initially constructed between 1929 and 1936 to house the League of Nations. Some 377 architects submitted entries to a competition to choose its design, but when no single winner could be chosen the five most successful were invited to collaborate. The building was intended to house all the varying aspects of the League. Today it is still in use as the second-largest UN centre after the organisation’s headquarters in New York, and more than 2,500 delegates pass through its doors each year.