In 1860, an amateur society, the aim of which was “to collect and preserve antique artefacts, inscriptions, historical documents, medals, coins, natural history objects, books, plans, drawings, etc.”, was founded in Nyon (statutes of the Museum Society, 23 September 1860).  After showing their collections in the Collège de Nyon, the Society handed them over to the town, which then exhibited them in part of the ground floor of the castle.  This marked the beginning of the History Museum, one of the first in Switzerland.  It was only at a later date, in 1947, following a major exhibition of Nyon porcelain, that it became the History and Porcelain Museum (nowadays Château de Nyon). This exhibition was a turning-point in the history of the Museum which set itself to expand its collections of old porcelain, produced in Nyon between 1781 and 1813.  In 2006, after six years of renovation, the Museum came to occupy the entire building (although some reception areas are still exceptionally at the disposition of the town and the public in general).