The file photo shows the house where Chaplin and his family lived in Switzerland. [Photo: swissinfo.ch]

A museum celebrating Charlie Chaplin will finally open at his former Swiss home on April 17th after more than 15 years of planning.

The opening in the village of Corsier-sur-Vevey will come a day after what would have been the British screen legend's 127th birthday.

Chaplin's son Eugene Chaplin described discovering some of the exhibits on show, including his father's trademark tramp costume.

"We had a cellar, and we had loads of things there, and my mum had the key, and I think she just forgot what was there. And one day by opening some of the old cases, we discovered the costume. So, that was a good surprise."

The museum project has faced repeated stumbling blocks. It took five years to settle a lawsuit filed by a neighbor and another seven years to get a building permit.

Overlooking Lake Geneva, the large manor where Chaplin lived with his family will form half of the museum.

A separate building will house a mock-up of a Hollywood studio.

Chaplin, who died in 1977, spent the last 25 years of his life in Switzerland.