The building replaced an earlier fortified tower probably built in the early 13th century by the House of Rapperswil as part of the former town wall that in the first construction phase stretched from the castle and parish church on the Lindenhof hill towards the present Einsiedlerhaus on Zürichsee lake shore.

The building replaced an earlier fortified tower that was part of the former town wall that in the first construction phase stretched from the castle and parish church on the Lindenhof hill towards the present Einsiedlerhaus on Zürichsee lake shore.

The small exposition includes the gold and silver treasure which is exhibited in the Stadtmuseum Rapperswil-Jona, the circular council table made by Conrad Lütbrand in 1618, paintings by the Rapperswil artists Felix Maria Diogg and Johann Michael Hunger, and the stained glass windows.

In the entrance hall on the first floor, there is shown the golden banner given by Pope Julius II to the citizens of Rapperswil who supported his military campaign in the Lombardy against the French king in 1512.

The city archives of the political community and the so-called Ortsgemeinde (citizenry) consist of several thousand documents, among them council and court records, some predominantly chronicles handwritten by clergymen, parish books and so on.

Attached are the photo archives and the puncture and plan collection comprising some audio and film documents from the recent past, as well as private estates and a library, also location-based publications, including newspaper articles about Rapperswil since around 1950.

Besides the restaurant, the city archives and the art exhibition, the Rathaus building is the center of an ancient Carnival festival: on Shrove Tuesday the traditional Herrenessen, the dinner of the council members and cabaret program with distinguished guests, is celcebrated on occasion of Eis-zwei-Geissebei when hundreds of children gather at the main square (Hauptplatz).

Following the so-called Austeilete by the council members to the children, in the evening all regional Guggenmusik (carnival marching bands) gather at Hauptplatz and on Lindenhof at Schloss Rapperswil to celebrate a roaring concert.