Work goes on every day in a number of workshops at the Hagen Museum
Tourismus NRW e.V., Work goes on every day in a number of workshops at the Hagen Museum

LWL-Freilichtmuseum Hagen

Hagen

LWL Open-Air Museum Hagen - Westphalian State Museum of Crafts and Technology

At the LWL Open-Air Museum in Hagen, you can combine sensory experience with knowledge. The museum offers you an insight into the crafts and technology of the 18th and 19th centuries, making it one of the few purely technical museums in Germany. Various trades from the fields of iron, printing and paper, wood, stone, ceramics and glass, food and luxury foods as well as fibers, leather and hides have been faithfully reconstructed in half-timbered houses.

Discover old working techniques

In the 70 or so workshops, you will see forging, hammering, filing, shaping, cranking, baking, printing and brewing before your very eyes. You will witness the production of ropes, paper, nails, cigars and bread and learn about forgotten working techniques. Observe how the forge fire blazes under the forge inside the houses or how the water wheel turns by the stream to move heavy mechanics inside via drive shafts, transmissions and drive belts using water power. A special exhibition on the history of the early motor vehicle trade or a photo documentation of extinct professions and activities round off the offerings of the LWL Open-Air Museum Hagen.

Landscape and technology - well worth a visit

In the scenic Mäckingerbachtal valley, beautiful half-timbered houses and a medieval atmosphere make for a tranquil and varied excursion. The LWL open-air museum in Hagen offers guided tours and an exciting program for schools, groups and clubs. There are numerous places to rest and eat in the park. For a romantic start to the Advent season, the medieval setting of the half-timbered houses in the LWL Open-Air Museum Hagen is also transformed into a Christmas market that is one thing above all: authentic, atmospheric and contemplatively beautiful. The loving decorations and magical lighting of the historic half-timbered houses create a very special pre-Christmas atmosphere.

Make yourself a culture pack!

Handicrafts and handmade products: technical history live

Its gentle rippling accompanies you on your visit to the LWL open-air museum in Hagen. On this expedition into the history of craftsmanship and technology, you will be there when bread is baked in the historic bakery.

  • The Mäckinger stream flows through a valley on the edge of the town of Hagen.
  • Its gentle babbling accompanies you on your visit to the LWL open-air museum in Hagen. On this expedition into the history of craftsmanship and technology, you can watch bread being baked in the historic bakery and the blacksmith shaping the red-hot iron in the hammer mill. You can also look over the shoulder of a broom maker and learn how to roll cigars.
  • Freshly roasted coffee, home-baked bread and many other authentic souvenirs from the historic workshops are available in the museum's own corner shop. By the way: the bread from the Mäckinger Bach is one of the best in Germany.
  • If you need a break in between, there are various places to stop for refreshments on the grounds. Among others, the "Museumsterrassen" restaurant and the beer garden in the upper village are ideal for a break. After the museum tour, travellers can stop off at the nearby Restaurant Rosengarten or Restaurant Zum Tanneneck.
  • Excursion tip: For even more history, visit the nearby Hohenlimburg Castle. Art lovers should definitely pay a visit to the Osthaus Museum Hagen. And if you're feeling sporty, enjoy a hike on the Drei-Türme-Weg (Three Towers Trail) with views as far as the Ruhr region.
  • Overnight tip: Ringhotel Zweibrücker Hof in Herdecke, romantically situated on the Ruhr. Or: Hotel Auf dem Kamp in Hagen.

Important information at a glance

  • open from 2 April to 31 October

    admission:
    Tuesday to Sunday and all holidays
    (then on Mondays) from 9 clock

    Housing Inspection:
    Admission until 5 pm,
    Houses until 17:30, Sundays to 18 clock

    Open today
    Tuesday09:00 - 17:30
    Wednesday09:00 - 17:30
    Thursday09:00 - 17:30
    Friday09:00 - 17:30
    Saturday09:00 - 17:30

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