LWL Industrial Museum in the former Hattingen ironworks, with the oldest blast furnace in the Ruhr region, blower hall, demonstration foundry and industrial nature.
ÅbningstiderEntré fra 5 € Delvis tilgængelig Restaurant
Begrænset åbent. The blast furnace is closed until further notice for urgent restoration work; the grounds, tapping hall, blower house and restaurant are open. Reduced admission prices apply during the closure.
Workshop exhibition (announced to run until 2027) in which the museum reflects on its future together with the public: with a digital 3D model of the ironworks, the AI avatar "Andi", a timeline, outdoor theme cubes and a display case for mementos brought in by visitors.
Om museet
The Henrichshütte was founded in 1854, when Count Henrich zu Stolberg-Wernigerode had the ore and coal deposits on the Ruhr near Hattingen exploited for a new ironworks; the works was named after its founder, who had died shortly before. Under changing owners – a Berlin bank, Henschel & Sohn of Kassel, Ruhrstahl AG, Rheinstahl and finally Thyssen – the plant grew into an integrated works supplying rails, wheel sets, heavy forgings and castings, and even reactor pressure vessels. It produced armaments in both world wars; during World War II, prisoners of war and forced laborers had to work here under harsh conditions.
With the steel crisis, the dismantling began in 1983. The announced shutdown of the blast furnaces in 1987 sparked broad protest in Hattingen, with a mass demonstration, a human chain and a hunger strike by women. Nevertheless, the last tapping took place on December 18, 1987; blast furnace 2 was later sold to China, and the remaining operations were gradually wound down by 2004.
In 1989, the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) took over the most important facilities, including blast furnace 3, commissioned in 1940, and made the ironworks a site of its industrial museum. Since 2000, visitors have been able to follow the "Path of Iron" from the ore bunker to the casting house. Later additions included trails on industrial nature, a demonstration foundry run by volunteers and a family playground. Since 2025, the workshop exhibition "Ans Werk!" has been testing, with visitor participation, how the museum will reposition itself in the future. The blast furnace is currently closed for restoration work.
Højdepunkter
Blast furnace 3 from 1940 – the oldest surviving blast furnace in the Ruhr region (currently closed for restoration; tapping hall accessible)
"Weg des Eisens" (Path of Iron) from the ore bunker to the casting house
Demonstration foundry with demonstrations on Wednesdays from April to October
"Grüner Weg" (Green Trail) on the flora and fauna of the industrial wasteland
Workshop exhibition "Ans Werk!" with a digital 3D model and an AI avatar
Award-winning ironworks playground "Rackerwerk" with a play blast furnace
Permanente udstillinger
Eisen und Stahl – Der Weg des Eisens – A tour following the flow of materials from ore, coke and limestone to liquid pig iron, with photos, films and interviews with former employees. Climbing the blast furnace is currently not possible due to restoration work.
Der grüne Weg – Stations on the nature that has reclaimed the industrial wasteland – with wild plants, animals and introduced species that once arrived with raw materials from around the world.
100 Hüttenleben – Life-size portraits of former employees with quotes on the outer fence, commemorating the human chain against the 1987 shutdown.
Grundlagt
2000
Ejer
Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL-Museen für Industriekultur)
Ledelse
Robert Laube
Entrépriser & rabatter
Voksne
5 €
Nedsat pris
3 €Recipients of benefits under SGB II/XII (German social code), university students up to age 30, apprentices, volunteer service participants, people with a disability rating (GdB) of 50 or more, holders of the Ehrenamtskarte NRW (volunteer card)
Børn og unge
gratisgratis til og med 17 år · Children and young people up to age 17 and school classes free
Pensionister
–No senior discount listed
Personer med handicap
3 €With a disability rating (GdB) of 50 or more
Studerende og elever
3 €Up to age 30
Grupper (fra 16 pers.)
4 € pr. personAdults in groups; group tours from €45 plus admission
Familier
–No family ticket; children up to age 17 free
Public guided tour "Eisen und Stahl" (Iron and Steel)
2 €Surcharge on admission
Torchlight tour (October–March, once a month at 19:00)
8 €Children 6–17 €3; registration required
LWL-MuseumsCard (annual pass, 31 LWL and LVR museums)
50 €For two adults €70, reduced €15
Gratis entré:Free admission on selected special days, in 2026 e.g. International Museum Day, Heritage Open Day (Tag des offenen Denkmals) and Mouse Day (Maustag) on October 3
The prices shown are reduced because of the blast furnace closure. Free admission with the LWL-MuseumsCard, LVR-Museumskarte, a Deutscher Museumsbund or ICOM card, and once with the RuhrtopCard.
Tilgængelighed
Delvis kørestolsvenlig
Elevator
Handicaptoilet
Handicapparkering
Servicehunde tilladt
Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
Rundvisninger på tegnsprog
Letlæste tilbud
Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger
Certified under "Reisen für Alle" (Travel for All). Almost all visitor areas are at ground level or reachable via ramps and elevators; not all historic facilities are accessible. Six accessible parking spaces, three wheelchair-accessible restrooms (blower hall, multipurpose container), free loaner wheelchairs and walkers, short guide in Easy German (Leichte Sprache) at the ticket desk. Guided tours for people with limited mobility can be booked; public tours with sign language interpretation across LWL museums.
Børn og familie
Velegnet til børn og familier
Entré for børn
gratis til og med 17 år
Familieomvisninger & workshops
Opgavehæfte, skattejagt eller audioguide for børn
Interaktive stationer
Legeplads / legehjørne
Børnefødselsdage
Award-winning ironworks playground "Rackerwerk" with a play blast furnace and giant slide; children's trail "Weg der Ratte" (Rat's Path) with models and hands-on stations; family adventure with the blue rat in the museum app. Holiday programs, workshops, and children's birthday parties.
Transport & parkering
Med offentlig transport
Henrichshütte
From Bochum Hbf, bus 350 or SB 37 to "Henrichshütte"; from Hattingen Mitte (S3 from Essen Hbf), bus 554 to "Industriemuseum", SB 38 to "Werksstraße" or 350/SB 37 to "Henrichshütte". By bike via the RuhrtalRadweg (Ruhr Valley Cycle Route) (junction 86).
I bil
Six accessible parking spaces close to the museum entrance.
Handicapparkering
By car via the A 43, exit Witten-Herbede, then follow the "LWL-Industriemuseum" signs; GPS: Werksstraße 31, Hattingen.
Restaurant "HENRICHS" in the Gaszentrale with a view into the historic hall (Tue–Sun 12:00–18:00), beer garden on the grounds. Museum shop Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. Wi-Fi throughout the museum. Dogs on a leash allowed on the outdoor grounds (not on the playground), not in the buildings; service dogs excepted.
Arrangementer & udlejning
Lokaler til leje
Private fester
Firmaarrangementer
Bryllupper / vielser
Op til 900 personer.
Event hall "Gaskraftwerk" (1,100 m², up to 900 guests, e.g. 350 banquet/800 theater seating) with meeting rooms "Atelier" and "Kabinett"; restaurant HENRICHS (500 m², banquets for 120–150 people) with two meeting rooms; catering is tied to the restaurant for hall events. Civil weddings April–October in the wedding room of the Übergabestation (transfer station) (up to 40 guests, with elevator).
Private photos are welcome; commercial photography and shoots with models, vehicles, drones or props only by prior arrangement.
Godt at vide
Free museum app (German, English, Turkish, Dutch) with tours and a children's game; loan devices at the entrance. Public guided tour "Eisen und Stahl" Tue–Sun 11:30, plus Sat/Sun 15:00 (€2 plus admission, no registration needed); themed tours on Sundays, full-moon tours in summer. Adult groups of 6 or more must book a group tour (from €45; foreign languages including English). Tour offerings are being adjusted while the blast furnace is closed.