Museum "Zum Pulvermacher"
Local history museum in a former gunpowder maker's house in Elsbethen-Glasenbach, with gunpowder craft, fossils and a village street.
No sound? Check your device’s silent switch.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The "Museum zum Pulvermacher" is located in Glasenbach, a district of Elsbethen near Salzburg, in the Zuhäusl (small house) of a former gunpowder makers' Gütl (smallholding). The building was constructed in 1838 as a workshop for the gunpowder makers; gunpowder had been produced in Elsbethen as early as the 17th and 18th centuries, until production ended after the First World War. Afterwards the house served farming purposes; after the Second World War, rooms on the upper floor were prepared for living, and from the 1960s it was a workshop.
The collection goes back to Sepp Scheibl, who from 1970 gathered cultural objects and had them restored. When it had grown to over 1,000 objects, he founded the Museumsverein Elsbethen (Elsbethen Museum Association) on October 10, 1987 and leased the building. After renovation, the museum opened on July 1, 1990; it has around 300 square meters of exhibition space on three floors. The natural history department was designed by fossil collector Franz Huber.
On display are the gunpowder makers' craft, with a model of a water-powered gunpowder mill based on a plan from 1876; fossils from the Glasenbach Gorge; the settlement history since the Neolithic, including a roughly 8,000-year-old child's grave; and a "village street" with historic craft businesses. There are also farm objects, a bread oven in which museum bread is still baked, and a fully equipped schnapps distillery. The house is run by the volunteer-led museum association.
Highlights
- Gunpowder maker's craft with a model of a water-powered gunpowder mill
- Fossils from the Glasenbach Gorge
- Child's grave from the Neolithic, around 8,000 years old
- Nostalgic village street with craft businesses, including a shoemaker's workshop
- Bread oven and schnapps distillery
Permanent exhibitions
- Pulvermacher am Klausbach – The gunpowder makers' craft from the 17th century to 1917, with plans, tools and a model of a water-powered gunpowder mill.
- Natur- und Siedlungsgeschichte – Fossils from the Glasenbach Gorge and settlement since the Neolithic.
- Dorfstraße und bäuerliche Vergangenheit – Recreated craft businesses and farm objects, plus a bread oven and a schnapps distillery.
- Founded
- 1990
- Operated by
- Museumsverein Elsbethen
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Groups | –Groups receive a reduced admission; for school classes it is €2 per pupil including a guided tour; teachers and accompanying adults enter free. |
Adults €3. Members of the museum association visit free of charge.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Dedicated tours and a museum quiz for school classes and children's groups; the website offers quizzes and games for children. Self-catering is possible in the museum.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Salzburg Süd / Kreisverkehr Glasenbach · 5-min walk
S-Bahn and O-Bus lines 3 and 8 to Salzburg Süd; O-Bus line 7 to the Glasenbach roundabout.
Motorway exits Salzburg-Süd or Puch-Urstein. The museum visit can be combined with a hike into the Glasenbach Gorge.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Individual guided tours for youth and school groups with a museum quiz last 1.5 to 2 hours; appointments via the custodian (kustodin@pulvermacher-museum.at). A virtual 360-degree tour is available online. |
