Stadtmuseum Eupen

About the museum

Plans for a museum in Eupen existed as early as 1891, when the mayor and the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce proposed a trade museum; it was never realised. The town's first museum opened in July 1923 in the former kindergarten building on the Haasstraße, run by the Verein für Volkskunde. It mainly showed minerals, butterflies and archive material and suffered from constant lack of space. In 1940 it was closed as part of the German annexation.

In 1966 the Eupener Geschichts- und Museumsverein (EGMV) was founded, which set itself the goal of a new museum. After several sites had been discarded, the town acquired the merchant's house “De Ru’s” on the Gospertstraße, whose Baroque façade dates from 1697. On 5 September 1980 the second town museum opened there, with a town chronicle, views, middle-class living culture, costume figurines and a goldsmith's workshop.

In 2004 the town bought the neighbouring house No. 54, which was demolished in 2011. After eight years of planning with an architecture firm, exhibition planners and volunteers, the new museum opened on 25 January 2019 as a combination of old and new buildings. It is run by the autonomous municipal enterprise TILIA and supported by the Royal Eupen Museum and History Association. The permanent exhibition focuses on eighteenth-century cloth production and also tells of everyday life, faith and customs, and the eventful border history of the town.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition with around 280 objects on about 400 m²
• Floor on fine cloth production with all work steps from spinning to pressing
• Border wall on the territorial history of Eupen
• Goldsmith's workshop from the 19th century
• Children's level with costumed dolls in everyday scenes
• Eupen carnival with costumes and picture collection

Permanent exhibition

• Dauerausstellung – Around 280 objects show the history of Eupen: picture gallery, building and residential history, cloth production, faith and customs, clubs, carnival and the border wall.

Founded

1980

Operated by

Autonome Gemeinderegie TILIA (Stadt Eupen)

Admission & discounts

Free admission for holders of the museumPASSmusées. Special programmes on request.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

Since April 2026 the museum has held the Access-i accessibility label. A lift reaches all floors, an accessible toilet is on the mezzanine, and folding stools are available. Audio guides with a route for visually impaired visitors can be borrowed free of charge. Adapted tours in Easy Language and for people with visual impairments are available on request. Assistance dogs are allowed.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

A separate children's level shows small costumed dolls in everyday moments, plus touch and smell stations. The museum sheep Schöppke leads schoolchildren who can read and write on a rally through the permanent exhibition (rally sheet and pen available at reception on request). There are school programmes for kindergarten and primary school.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Cloakroom in the reception area: coats, jackets, school bags and rucksacks are left there or stored in a lockable chest. Food may not be eaten in the exhibition rooms or in the library.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit