One of Germany's oldest open-air museums, on the slopes of the Teutoburg Forest, showing rural life in the Ravensberger Land around 1850.
November 15, 2026 – December 13, 2026
Exhibition on the history of the Westfälischer Heimatbund (Westphalian Heritage Association) and its work since its founding in 1915.
The idea of a farmhouse museum was brought to the city by the Historischer Verein für die Grafschaft Ravensberg (Historical Society of the County of Ravensberg); the city council approved it in 1907, and construction began in 1915. The site opened on June 6, 1917, in Bielefeld-Gadderbaum, making it one of the earliest open-air museums in Germany. Mills and a granary were added in the 1930s, and further buildings in the 1980s.
A major setback came in 1995, when a fire destroyed the former main house, a farmstead from 1606 from Ummeln. As a replacement, the main house of the Möllering farm from Rödinghausen, a three-post hall house from 1590, was relocated by 1999 and is now the centerpiece of the museum. Later additions were a boatman's and fisherman's house from Vlotho dating from 1568, which serves as a children's house, and a farm laborer's cottage (Heuerlingskotten) from 1821.
Today the grounds include nine historic buildings, among them a bakehouse, a granary (Spieker), a bee house, the Bokemühle mill, a post windmill and a barn from 1695 housing the museum café. The permanent exhibition “System Hof” explains how farmers, retired farmers, farmhands and landless tenant laborers lived and worked around 1850. Gardens and a few animals round out the site.
The museum is run by a nonprofit company that, in addition to municipal subsidies, depends on admission fees and donations. With around 500 events a year, it is an important place of learning outside school; in addition, there are at least two changing exhibitions each year, markets and weddings on the Deele (threshing hall).
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2School students, university students, people with severe disabilities and one companion |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 free (except at events). |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2The concession also applies to one companion. |
| Students & apprentices | €2 |
| Groups | –Guided tours for groups by advance booking; English-language tour €50 plus €2 per person aged 6 and over (1 hr). |
| Families | €8According to the short English information, for 2 adults and 2 children. |
| Annual pass | €20 |
| Family annual pass | €35According to the short English information. |
Free admission for holders of the Bielefeld-Pass (except special events). Access to the café is free. Workshops and activities are charged separately.
Hillside location. The outdoor areas, the Deele of the main house, the children's house, the café and the restrooms at the café are at ground level with wide entrances; other buildings only via steps. Only accessible parking spaces directly at the museum. Tactile tours for blind and visually impaired people and tours for people with dementia can be booked.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €8 · According to the short English information, for 2 adults and 2 children. |
Children's birthdays for ages 4 to 14 (2-hour workshop plus 1 hour of free play, up to 10 children), e.g. felting, whittling or butter making. Bookable hands-on workshops such as bread baking or flax processing, plus a theatrical tour and fairy-tale programs.
Bauernhausmuseum · 4-min walk
Bus 24 from Jahnplatz toward Dornberg to Bauernhausmuseum, then about a 4-minute walk uphill.
Parking available · 7-min walk to the entrance
Public parking lot at Johannisberg, also for buses and motorhomes; accessible parking spaces directly at the museum.
Café in the historic barn (cake, Pickert, breakfast; group breakfast from 12 people with reservation). Small museum shop. Dogs on a leash allowed on the grounds, not in the houses.
Up to 70 guests.
Deele of the main house for up to 70 people, children's house for up to 20 people, meadow with fire pit for up to 50 people; guests' museum admission is included in the rental price. Civil wedding ceremonies on Mondays from May to September (14:00–16:00) on the Deele.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Allowed throughout the grounds and in the buildings; ask in advance for commercial shoots. |
| Good to know | Tours and workshops (e.g. bread baking, flax processing) by registration; museum education programs for daycare centers and schools. Regular spinning and weaving demonstrations included in admission. Cycling on the grounds not allowed. |
All 8 museums in Bielefeld All museums in North Rhine-Westphalia
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