Regional museum in the Brockdorff Palace of 1632 on the art and cultural history of Glückstadt and the Elbe marshes – from whaling to the town pharmacy.
July 5, 2026 – May 23, 2027
Using wooden swords, tin figures, self-built castles and plastic figures, the exhibition shows how images of the Middle Ages have become established in toys and pop culture, and questions heroic images and the distribution of roles.
The museum goes back to the scholar Sönnich Detlef Friedrich Detlefsen, who founded the collection in 1894. Since 1969 it has been housed in the Brockdorff Palace on the Fleth, which it first shared with the town library and later with the town archive. After restoration as part of the town's urban renewal in 1992/93, the museum and archive used the building on their own; since the archive moved out in 2015/16, the entire building of over 1,000 square metres has been available to the museum. The museum is run by the town of Glückstadt.
The palace was built in 1631/32 for Count Christian Pentz, governor of the fortress and prospective son-in-law of the town's founder Christian IV. It is one of the few surviving buildings from Glückstadt's founding period. Painted timber-beam ceilings from 1695 characterise the ground floor; in the 18th century a side wing, a Baroque portal and the wooden staircase were added. The house takes its name from the von Brockdorff family, who owned it until 1877.
The permanent exhibition is devoted to the Krempe and Kollmar Elbe marshes and to the history of Glückstadt as a residence, fortress and tolerance town. Themes include whaling and herring fishing, rural and bourgeois domestic culture, trade and crafts, textiles, a historic town pharmacy, painting and graphic art, as well as the Sephardic community and the Augustin printing house. A farmhouse parlour from the 18th century also serves as the registry office's wedding room.
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2.50School pupils, students, trainees, people with disabilities, recipients of unemployment and social benefits |
| Children & teens | €2.50free up to age 13 · Children under 14 free; from age 14 the reduced pupil rate applies |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2.50 |
| Students & apprentices | €2.50 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €2.50 per person |
| Families | €7.50Max. 2 adults and 4 children |
Guided tours for 6 or more people: €5 per person plus reduced admission. Company tour (approx. 1 hour) €50 plus admission; school and nursery tour €40 per class.
Step-free access at the main entrance: please ring the bell and staff will set up a ramp. The first upper floor is not accessible; a 360-degree virtual tour on a tablet is available instead. Disabled parking directly in front of the entrance, folding stools to borrow, seating throughout the building. App with audio texts for blind and visually impaired people, films with subtitles. Dogs not permitted, except assistance dogs.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 13 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €7.50 · Max. 2 adults and 4 children |
Children under 14 have free admission. Museum quiz for different age groups; according to the museum, the building can also be visited with a pushchair (ramp at the entrance, upper floor not accessible).
Bahnhof Glückstadt
Glückstadt railway station on the Hamburg–Westerland line (roughly hourly); three minutes' walk from the station to the town centre.
Disabled parking directly in front of the entrance.
By car via the A23 (exit Hohenfelde) and Krempe. From Lower Saxony by the Elbe ferry Wischhafen–Glückstadt (roughly every half hour, approx. 25 minutes). Glückstadt lies on the Elbe Cycle Route; marina near the centre.
Get directionsPublic Wi-Fi "Zum Glück Netz" for downloading the app.
Civil weddings in the historic farmhouse parlour (Döns) followed by a reception in the foyer or museum garden; company tours with punch in the Old Pharmacy or sparkling wine in the foyer.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours on request, including for individual collection areas and outside opening hours; guide for Danish-speaking guests. Free app "Glückstadt erleben" with audio tours of the museum, the town and the Jewish cemetery (loan devices for up to 25 people). VR application "Glückstadt 1650". |
