Deutsches Schloss- und Beschlägemuseum
Velbert museum on 4,000 years of lock, key, and security technology with many working models – free admission for children and teens.
About the museum
Velbert has been a center of the lock and hardware industry since the 19th century. In 1928 a local history museum was established in the Altes Bürgermeisterhaus (old mayor's house), which already had a large collection of locks and fittings as well as a complete blacksmith workshop. In 1936 this became the Deutsches Schlossmuseum, which was housed in the basement of the town hall for decades and grew steadily through purchases and donations.
In the 1980s the museum moved to the Forum Niederberg, where the exhibition was redesigned and revised once more in 2006. After a closure of just over two years, it reopened in October 2021 at its own site: a new building with a facade of brushed metal panels refers to the city's metal industry and is connected to the listed Villa Herminghaus of 1885, the former home of a manufacturer's family.
The permanent exhibition in the new building shows around 1,000 objects across 470 square meters, from ancient keys to biometric access control, and tells the story as a race between security technology and attempted break-ins. The villa houses rooms for special exhibitions and museum education. In total, the collection comprises around 70,000 objects, supplemented by a specialist library, historical catalogs, and patent documents.
Highlights
- Around 1,000 locks, keys, and fittings from 4,000 years
- Historic blacksmith workshop from the founding collection
- Working models and hands-on stations to try out
- Tactile models of twelve exhibits for blind and visually impaired visitors
- Listed Villa Herminghaus of 1885
Permanent exhibitions
- Sicher vs. unsicher – 4.000 Jahre Schloss und Beschlag – A tour through the history of locking technology as a race between security and break-ins, with working models, media stations, and the industrial history of Velbert.
- Founded
- 1936
- Operated by
- Stadt Velbert
- Director
- Dr. Yvonne Gönster
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Students, university students, trainees, recipients of ALG II (unemployment benefit II), social assistance, basic income support, benefits under the AsylbLG (Asylum Seekers Benefits Act), or housing benefit; one accompanying person per child or teen under 18 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and teens under 18 have free admission. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · People with severe disabilities have free admission, as do their companions. |
| Students & apprentices | €2 |
| Groups | –Guided tours for groups of up to 20 people from €40 plus admission. |
| Children's tour "Keyra und der magische Schlüssel" | €5No registration required. |
Free admission: Every third weekend of the month (except special events).
Free admission also for Velbert schools and daycare centers, members of the Förderungsgemeinschaft (friends' association), holders of the Ehrenamtskarte or the Museumspass of the Deutscher Museumsbund, ICOM members, new residents, and FSJ (voluntary social year) volunteers.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
The foyer, permanent and special exhibitions, and the accessible restroom are reachable at ground level; loaner wheelchair, folding stools, reading glasses, and step stools for children available. A tactile floor guidance system leads from the square through the permanent exhibition, and there are 3D tactile models of twelve exhibits. High-contrast text panels, accessible catalog, and accompanying brochure in Easy Language.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
Children's tour with the superheroine Keyra (puzzles and tasks, €5). Children's birthday parties for up to 10 children aged 6 to 10 (2 hours, registration at least 6 weeks in advance). Holiday activities according to the events calendar; many hands-on stations to touch and try out.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Velbert ZOB · 5-min walk
Buses from neighboring cities (e.g., Wuppertal, Essen) to Velbert ZOB, from there about a 5-minute walk via Nedderstraße, Friedrichstraße, and Kolpingstraße.
By car
Paid parking
Stadtgalerie parking garage on Oststraße across from the museum (day tickets must be paid in advance). No bus parking; tour buses can stop briefly in front of the museum, stop on Höferstraße, official tour bus stop at Von-Böttinger-Platz.
GPS address: Oststraße 12. By car via the A 535, exit Velbert. By bike via the PanoramaRadweg Niederbergbahn; bike racks at the museum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum shop in the foyer with specialist literature, trick locks, and exhibition catalogs.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
Up to 70 guests.
The foyer can be rented for receptions, lectures, or meetings (seating for up to 70 people, projector and screen, standing and seated tables).
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Themed tours for groups of up to 20 people (60 min.: €40 during opening hours, €60 outside opening hours, plus admission), as well as an evening mystery tour and city walk. Tours for daycare groups and school classes of up to 30 people; groups should register in advance even without a tour. Public Sunday tours and flashlight tours according to the events calendar. |
