Deutsches Zinnfigurenmuseum
The world's largest tin figure collection at Plassenburg in Kulmbach: over 300,000 figures in around 150 dioramas from antiquity to modern times.
About the museum
The Deutsches Zinnfigurenmuseum was founded in 1929 at Plassenburg above Kulmbach; the impetus came from the Potsdam publisher and bookseller August Bonneß. It also marked the beginning of the museum use of the Renaissance castle, which had previously served, among other things, as a penitentiary. As early as 1931 the museum showed around 40 dioramas on German history.
At the end of World War II the museum was looted and the holdings were almost completely lost. From 1953 the first exhibition rooms could open again, and over the following decades the collection – also through loans from collectors – grew to be the largest of its kind in the world.
Today it comprises more than 300,000 individual figures. In around 150 dioramas, hunts of antiquity, Romans, knights and Landsknechte, battles of the Frederician and Napoleonic eras, distant continents, fairy tales, and famous paintings are recreated. The showpiece is the diorama of the destruction of Kulmbach on Conraditag in 1553 with over 19,000 figures, regarded as the largest diorama of its kind. The museum is run by the Stiftung Landschaftsmuseum Obermain, which is financed by the city and district of Kulmbach; for its 100th anniversary in 2029 the city plans a modernization of the exhibition.
Highlights
- Over 300,000 tin figures – largest collection in the world
- Around 150 dioramas from antiquity to modern times
- Giant diorama of Conraditag 1553 with over 19,000 figures
- Admission also covers the Landschaftsmuseum Obermain
- Located in the Renaissance castle Plassenburg
Permanent exhibitions
- Deutsches Zinnfigurenmuseum – Around 150 dioramas with scenes from history, everyday life, fairy tales, and faraway lands, created with tin figures from one of the largest collections in the world.
- Diorama zum Conraditag 1553 – A huge diorama with over 19,000 figures on the conquest and destruction of Kulmbach in the Bundesständischer Krieg (War of the Confederated Estates).
- Founded
- 1929
- Operated by
- Stiftung Landschaftsmuseum Obermain (getragen von Stadt und Landkreis Kulmbach)
- Director
- Nina Schipkowski M.A. (Museumsleitung)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3University students, retirees, people with disabilities |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Children and school students up to 18 years free. |
| Seniors | €3Reduced for retirees. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3 |
| Students & apprentices | €3 |
| Castle ticket for all four museums of Plassenburg | €7Including Museum Hohenzollern in Franken and Armeemuseum Friedrich der Große |
The admission ticket is valid for both the Deutsches Zinnfigurenmuseum and the Landschaftsmuseum Obermain.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Accessible parking spaces in the Kasernenhof (barracks courtyard) (access with ID via the barrier, bell "Kasse"); from there threshold-free access to the castle. The Zinnfigurenmuseum is served by an elevator and is largely wheelchair-accessible, as are the first floor of the Landschaftsmuseum, the shop, and the café. Tours for blind people by advance booking.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Kids’ birthday parties
Free discovery sheet at the museum ticket desk and Actionbound scavenger hunt. Children's birthday parties (ages 5–12, 1.5 hours, €80 for up to 10 people including materials and admission), e.g., with building your own mini diorama; holiday programs for groups on request.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Plassenburg (Kasernenhof)
VGN bus line 1305 from the city center (stops Klostergasse or Obere Stadt) to the lower castle courtyard (Kasernenhof); runs daily during opening hours, transfer from all VGN bus lines.
By car
Free parking
From November to March free parking in the lower castle courtyard (Kasernenhof). From April to October no public parking at the castle – then park free at the Schwedensteg parking lot or in the underground garage beneath Stadthalle/EKU-Platz (first hour free). Accessible parking spaces in the Kasernenhof.
- Accessible parking
In the summer half-year, access is only possible with a severe disability ID (at the barrier, bell "Kasse"). No access for tour buses; group transfer through Stadtbus Kulmbach GmbH. Alternatively on foot from the old town.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Lockers
- Wi-Fi
Café zur Weißen Frau in the castle, vending machines for drinks outside its opening hours. Museum shop with tin figures, books, and toys. Free lockers (deposit token) at the museum shop; BayernWLAN at Plassenburg.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Weddings / ceremonies
The Festsaal (banquet hall) of Plassenburg is rented through the Tourismus- und Veranstaltungsservice of the city of Kulmbach; weddings in the castle church through the Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung (Bavarian Palace Administration).
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming for private purposes allowed, without tripod; commercial recordings only with permission. |
| Good to know | Group tours by trained guides, also in foreign languages, through the Tourismus- und Veranstaltungsservice Kulmbach (tel. 09221 95880), €60 plus admission. For school classes, discovery sheet and tin figure painting on request. Digital scavenger hunt with the free Actionbound app. Dogs are not allowed in the museum rooms. |
