Digital Retro Park Museum für digitale Kultur
Hands-on computer museum in Offenbach's Walter-Passage: home computers, consoles and games from past decades to try out.
About the museum
The idea for a museum of digital culture in the Rhine-Main region was developed jointly by the Erster Hanauer Netzwerkclub, the association For Amusement Only and TecMuMas. From 2011 they staged traveling exhibitions, for example in Seligenstadt and, in 2013, for three months at the Industriemuseum Großauheim; later shows included one marking the anniversary of the Commodore 64 at the Flipper- und Arcademuseum Seligenstadt and an Atari exhibition in Offenbach. After an unsuccessful search for a location in Hanau and the Offenbach district, the group focused on the city of Offenbach, where the nonprofit association Digital Retro Park e.V. was founded in early 2014.
On October 13, 2018, the museum opened on about 200 square meters on the second floor of the Walter-Passage in Offenbach's pedestrian zone. The project had previously won an award in the Aventis Foundation's "kulturMut" crowdfunding initiative. The association's volunteers still run and staff the museum today.
The concept deliberately favors trying things out over display cases: around 40 working devices from different eras of computer history may be used, spread across three permanent exhibitions and one changing special exhibition. The aim is to make the basics of digital technology understandable to people of all ages – and especially to schools. The adjoining Commons Café hosts talks, workshops, developer talks and group gaming afternoons.
Highlights
- Around 40 working computers and consoles to try out
- Three permanent exhibitions and one changing special exhibition
- Commons Café with talks, workshops and developer talks
- Volunteer-run association museum since 2018
- Founded
- 2018
- Operated by
- Digital Retro Park e.V.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €5free up to age 5 · Children under 6 free. Children up to age 14 only when accompanied by an adult. |
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is on the second floor and is normally reached only by an indoor staircase. There is a non-public elevator for wheelchair users – please announce your visit in advance via the contact form. The courtyard of the Walter-Passage is step-free only from Frankfurter Straße.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|
- Hands-on stations
The devices are explicitly meant to be touched and used; the museum is aimed at all age groups. Children under 14 only with an adult, under 6 free. Strollers are allowed, but access is via a staircase.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Offenbach Marktplatz
S-Bahn to Offenbach Marktplatz (accessible), from there just a few meters; alternatively Offenbach Hauptbahnhof (not accessible), about a 10-minute walk.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
Hardly any free parking near the pedestrian zone. The nearest option is the paid CityTower parking garage on Berliner Straße, whose exits lead to Hugenottenplatz at the back of the Walter-Passage.
The museum is barely visible from outside: access via the courtyard of the Walter-Passage – step-free from Frankfurter Straße, via a few steps from Hugenottenplatz. The entrance door is in the courtyard, then up the stairs to the second floor.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Coat check
Storage for coats and bags. Eating and drinking are allowed in the Commons Café on the second floor, which serves mainly as a space for workshops and events.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Photography | Photography and filming for private purposes allowed without flash or tripod; commercial or scientific recordings only with the association's consent. |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Large bags and backpacks (larger than A4), wet umbrellas and rain gear may not be taken into the exhibition. For QR code content, bring your own smartphone with headphones. |
