Eisenzeithaus Darpvenne
Reconstructed farmstead of the pre-Roman Iron Age in Ostercappeln-Venne with a combined house and stable, outbuildings, a garden, and hands-on activities.
About the museum
The impetus came from the Schnippenburg in the Krebsburger Wald near Ostercappeln, an Iron Age site whose finds mark it as a significant central place around 300 BC that served, among other things, as a cult and sacrificial site. To make the everyday life of this period tangible, a typical farmstead was rebuilt at full size in Venne in 2008 based on excavation findings from the Osnabrücker Land.
At its center is a two-aisled combined house and stable of about 16 by 8 meters made of oak posts, clay-plastered wattle, and a thatched roof, in which the living area with hearth and the stable lie under one roof. It is complemented by a granary, a smithy, baking, smoking, and pottery kilns, a garden with herbs, wild vegetables, and medicinal plants, and fields with panicle millet and flax. The entire area covers roughly 3,000 square meters at the foot of the Wiehengebirge.
The site is looked after by the Förderverein Schnippenburg (friends' association), which offers experience programs for families, children's groups, school classes, and adults – from forging and fire-making through pottery and felting to archery. Together with the find site and the Museum Schnippenburg, the Eisenzeithaus forms a connected offering on the archaeology of the Iron Age in the region.
Highlights
- Two-aisled combined house and stable at full size
- Outbuildings with granary, smithy, and clay kilns
- Garden with Iron Age useful and medicinal plants
- Experience programs such as forging, fire-making, and archery
- Freely accessible grounds with a view of the Wiehengebirge
- Founded
- 2008
- Operated by
- Förderverein Schnippenburg e. V.
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Bookable programs 2026: house and farm tour for adults (approx. 60–80 min.) €100, children's birthday party (2 hrs., max. 15 children) €120, experience programs for school classes and daycare centers from €120, excursion to the Schnippenburg €200.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
- Kids’ birthday parties
Bookable hands-on programs such as forging, fire-making, pottery, antler working, felting, cooking, and archery; children's birthday parties with a program of your choice. Ferienpass (holiday pass) activities during the holidays.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Amenities & dining
Farm café in the immediate neighborhood; plenty of space on the grounds for your own picnic.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tours, excursions, and experience programs by booking only, possible year-round; tours in German, English, or Danish. For 15 or more participants, two course leaders are recommended. Booking via the tourist information office of the municipality of Ostercappeln. |
