Technology museum in the Emsland region on how oil and natural gas form and how they are located, extracted, and transported in the German-Dutch production region.
Special exhibition
Around 100 historical photographs from the Wintershall archive (1948–1956) show how oil production and the construction of roads and housing changed Twist, alongside present-day comparison shots. Part of the 75th anniversary of the Emsland Plan; no closing date given.
Ever since gas was discovered near Bentheim in 1938 and the first commercially viable oil was struck near Dalum in 1942, the Emsland, the Grafschaft Bentheim, and the Dutch province of Drenthe have been among Europe’s most important oil and gas regions. Twist lies at the heart of Germany’s largest oil fields by area; industrial extraction began here at almost the same time as the Emsland Plan of 1951 and fundamentally transformed what had once been a moorland community.
The Heimatverein Twist (local heritage society) founded the museum in 1999. At first the exhibition was housed in the basement of the Heimathaus, a building originally constructed as a bunker; in 2009 it moved into its own new building right next door, whose exterior blends in with the neighboring heritage houses and whose interior was designed by a specialist exhibition designer.
On about 450 m² spread over two bright levels, the museum explains how deposits form, how they are found and developed, and how oil and gas are extracted, transported, and stored; a separate section is devoted to the Dutch company NAM. The outdoor area displays large pieces of production equipment, including pipe sections from the Nord Stream pipeline that were part of a 2011 special exhibition. The upper gallery hosts temporary exhibitions, and there is also a lecture room and a specialist library. Since 2026, VR headsets and a digital touch table with films have complemented the exhibits.
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1School students and university students |
| Children & teens | –No separate children’s rate listed; school students pay €1. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Students & apprentices | €1 |
| Groups | –Guided tour for groups of up to 15 people: €15 in addition to admission. |
| Group guided tour (up to 15 people) | €15flat fee in addition to admission |
Cash only; card payment not accepted.
According to the museum, it is equipped for visitors with disabilities; no details are given about an elevator or restrooms.
Great for kids & families
The museum promotes itself as part of "FamilienLand Emsland" and "Kinderferienland Niedersachsen"; there is a play corner for children inside.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Children’s play area in the museum; lecture room with media presentations and a specialist library.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, NL) |
| Good to know | Free audio guide for the tour (in a short and a long version). Group guided tours for up to 15 people by arrangement over the phone. |
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