November 27, 2026 – February 21, 2027
Kleine Welten in Bewegung
Regional collectors show steam engine models and mechanical toys, some of them operated at fixed times; in addition, marble runs built by a Thuringian hobbyist.
Esche-Museum
Textile museum in a 19th-century hosiery factory with knitting frames, a machine hall and the Ziemert model railway collection.
Have only individual sections read aloud
Opening hoursAdmission €5 Wheelchair accessible
Current exhibitions
September 25, 2026 – November 18, 2026
Pleißa - ein Blick zurück
Using photographs, documents, memories and objects, the exhibition traces the development of the district of Pleißa, from striking buildings to companies such as a glove factory.
About the museum
The prehistory of the museum reaches back to 1906, when the teacher Paul Seydel set up a historical cabinet in Limbach. The local history museum that grew out of it closed in 1964 for cultural-policy reasons, and its holdings were scattered. A city council resolution of 1991 to establish a municipal museum marked the new beginning.
It was housed in the former Reinhold Esche hosiery factory, built between 1853 and 1878. The name also refers to the Esche family of entrepreneurs, who had shaped the knitting trade in the town since Johann Esche around 1700. After long planning and interim solutions, the Esche-Museum has existed in this form since 2011; the collection grew largely from machines, textiles and archives of textile companies that closed in the 1990s, and today it comprises more than 16,000 objects.
The permanent exhibition leads from the knitting craft, with hand knitting frames on the first upper floor, to the machine hall on the ground floor, where historic textile machines are demonstrated. Since 2022 the area "Bitte einsteigen!" ("All aboard!") with the Ziemert model railway collection has been part of the museum, and in January 2025 the Esche Lab opened on the third upper floor as an open textile workshop.
Highlights
- Large collection of historic hand knitting frames
- Machine hall with demonstrations of textile machines
- The only working MALIMO 500 in museum operation in Germany
- 22 children's stations with the mascot Timmy Strumpf
- Ziemert model railway collection with GDR model trains
- Esche Lab as an open textile workshop
Permanent exhibitions
- Wirkerhandwerk und Ortsgeschichte – On the first upper floor, hand knitting frames and objects show the era of the stocking knitters and the role of the Esche family for the town.
- Maschinensaal und Schauvorführung – Historic circular knitting, warp knitting and stitch-bonding machines, including a working MALIMO 500, are put into operation during demonstrations.
- Bitte einsteigen! Die Modellbahnsammlung Ziemert – Model railways and accessories in gauge H0/00 from the GDR and occupation era, with a layout on which a train runs.
- Founded
- 2011
- Operated by
- Stadt Limbach-Oberfrohna
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Children aged 4 to 15, students, trainees, volunteer service participants, university students, recipients of Bürgergeld (basic income benefit), social assistance, basic income support in old age and unemployment benefit, and severely disabled persons with a degree of disability (GdB) of 50 or higher (each upon proof) |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 3 · Children aged 4 to 15 pay the reduced rate; daycare, after-school care and school groups from Limbach-Oberfrohna are admitted free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3From a degree of disability of 50, upon proof. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Upon proof. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €4 per personGroup discount from 15 people: adults €4, reduced €2. |
| Guided tour during opening hours (group up to 15 people, in addition to admission) | €30 |
| Guided tour outside opening hours (group up to 15 people, in addition to admission) | €40 |
| Themed guided tour (per person, including admission) | €8 |
Free admission with a personalized proof, including for holders of the Familienpass Sachsen, members of ICOM, the German and Saxon Museums Associations, and the friends' association; the proof is checked at the entrance together with a photo ID.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- 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
The exhibition floors are reachable by elevator, and all paths in the exhibition are wheelchair-accessible. Three steps lead up to the Esche Lab on the third upper floor. A low-barrier wayfinding system through the exhibition is announced for the second half of 2026.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Playground / play area
- Kids’ birthday parties
The museum has 22 children's stations with the mascot Timmy Strumpf, often with material to try out, a children's corner by the model railways, games, and coloring sheets in the educational area. There are also holiday programs, workshops and children's birthday parties.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Limbach-Oberfrohna/Gaswerk · 5-min walk
No rail connection in the town. Buses of the Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen: line 526 from Chemnitz Hbf, 657 from Burgstädt, and 127, 253 and 21 to the Limbach-Oberfrohna/Gaswerk stop.
By car
Free parking
Free public parking in the surrounding streets; in some areas a parking disc is required (Mon–Fri 08:00–19:00, Sat 08:00–20:00). Two electric charging stations at the parking lot on Hechinger Straße, about 5 minutes away.
Autobahn A 4 (exit Wüstenbrand or Limbach-Oberfrohna) and A 72 (exit Chemnitz-Röhrsdorf or Hartmannsdorf). Car sharing with two vehicles in town; e-bike charging stations at Johannisplatz.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The Esche Lab (textile workshop with sewing, knitting and embroidery machines) can be rented after registration. On the same floor, the city's Central Real Estate Management rents out two event rooms.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Demonstrations of the historic machines every second Saturday and every fourth Sunday of the month. Public guided tours take place regularly, usually without registration; individual tours can be booked, including outside opening hours. The Esche Lab offers workshops and courses on knitting, sewing and screen printing. |
