Freilichtmuseum Neuhausen ob Eck

About the museum

The Neuhausen ob Eck Open-Air Museum opened on June 11, 1988. It is run by the Tuttlingen district. On grounds of about 18 hectares in the Upper Danube Nature Park, it presents rural building and everyday culture from the southwest of Baden-Württemberg.

The 25 historic buildings, now in total, were dismantled at their original sites and faithfully rebuilt in the museum. They come from the Swabian Alb, the Black Forest, the Hegau, the Baar, the upper Neckar region and the Lake Constance region. At the center is an Alb village with village square, church, school and town hall, smithy, and the Pfeiffer department store from Stetten am kalten Markt, whose stock of goods from almost a century has been preserved. Other highlights are the Black Forest Haldenhof, the Peterzell house mill, a frame saw and the Gasthaus Ochsen, which now serves as the museum restaurant.

The houses are furnished as if their residents had just stepped out to the fields. Craftspeople demonstrate old techniques every day, the saw and mill run on water power, and old domestic animal breeds such as Swabian-Hall pigs and Hinterwald cattle live on the grounds. With the digital companion "Zeitmaschinchen" (little time machine), the houses on the village square can also be explored barrier-free; the offering was honored with the DigAMus Award in 2025.

Highlights

• Alb village with village church, school and town hall, and village smithy
• Pfeiffer department store with almost 100-year-old stock of goods
• Saw and mill in operation with water power daily at 11:00 and 15:00
• Daily craft demonstrations from 13:00
• Pig herding with Swabian-Hall pigs daily at 14:00
• "Spaßplätzle" playground with charcoal burner's tower and water play

Permanent exhibitions

• Albdorf mit Dorfplatz – The heart of the museum: village church, school and town hall, Biehle farmhouse and smithy show life in a village on the Swabian Alb.
• Kaufhaus Pfeiffer – The original sales room and selected goods from almost a hundred years of shop history, plus the private rooms of the last owner and a children's toy shop.
• Handwerk und Mühlen – The frame saw and the Peterzell house mill run on water power; in the smithy, pottery and other workshops, craftspeople demonstrate their skills daily.

Founded

1988

Operated by

Landkreis Tuttlingen

Director

Vera Jovic-Burger

Visitors per year

approx. 90,000

Admission & discounts

Free admission with AlbCard, DreiWeltenCard, Bodensee Card Plus, SchwarzwaldCard (also 365) and Landesfamilienpass; reduced admission with a same-day bwegtPlus ticket (bwTarif).

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Because of high door thresholds and narrow stairs, many historic buildings and parts of the grounds are difficult or impossible to access for people with mobility impairments. The digital companion "Zeitmaschinchen" (www.zeitmaschinchen.de) presents the four large houses on the village square with films, photos and interviews, also in plain language and sign language. Three accessible restrooms; tours with a sign language interpreter on request; school projects can be adapted for special-needs schools and inclusive classes.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Hands-on room in the Haberstenweiler stable barn with historic children's clothing, photo wall and straw bed; children's toy shop in the Pfeiffer department store; daily pig herding at 14:00; many animals. "Spaßplätzle" playground with charcoal burner's tower, slide, zip line and water play. Two baby changing rooms. Children's birthday parties for children aged 7 and up (3 hrs, €120, max. 12 children). Children up to age 10 free.

Getting there & parking

By car via the B 311 to Neuhausen ob Eck; the museum is signposted.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Museum restaurant Gasthaus Ochsen (Tue–Sun 11:00–21:00, also without a museum visit) with beer garden; Museumslädele shop in the Pfeiffer department store (Tue–Sun 11:30–16:30) with souvenirs, sweets and ice cream; covered barbecue area (€20 per barbecue site, free for groups with a tour). You may bring your own snack (Vesper).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 120 guests.

Historic sheep barn for celebrations, weddings and conferences (100–120 people depending on seating), catering by Gasthaus Ochsen; tours can be added.

Plan your visit