Haus des Waldes Stuttgart

About the museum

The Haus des Waldes was established in 1989 in the Stuttgart city forest, when buildings of a university became vacant. The state of Baden-Württemberg used them to open up the forest as a place of learning; it is considered the first forest education center in Germany. It began with a small forest exhibition covering about 80 square meters and guided tours led by foresters.

In 1997 a new, light-filled exhibition building opened, designed by Michael Jockers. It houses the exhibition "StadtWaldWelt" (City Forest World), in which three themed stages – city, forest and world – connect everyday life, native forests and global connections such as climate and timber use. Much of it can be touched and tried out.

Since 2020 the institution has belonged to the state forestry body ForstBW and is the competence center for forest education and education for sustainable development in the state. Besides the exhibition, there are programs for daycare centers and school classes, an annual program for families, the barrier-free forest trail "Sinneswandel" (Change of Senses), training courses and the "Zertifikat Waldpädagogik" (forest education certificate). According to its own figures, between 35,000 and 45,000 people visit the house each year.

Highlights

• Hands-on exhibition StadtWaldWelt with city, forest and world stages
• Barrier-free forest experience trail SINNESWANDEL (1.3 km, five stations)
• HdW app with rally, read-aloud function and Easy Language
• Explorer tours for children up to and over 10 years old
• Annual program and holiday fun in the forest

Permanent exhibitions

• StadtWaldWelt – Hands-on exhibition with three themed stages on city, forest and world, making consumption, timber use, native tree species and climate change playfully tangible.
• Walderlebnisweg SINNESWANDEL – Barrier-free circular trail of 1.3 km with five stations for touching, feeling, listening and reading; freely accessible at all times.

Founded

1989

Operated by

ForstBW

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Individuals, families and small groups visit the exhibition free of charge; donations are welcome. Payment by cash only.

Accessibility

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

The entrance to the house is barrier-free; in the exhibition, currently only the ground floor is barrier-free. Toilet for everyone with a standard Euro key lock, and an adult changing table with a hoist. The SINNESWANDEL trail is step-free, has information panels that can be approached from below, a guide rope for blind visitors and tactile exhibits; a tablet can be borrowed. Guided tours in sign language are possible on request. The HdW app offers speech output with image descriptions, a read-aloud function and Easy Language (Leichte Sprache).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

The exhibition is designed for touching and partly for climbing. Explorer tours (for children under 10 and for those 10 and older) are available for download, and there is a rally in the HdW app. Kindergarten children can also use the interactive exhibits. The annual program and the "Ferienspaß im Wald" (holiday fun in the forest) are aimed at families.

Getting there & parking

From the Königsträßle bus stop the walk takes about 20 minutes. The route from Waldau and from the parking lot has no gradients or slopes over 6%. Access to the house by car is only possible in special cases, on request.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Exhibition shop. The World Café has drink and snack vending machines and seating; in the courtyard there are benches and tables. Eating and drinking are not allowed in the exhibition building. Card payment is not possible.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit