Stadtmuseum Bad Dürkheim

About the museum

The foundation of the collection was laid by the Museumsgesellschaft Bad Dürkheim, which was founded in 1872 as the “Alterthumsverein für den Kanton Dürkheim” and is regarded as the oldest local antiquarian society in the Palatinate. It gathered archaeological finds and cultural objects from the town and region; from the 1970s onwards, town history and items from Dürkheim family collections came to the fore. A large part of the collection still belongs to the society today.

The museum is housed in a former winery, the cultural centre Haus Catoir on Römerstraße. After the town acquired the neighbouring building in 2013, the exhibition space was expanded to over 800 square metres and redesigned; since the opening of the new foyer and the “Salzige Stadtgeschichte” (Salty Town History) section in 2016, a lift has served the upper floor.

The archaeological section runs from the Stone Age to the Franks, with a Celtic princely grave, a unique metal signal horn, finds from Roman farmsteads and a Frankish band helmet from Pfeffingen. Other areas cover Limburg Abbey and the Hardenburg, salt production and the spa, well-known Dürkheim personalities, and bourgeois and rural living. In the vaulted cellar, viticulture, early sparkling wine production, the giant barrel and the Wurstmarkt all revolve around wine.

Highlights

• Celtic princely grave and metal signal horn
• Frankish band helmet from Pfeffingen
• Original flag from the Hambach Festival
• “Salzige Stadtgeschichte” section with sound box
• Wine cellar on the Wurstmarkt, sparkling wine and the giant barrel

Permanent exhibitions

• Kelten, Römer und Franken in der Pfalz – Archaeological section with a Celtic princely grave, finds from Roman farmsteads and the Frankish band helmet from Pfeffingen.
• Salz, Sole, Saline – Salzige Stadtgeschichte – Town history from the 8th century to after the Second World War, focusing on salt production, the graduation tower and the spa.
• Weck, Worscht, Woi – Wein und Wurstmarkt – Vaulted cellar on viticulture, early sparkling wine production, the giant barrel and the tradition of the Dürkheim Wurstmarkt.

Operated by

Stadt Bad Dürkheim; Sammlung überwiegend im Eigentum der Museumsgesellschaft Bad Dürkheim e.V.

Admission & discounts

Admission includes the special exhibition. Free with the PfalzCard, for unemployed people, members of ICOM and museum associations, and of the Museumsgesellschaft Bad Dürkheim; publicly funded special exhibitions sometimes have free admission.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

Lift to the exhibition rooms on the upper floor; large parts of the building are accessible with few barriers. Accessible tours on request.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations

Audio and multimedia stations invite visitors to try things out in several places; tours for kindergartens and schools by arrangement.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit