Heimatmuseum Balingen

About the museum

The Balingen Zehntscheuer (tithe barn) is first mentioned in 1382. It served the Württemberg rulers for storing tithes paid in kind and was largely destroyed in the town fires of 1607, 1672 and 1724. The present building was erected after 1724 on the old stone walls and survived the fire of 1809 undamaged. After the abolition of the tithe, the town bought the barn in 1853 and used it as a storehouse for a long time.

After renovation from 1986 to 1990, the local history museum reopened in the Zehntscheuer in 1992. Today the building is Balingen's municipal museum: alongside temporary exhibitions on an annual theme, it shows collections on geology and archaeology, around 5,000 cultural-history objects and about 150 works by the Impressionist painter Friedrich Eckenfelder, who became known as a painter of horses and local scenes.

For the 100th anniversary of the local history museum, the exhibition on town history was redesigned and opened on 24 September 2025. Across more than 380 square metres, seven themed rooms lead through the history of the town, founded in 1255 – from guilds and town fires through tanning and the shoe and scales industries to the post-war period; one room is devoted to Eckenfelder.

Highlights

• Redesigned local history museum with seven themed rooms on town history (since 2025)
• Eckenfelder Room with paintings by the Impressionist Friedrich Eckenfelder
• Fossils from the Jurassic sea and a topographic relief of the Balingen mountains
• Finds from the Roman fort near Häsenbühl, including a fragment of the “Kaiserstein”
• Historic Zehntscheuer of 1724 on the banks of the Eyach

Permanent exhibitions

• Heimatmuseum Balingen – Redesigned exhibition on town history across more than 380 square metres, with seven themed rooms and exhibits not previously shown.
• Geologie und Archäologie – Fossils from the Jurassic sea, a large relief of the landscape around Balingen and finds from the Roman fort near Häsenbühl.
• Friedrich Eckenfelder – Paintings and drawings by the Balingen Impressionist in the Eckenfelder Room, expanded with new acquisitions since July 2026.

Operated by

Stadt Balingen

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is generally free; for individual events, tickets are sold at the entrance. Donations at the exit are welcome.

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

All exhibition rooms and the accessible toilet can be reached by lift.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi

Free cloakroom; books, catalogues and posters on sale in the entrance area; free Wi-Fi.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit