Heimatmuseum Benshausen

About the museum

The first attempts at a museum in Benshausen date back to before World War I: from 1907, a local heritage society set up a village collection in the parsonage, which was dissolved again in the 1950s. In the 1980s, Eberhard Mann began gathering evidence of local history once more; a first exhibition was shown on Heritage Day (Tag des offenen Denkmals) in 1993.

In 1995 the municipal council decided to house the collection in the street-side wing of the four-sided farmstead on the market square. The main building of the ensemble had been built in 1786 for a wine merchant – at a time when the wine trade shaped the village; two barrel-vaulted cellars still bear witness to this. The fully enclosed courtyard is considered one of the few completely preserved examples of its kind. The museum opened on September 16, 1996; the main building later housed the municipal administration, citizens’ services and the library.

The exhibition gradually expanded into the former servants’ quarters, the small wine cellar, the attic and the barn. It shows furnished living rooms, housework and clothing, crafts and the small iron goods industry, as well as the agriculture that many families practiced as a sideline. Since Benshausen was incorporated in 2019, the museum has been part of the museums of the town of Zella-Mehlis.

Highlights

• Fully enclosed four-sided farmstead, built in 1786 for a wine merchant’s family
• Vaulted cellar with objects on the wine trade, carting and crafts
• Furnished parlor, kitchen and children’s room with old toys
• Farm equipment such as a ladder wagon, plow and flail in the barn
• Traditional costumes, carters’ clothing and everyday objects on the upper floor

Permanent exhibitions

• Wohnen und Alltag in Benshausen – Furnished living room, kitchen, bedroom and children’s room, along with clothing, housework and traditional costumes from the 18th to the 20th century.
• Weinhandel, Handwerk und Landwirtschaft – In the vaulted cellar and the barn: tools of the wine trade and related crafts, evidence of the small iron goods industry, and farm implements.

Founded

1996

Operated by

Stadt Zella-Mehlis

Director

Lothar Schreier

Admission & discounts

Cards not accepted. Discounts for holders of the Thüringer Wald Card, Gästekarte Zella-Mehlis (guest card), Vorteilscard Zella-Mehlis, Oberhof Card and the Schüler-Ferienticket (student holiday ticket), subject to the respective card terms.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• 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

Historic building; according to the museum, difficult or impossible to access for people with physical disabilities – please inquire in advance.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit