Hessisches Landesmuseum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The Hessisches Landesmuseum (Hessian State Museum) was created to bring together in one place the previously scattered prehistoric and early historic, decorative arts and folk culture holdings of the Kassel collections. The building was designed by Munich architect Theodor Fischer and opened on August 23, 1913, for the city of Kassel's millennium celebrations. It combines forms of Hessian late Renaissance architecture with Art Nouveau (Jugendstil), and its tower, visible from afar, still dominates Brüder-Grimm-Platz today.

During World War II, the building suffered relatively little damage, while the surrounding city center was largely destroyed. In the postwar years it therefore also served as temporary quarters for other institutions, such as the Gemäldegalerie (painting gallery). With the reconstruction of the Neue Galerie and Wilhelmshöhe Palace, the Kassel collections were redistributed in the 1970s; from 1976 to 2008 the building also housed the German Wallpaper Museum (Deutsches Tapetenmuseum).

From 2008, the museum was extensively renovated and redesigned, reopening at the end of 2016. Since then, it has told the history of North Hesse on three levels: on the first floor, archaeological finds from the Paleolithic to the early Middle Ages; above that, decorative arts from seven centuries of the landgraves' passion for collecting; and on the top floor, everyday life in the region from around 1800 to the present. Cabinet exhibitions and events in the historic lecture hall round out the program. The museum is part of Hessen Kassel Heritage, the state's museum and palace administration in and around Kassel.

Highlights

• Archaeological finds spanning 300,000 years – from hand axes to the Chatti
• Kunstkammer pieces of Landgrave Moritz the Learned and Baroque court art under Landgrave Carl
• Faience and porcelain from Meissen, Kassel and Fulda, plus the landgraves' East Asian porcelain
• Everyday history of North Hesse from 1800 to the present, with eyewitness accounts
• Climbable tower with views over Kassel (tower climbs every half hour)
• Art Nouveau building by Theodor Fischer (1913)

Permanent exhibitions

• Vor- und Frühgeschichte – On the first floor, archaeological finds from the Paleolithic to the early Middle Ages lead through North Hesse's early history, supplemented by topics on agriculture and raw materials in the covered inner courtyards.
• Angewandte Kunst – The second level shows artistically crafted everyday objects from churches, towns and the landgraves' collections – from Kunstkammer pieces to glass, amber and ivory to faience and porcelain.
• Regionalgeschichte und Alltagskultur – The top floor is devoted to the changes in everyday life in North Hesse since around 1800: industrialization, emigration, the democracy movement, the world wars and the present.

Founded

1913

Operated by

Hessen Kassel Heritage (Land Hessen)

Director

Martin Faass (Direktor Hessen Kassel Heritage)

Visitors per year

approx. 11,000 (2025)

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for, among others, refugees, ICOM/Museumsbund members, members of the Museumsverein Kassel and holders of Meine Card+/Auszeit Card+.

Accessibility

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

Baby changing table available. Due to construction work on Brüder-Grimm-Platz, access may be restricted; the museum ticket desk can advise on a safe route.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities

Free explorer tour (museum scavenger hunt, approx. 2 hours) for children and families, available at the ticket desk or as a download; workshops for children according to the events calendar.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

According to Hessen Kassel Heritage, museum shops exist only at the Wilhelmshöhe and Herkules visitor centers; no café in the building is mentioned.

Events & venue rental

The museum's historic lecture hall is used for lectures and conferences; inquiries about external events to externe-veranstaltungen@heritage-kassel.de.

Plan your visit