Mindener Museum

About the museum

The museum goes back to collections of the town, the district, and citizens of Minden, some dating to the 19th century; the foundation was formed by about 310 archaeological and folklore objects that district administrator Franz Cornelsen gathered between 1909 and 1919. In September 1912, the city councilors decided to use the newly acquired former bookshop Körber & Freytag at Ritterstraße 23 as a museum. War, revolution, and inflation delayed the expansion, so the municipal Heimatmuseum (local history museum) was not ceremonially opened until September 1922.

For more than four decades, the volunteer director Max Matthey shaped the museum; he rescued building components from demolished Minden houses and incorporated them into the museum rooms. Over time the neighboring houses were added, so that today a listed row of six townhouses from the 16th and early 17th centuries in the Weser Renaissance style forms the museum. Many buildings were heavily altered in the postwar period, with House No. 27, the current entrance, rebuilt in 1959 using old facade parts.

The collection now comprises about 60,000 objects on everyday life, prehistory and early history, and city and regional history. Since 2012, a multimedia model of the fortress city in 1873 has formed the centerpiece of the city history section, and in 2026 the redesigned permanent exhibition "Von Dinosaurierfährten bis heute" (From Dinosaur Tracks to Today) opened. In addition, the museum regularly shows special and cabinet exhibitions.

Highlights

• Museum row of six Weser Renaissance houses
• Permanent exhibition "Von Dinosaurierfährten bis heute" with finds from the region
• Multimedia city model of the Minden fortress in 1873
• Laboratory exhibition on the Battle of Minden in 1759
• Showcase window on city history with 35 selected objects

Permanent exhibitions

• Von Dinosaurierfährten bis heute – Permanent exhibition opened in February 2026 on the prehistory and early history of the region with seven thematic islands on the history of Minden, complemented by the city model and showcase window on city history.
• Die Schlacht bei Minden 1759 – Fakten, Fiktionen, Forschungen – Laboratory exhibition in the attic floors that, besides the battle itself, shows how legends arise and what methods museums use today to study objects.
• Multimediales Stadtmodell „Festung Minden 1873“ – Model of the fortress city with about 600 buildings at a scale of 1:1000, where visitors can call up themed city tours via touchscreens.

Founded

1912

Operated by

Stadt Minden

Admission & discounts

Payment in cash or by EC card; credit cards are not accepted.

Accessibility

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

The listed museum row is only partially accessible; most of the special exhibition rooms and the event rooms on the second and third floors are reachable by elevator. People with disabilities may use two residents' parking spaces directly in front of the museum (parking permit at the ticket desk on presentation of ID, no guarantee of a space). A signposted accessible route leads to Friedensplatz via Brüderstraße or Kampstraße.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Families can borrow detective or researcher cases with a puzzle booklet for their own explorations (children from age 6, booklet €1, €5 deposit) as well as a backpack for a city rally. From November to March there are parent-child afternoons on Sundays, and workshops during the holidays. Children's birthday parties (2 hours, €75, max. 10 children) with various themes for ages 5 to over 10.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located in the traffic-calmed Upper Old Town with cobblestones. Bicycles with luggage can be left at the ticket desk in the inner courtyard by arrangement.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available

Museum café "trinkkofi" (coffee bar and roastery), Tue–Sat 9:00–17:00.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties: not available
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 125 guests.

For conferences, seminars, and lectures: Blatt-Raum (up to 30 seated, €150), Natorp-Saal (up to 75, €250), and Werberg-Saal (up to 125, €250); the two halls are at times used as exhibition rooms. No rental for private celebrations. Civil wedding ceremonies in the Natorp-Saal on selected Saturdays (arrangement via the Minden registry office).

Plan your visit