Mineralogisches Museum der Universität Bonn

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The museum was founded in 1818 together with the University of Bonn as a natural history museum and moved into the Baroque Poppelsdorfer Schloss, which was standing empty at the time. Its first director was August Goldfuß; in addition to minerals, it initially also held botanical, zoological and paleontological collections. In 1872 the university acquired the extensive collection of mineral dealer Adam August Krantz, with around 14,000 minerals and almost 200 meteorites. In the 1880s the other natural history collections moved out, and since then the museum has been purely mineralogical.

Structural defects led to a temporary closure in the early 20th century; after renovation in the 1930s, the palace was badly hit in February 1945 and parts of the holdings were lost. Following reconstruction, the museum reopened on July 12, 1956, enriched by major postwar acquisitions such as the collections of Carl Duisberg and Reinhard Wüster.

Today the collection comprises more than 65,000 minerals, rocks and meteorites. Four halls show minerals from around the world, ores and their uses, gemstones with fluorescent minerals, and changing special exhibitions. Since 2022 the museum, which belongs to the university's Institute of Geosciences, has been directed by Anne Zacke.

Highlights

• Huge Marra Mamba tiger's eye from Western Australia
• Uranium cube from the German uranium project of the 1940s
• Gemstone hall with fluorescent minerals
• Meteorite collection with pieces from the Krantz collection
• Museum app with a puzzle game and texts in Easy Language

Permanent exhibitions

• Minerale aus aller Welt (Saal I) – More than 600 minerals show the diversity of colors and crystal forms.
• Erze (Saal III) – Metallic raw materials, their mining and their role in everyday life.
• Edelsteinsaal (Saal IV) – Classic and rare gemstones as well as glowing fluorescent minerals.

Founded

1818

Operated by

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Institut für Geowissenschaften

Director

Anne Zacke

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Usually free on special days such as Dies academicus, International Museum Day, Heritage Open Day (Tag des offenen Denkmals) and Geotope Day (Tag des Geotops)

Children's afternoon (90 min.) €35 per group, exclusive evening tour (1.5 hrs., with sparkling wine) €130; materials fee of €1 per child where applicable.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• 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
• Audio description: no information

Special exhibition texts available via the museum app in Easy Language and in English. No information is available on physical accessibility in Poppelsdorf Palace.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Rallies for younger and older guests, a mystery game in the museum app, and the children's page "Junges Museum". Children's afternoon with minerals to touch and try out (90 min., can also be booked as a birthday party). Surprise bags for children age 6 and up in the shop; free admission up to age 18.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Small museum shop with minerals, jewelry, meteorites, books, and surprise bags for children.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit