Museum am Löwentor

About the museum

The Museum am Löwentor is one of the two exhibition buildings of the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart (State Museum of Natural History). The museum's roots go back to 1791, when the dukes of Württemberg established a natural history cabinet; in 1817 King Wilhelm I made the collection a public state collection. In the 19th century, Oscar Fraas and his son Eberhard systematically expanded the paleontology department. Part of the holdings was lost in World War II, but the larger part, which had been moved to safety beforehand, survived.

For the internationally important fossil collection, a dedicated new building was constructed from 1981 on the edge of Rosensteinpark, designed by the Stuttgart firm Siegel, Wonneberg und Partner; it opened in 1985. The exhibition occupies a single open hall without partition walls, covering around 3,500 square meters on several levels with very high ceilings.

The tour follows the geological history of southwestern Germany from the Paleozoic through the Triassic and Jurassic to the Ice Age. Original fossils – ichthyosaurs from the Posidonia Shale, armored amphibians and dinosaurs from the Keuper, finds from the Steinheim Basin – are combined with lifelike reconstructions of entire habitats. Among the best-known pieces is the roughly 300,000-year-old skull of Steinheim Man; there is also a cabinet of insects preserved in amber.

In recent years the permanent exhibition has been gradually redesigned, most recently with a new section on the Tertiary. Since 2025, low-barrier "Science Hubs", where the museum's researchers present their work, have complemented the exhibition; more stations are planned.

Highlights

• Skull of Steinheim Man (around 300,000 years old)
• Ichthyosaurs and marine reptiles from the Posidonia Shale
• Dinosaurs and armored amphibians from the Keuper of southwestern Germany
• Life-size mammoth and Ice Age scenes
• Amber cabinet with trapped insects
• Interactive, low-barrier "Science Hubs" on current research

Permanent exhibitions

• Paläontologische Dauerausstellung – A journey through around 250 million years of southwestern Germany's geological history, from the Paleozoic through the Triassic and Jurassic to the Ice Age – with original fossils and reconstructed habitats.
• Bernstein-Kabinett – A dedicated exhibition area featuring tiny insects and other small creatures exceptionally well preserved in amber.

Founded

1985

Operated by

Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart (Land Baden-Württemberg)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on Wednesdays from 13:00 (not on public holidays).

Prices apply to one building (Museum am Löwentor). Special rates for holders of the Landesfamilienpass, Museums-PASS-Musées, StuttCard, Bonuscard + Kultur, and with a VVS season ticket, Metropol day ticket, same-day bwtarif ticket or Deutschlandticket. Online tickets are recommended due to high demand; card payment accepted. Public guided tours €5, reduced €3, plus admission. Dogs are not allowed in the exhibitions.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

According to the museum, the exhibition is largely wheelchair-accessible; a level footpath leads from the accessible parking space on Nordbahnhofstraße. Elevators are available, but due to defects not all levels can currently be reached step-free. Accessible restroom on the first floor near Café Fossil. Loaner wheelchairs and portable folding stools are available at the ticket desk. Tactile tours, tours in plain language and tours with German Sign Language (DGS) interpretation on set dates; the Science Hubs also offer content in DGS, easy-to-read German (Leichte Sprache) and with audio description.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Every Sunday at 15:00 a family tour for children aged 5 and up (no registration needed); during school holidays there are holiday activities and multi-day programs. Children's audio guide "Lilli Lindwurm" about dinosaurs and mammoths. Children's birthday parties from the 6th birthday for up to 10 children (1 hr, €80), bookable by phone only. Children and young people get free admission.

Getting there & parking

Located at the intersection of Ehmannstraße and Nordbahnhofstraße on the edge of Rosensteinpark. According to the museum, the second exhibition building, Schloss Rosenstein, is about a 15-minute walk through the park.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Café Fossil (Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat/Sun/public holidays 10:00–18:00). Museum shop with books and dinosaur and animal models. Coat check and lockers in the basement.

Events & venue rental

The natural history museum's venue rentals relate to Schloss Rosenstein; the museum does not list any rental spaces of its own at the Museum am Löwentor.

Plan your visit