Natural history museum in the Baroque Schreibersches Haus in Gera's old town: landscapes, animals and plants of eastern Thuringia, plus minerals down in the Höhler cellars.
May 17, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Cabinet exhibition with some 70 lithium-bearing mineral specimens from around the world, including zinnwaldite from the Ore Mountains, plus background on the occurrence and mining of the light metal.
October 2, 2026 – August 29, 2027
The special exhibition contrasts fable characters such as Reynard the Fox and Isengrim the wolf with the actual biology of the animals; with an interactive museum rally.
October 2, 2026 – April 4, 2027
Cabinet exhibition about plants such as mandrake and deadly nightshade that were believed to have magical powers, and about the link between medicine and superstition.
January 29, 2027 – April 4, 2027
A selection of fossils, rocks and minerals that entered the collection through purchase or donation between 2024 and 2026.
October 8, 2027 – April 11, 2028
Cabinet exhibition on the former mining district near Bad Lobenstein, known for siderite crystals and gersdorffite.
The museum is housed in the Schreibersches Haus on Nicolaiberg, built from 1686 to 1688 on the remains of a burned-down castle estate and considered the oldest surviving townhouse in the old town. In 1780 it was the only significant building within the town walls to survive the Great Fire. A Baroque hall with an ornate stucco ceiling has been preserved on the third floor. Owned by the city since 1847, the building has served as a court and a school, among other uses.
After the Städtisches Museum (municipal museum) was badly damaged in 1945, the rescued collections were brought here; from 1950 the building was open to the public as a museum. When the cultural history holdings were moved back out, it developed in the 1950s into a natural history museum with its own taxidermy workshop.
After being closed for nine years, it reopened in 1984 with the permanent exhibition "Ostthüringen als Landschaftsraum" (Eastern Thuringia as a Landscape). In the 1990s mineral exhibitions were added in the building and in the Höhler (historic underground cellar) beneath it; in 2011 these were redesigned as the current presentations "Die Minerale Ostthüringens" (The Minerals of Eastern Thuringia) and "Das Einmaleins der Minerale" (The ABC of Minerals). The collections include botanical, zoological, geological, mineralogical, paleontological and petrographic holdings, some dating back to the late 18th century. The Botanischer Garten Gera (botanical garden) is also part of the museum.
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4Trainees/apprentices and university students aged 19 and over, people with severe disabilities, seniors (with pension ID), holders of the Thüringer Ehrenamtscard (volunteer card) and the Geraer Simsonkarte |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Children and young people up to age 18 free. |
| Seniors | €4On presentation of a pension ID. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4companion free · With a valid severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis). |
| Students & apprentices | €4University students and trainees aged 19 and over; school classes free as part of lessons. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4 per personPer person for 10 or more people. |
| Annual pass for all museums of the city of Gera | €45non-transferable, valid for 12 months |
| Public guided tour (surcharge) | €1.50per person, plus admission |
| Guided tour by appointment | €40per tour, plus admission |
| Event flat rate | €40e.g. lectures, children's birthday parties |
Prices since January 1, 2024. Free admission for, among others, holders of the Geraer Sozialcard (social benefits card), participants in a voluntary social or ecological year (FSJ/FÖJ), ICOM/DMB members, press and members of the Gera volunteer fire department. Special prices may apply for special exhibitions; material costs for creative activities are charged extra.
According to the city of Gera, the museum is not accessible (historic building with exhibitions on several floors and in the Höhler cellar).
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
Museum education programs for children as young as 3, vacation programs with crafts. Children's birthday parties for children ages 6 and up (about 1 hour, e.g., museum scavenger hunt) by registration.
Schillerstraße (Bus 10, 11, 17, 19, 26) · 100 m
Tram 3 to Sorge/Markt or Leipziger Straße (approx. 250 m); bus 10, 11, 17, 19 or 26 to Schillerstraße (approx. 100 m); tram 1 to Heinrichstraße (approx. 400 m); about 1 km on foot from Gera Hbf (main station).
Paid parking
No parking lot of its own; paid parking at the Salvatorkirche, in the Parkhaus Markt/Rathaus (Nicolaistraße), or at the parking lot Am Markt (Stadtgraben 12). Coaches stop on Nicolaistraße near the former Goethe-Gymnasium.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Commercial photography and filming only with prior registration through the City of Gera press office. |
| Good to know | Guided tours and educational programs by appointment, also outside opening hours. |
Cookies help you use this website. We only load the map and statistics with your consent.
