City and spa museum in the Baroque Pyrmont Castle, with a permanent exhibition on spa history, the state rooms of the piano nobile and a café on the castle island.
From October 20, 2027
The exhibition is devoted to the last years of life of the physicist and Nobel Prize winner Max Born and his wife Hedwig in Bad Pyrmont after their return from exile in 1953; runs until spring 2028.
July 1, 2027 – October 3, 2027
Over 60 graphic prints by Daumier and other artists satirise French bathing culture of the 19th century, from the private bath to the seaside resort.
December 17, 2026 – June 13, 2027
Participatory exhibition by the Kreismuseum Peine on how municipalities use their money; at stations, visitors decide on public projects.
September 3, 2026 – November 22, 2026
Sculptures by Jörg Engelhardt take up the long symbolic history of apes: crowned and enthroned, they become rulers of their own worlds, between fantasy, irony and grandeur.
The Pyrmont museum was founded in 1908 as a local history museum with collections on the history of the town and the spa. Since 1987 it has been housed in the castle, after the fortress and castle were carefully restored. Art historian Dieter Alfter built up the house from 1984 to 2015 and led it; in 1987 he also founded the museum association.
The castle island dates back to 1526, when Count of Spiegelberg had an artificial island built up in a marshy area and a fortress erected on it. His son built a first castle; from 1706 the present Baroque summer palace of the princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont was built, which now houses the museum.
On the second floor, the permanent exhibition on the history of the town and spa, initiated by the museum association in 2015 and designed by a Leipzig design studio, shows everything from the well find at the sacred springs, through the princely summer of 1681, to the social life of famous spa guests in the 18th and 19th centuries. The collections include historical views, portraits of spa guests, souvenir porcelain and engraved spa glasses. Special exhibitions are also held in the princely state rooms of the piano nobile.
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Spa guests and people with a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis) |
| Students & apprentices | €2Pupils, students and unemployed people |
| Groups (10+ people) | €2.50 per personGroups of 10 or more people, per person. |
| Families | €8Family ticket |
Times without a special exhibition: reduced prices (adults €3, spa guests and people with a severe disability ID €2, pupils, students and unemployed people €1, groups €2 per person, family ticket €6); the historic rooms cannot be visited at that time. Free admission for members of the museum association, guests with PyrmontCard Plus and PyrmontCard 365, holders of the Ehrenamtskarte (volunteer card), and members of professional museum associations.
The exhibition floors can be reached by elevator. According to the museum, the elevator was out of order at the end of August 2026, and the museum was then not wheelchair accessible; please call ahead before visiting.
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | €8 · Family ticket |
|---|
Free castle scavenger hunt with the castle ghost Friedrich (self-guided, with a small surprise when returned) and a children's audio guide for kids. Children's birthday parties from the 6th birthday (120 minutes, €11 per child) with various themes; programs are also offered for daycare centers and school classes.
Emmerstraße / Kaiserplatz · 5-min walk
From Bad Pyrmont station, take city bus line 61 to the Emmerstraße stop, or line 61/62 to Kaiserplatz; each is no more than 5 minutes' walk from the museum.
Free parking · 5-min walk to the entrance
Free parking lot "Gondelteich" on Südstraße, next to the Pyrmonter Welle leisure pool (Südstraße 13).
The museum is on the castle island, Schloßstraße 13.
Get directionsCafé in the castle in front of the eastern cavalier's house, with a view of the palm garden; in season, Thursday to Sunday 13:00–18:00. Museum shop with catalogs, postcards and publications on Bad Pyrmont and the Weserbergland (Weser Hills).
Up to 40 guests.
Civil marriages in the Tischbein Hall (up to 40 people), followed by a sparkling wine reception on the terrace or in the banquet hall; non-civil ceremonies (freie Trauungen) and celebrations are not possible. Dates through the Bad Pyrmont registry office (Standesamt der Stadt).
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Audio guide for the permanent exhibition and a children's audio guide (devices at the ticket desk or on your own smartphone). Public guided tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 15:00 (admission charged), meeting point at the museum ticket desk. Group tours on request cost €26 per guide plus admission (English-language tours €30; maximum 25 people). In addition, there is a scenic historical tour of the castle island. |
