Museum Natur und Mensch

Municipal museum in Freiburg’s old town on Earth’s history, minerals, and local habitats, complemented by an ethnological collection.

Opening hoursAdmission from €5 Partially accessible

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Current exhibitions

May 20, 2026 – January 3, 2027

Voll unfair!

Using cocoa and cement as examples, the exhibition examines exploitation and fair working conditions in global supply chains; two female artists put the spotlight on women as actors.

About the museum

The museum’s roots go back to 1895, when the city of Freiburg founded a joint museum of natural history and ethnology. After several moves, the natural history holdings found a permanent home at the end of 1931 in a former school building on Gerberau, built in the mid-19th century for the neighboring Dominican convent. The ethnological objects were kept in storage for a long time and were shown from 1961 in the adjoining Adelhauser Neukloster.

In 1996 the natural history and ethnology museums were placed under joint management. Because of fire safety deficiencies, large parts of the exhibitions had to close in 2006; the Adelhausermuseum has remained closed ever since. From 2007, exhibitions resumed on the first floor at Gerberau, and after renovation work, minerals, gemstones, and fossils have been on view again since the end of 2009. Since April 1, 2014, the museum has been called Museum Natur und Mensch.

Today it is part of the Städtische Museen Freiburg (Freiburg municipal museums). Guided by the idea of interconnected life, the permanent exhibition links Earth’s history, rocks, and the habitats of forest, water, and meadow, with many stations to touch and try out. The ethnological collection of around 20,000 objects from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania is shown mainly in special exhibitions; a new presentation focusing on colonial acquisition contexts and provenance research is in preparation.

Highlights

Meteorites and fossils, including petrified ichthyosaurs
Minerals and gemstones from southwestern Germany, with a black-light room for fluorescent crystals
Hands-on habitats of forest, water, and meadow, including a birdsong clock and a crawl tunnel
Hinterwald cow “Bärbel” and live bees from May to August
Free mushroom advice on Mondays from 16:00 to 18:00

Permanent exhibitions

Zeitraum und Steinreich – Earth’s history with fossils and meteorites, plus minerals and gemstones from the region, including a black-light room.
Wald, Wasser, Wiese – Interactive areas on local habitats and the relationships between animals, plants, and fungi, with numerous hands-on stations.

Founded: 1895
Operated by: Städtische Museen Freiburg

Admission & discounts

Adults	€5
Reduced	€3People with severe disabilities (degree of disability 50 or more) and groups of 10 or more; with the Ehrenamtskarte Baden-Württemberg (volunteer card), two tickets for the price of one
Children & teens	freefree up to age 26 · Children, young people, and young adults under 27 free; children under 10 only when accompanied by an adult
Seniors	–No senior discount listed
Visitors with disabilities	€3companion free · Reduced from a degree of disability of 50
Students & apprentices	freeFree under 27
Groups (10+ people)	€3 per personGroup rate for 10 or more
Families	–No family ticket; free under 27, free admission with the FamilienCard
Museen Freiburg annual pass	€30Reduced €25, valid at all Städtische Museen Freiburg, including special exhibitions

Free admission with the Museums-PASS-Musées, FamilienCard, and FreiburgPass, and for ICOM members, among others.

Accessibility

Partially wheelchair accessible
Elevator
Accessible restroom
Accessible parking: no information
Service dogs welcome
Tactile models & exhibits: no information
Sign language tours: no information
Easy-to-read materials: no information
Audio description: no information

Accessible; wheelchair users can enter with assistance via an elevator; wheelchair-accessible restroom available. The municipal museums offer monthly tours with sign language interpretation and for visually impaired people. The building is not air-conditioned.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Kids’ admission	free up to age 26

Family tours & workshops
Hands-on stations
Stroller-friendly: not available
Kids’ birthday parties

Hands-on stations such as the bird-song clock, petting animals, crawl tunnel and wonder drums. Family afternoons with creative activities for ages 5 and up, intergenerational tours, children's birthday parties for ages 7 to 11, and "Samstagsmuseum für Kids". Strollers and bicycle trailers are not allowed for fire safety reasons; baby carriers without a frame are.

Getting there & parking

By public transit

Oberlinden

From the main train station take light rail line 1 toward Littenweiler to the Oberlinden stop.

By car

Parking available

No parking lot of its own; Parkhaus Schlossberg is recommended. Tour buses park at Karlsplatz or Stadtgarten.

Get directions

Amenities & dining

Specialist library as a reference library by appointment.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit

Audio guide	yes
School programs	yes
Photography	Photography and filming for private purposes allowed without flash or tripod; no photos of other people without their consent; may be restricted in special exhibitions.
Good to know	Audio tours via the free Museen Freiburg app. Programs for daycare centers and schools via museumspaedagogik@freiburg.de; online service “Peter, was ist das?” for children’s nature questions. No animals except assistance dogs.