Museumsbauernhof Wennerstorf
Historic heath farmstead with 1930s flair, organic farming, a farm café, and inclusion work; a satellite site of the Kiekeberg Open-Air Museum.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
In the mid-1980s the farming Bock family in Wennerstorf ended operations, and the farm and fields were auctioned off. The Smedtshof, roughly 400 years old and one of the few surviving heath farmsteads in northern Lower Saxony, faced decay and demolition. In 1987 the Landkreis Harburg acquired the complex for the Kiekeberg Open-Air Museum.
From 1997 a concept called "Ökologiehof" ("Ecological Farm") was developed that combines historic preservation, organic farming, and work with people with disabilities. Together with the Lebenshilfe Lüneburg-Harburg, 16 people with disabilities still work on the farm today. Since 2000 the products have been allowed to carry the Bioland seal; in 2008 the farm was renamed Museumsbauernhof and museum work was again emphasized more strongly.
Today almost all buildings of a typical heath farmstead stand here, including the main house, sheep barn, bake house, and horse-gin barn (Göpelscheune). Volunteer costumed interpreters of "Living History" have shown the life of a farming family in 1931 since 2026, and in the hall (Diele) of the main house a new permanent exhibition tells of rural life and the archaeological excavations of 2008.
Highlights
- Smedtshof, a roughly 400-year-old heath farmhouse
- Living history: farm life as it was in 1931
- New permanent exhibition in the hall
- Elieses farm café and village shop with farm products
- Organic farming with inclusion work
Permanent exhibition
- Dauerausstellung auf der Diele – The hall of the historic main house offers information and hands-on activities on rural life and on the archaeological excavations at the farm in 2008.
- Operated by
- Stiftung Freilichtmuseum am Kiekeberg
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Special event days (e.g., farm festivals) | €3Visitors under 18 free |
|---|
Admission is free on regular opening days; on special event days it costs €3. Also free are visitors with disabilities (from a disability degree of 80), visitors under 18, and members of the friends' association of the Kiekeberg Open-Air Museum.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
Farm fun with hands-on activities for children aged 5 to 10 on the third Sunday of every month (13:00–17:00, no registration required); full-day holiday activity days for school children (€45 per day); birthday parties for ages 4 to 12.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bus line 4037 from Buchholz in der Nordheide, bus line 4911 from Neu Wulmstorf
By car
Free parking
Own free visitor parking; at larger events the historic village center remains car-free, and parking outside the village is assigned by a parking service.
Via the A1: take the Rade exit, follow the B3 toward Soltau, and after 800 m turn off toward Wennerstorf.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Elieses farm café (May to October, Sundays and public holidays) in the old barn with garden seating; village shop with farm products in Bioland quality during the farm's opening hours.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours can be booked; school classes learn in the "Acker-Klassenzimmer" ("field classroom"). For classes from several municipalities in the surrounding area, a shuttle bus is available (€4 per person). |
