Nationalparkhaus Sankt Andreasberg

About the museum

The Nationalparkhaus Sankt Andreasberg is housed in the ore-washing plant of the Samson mine, built in 1891, where extracted ore was crushed, sorted and prepared for the silver smelter. The mine produced silver-bearing ore from 1521 to 1910 from depths of up to 810 meters and is now recognized as a historic engineering monument.

After mining ended, various companies used the building: first for wooden toys and games, later for armaments production, and until 1994 for making radiosonde weather instruments. The town of Sankt Andreasberg then took over the building with state funds and had it renovated. On December 4, 1998, it opened as an information and education center for Harz National Park; since 2009 it has been run by NABU Niedersachsen. Today the National Park Education Center and the Regional Environmental Center are also based here.

The wheelchair-accessible route is a journey through time through the natural and cultural landscape of the Harz, from mining and forest use to the return of wilderness. FledermausReich, opened in 2016, shows bats over the course of the year; an experience cinema shows four films, and a children's island with a lynx game and a listening cave welcomes young visitors. The house also includes the Café Erzwäsche, a visitor shop and an information point of the Harz Geopark.

Highlights

• Former ore-washing plant from 1891
• FledermausReich with 100,000-year-old bone finds
• Wheelchair-accessible exhibition route
• National park experience cinema
• Children's island and house rally
• Free admission

Permanent exhibitions

• Zeitreise durch Natur- und Kulturlandschaft des Harzes – Wheelchair-accessible route with hands-on stations on mining, forest use, geology and the return of wilderness, plus an experience cinema.
• FledermausReich – Night-time display for the Year of the Bat, with 100,000-year-old bone finds, dioramas, audio stories, hands-on stations and a bat cinema.

Founded

1998

Operated by

NABU Niedersachsen

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; donations to maintain the house are welcome.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Wheelchair-accessible exhibition route. A small step at the entrance is bridged by a wooden ramp; the access path has tactile guidance lines and a tactile overview map with Braille and pyramid print. Accessible restroom in the entrance area, opened with a Euro key (Euroschlüssel); the café is at ground level. There are currently no marked accessible parking spaces.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Children's island with a lynx game and an adventure listening cave, a discovery trip with a mole and an owl, house rally and hands-on stations.

Getting there & parking

The house lies right next to the Samson mine and the Kurpark (spa gardens), a few minutes' walk from the town center. Additional stop "Am Glockenberg" (last stop, about 800 m away).

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Café Erzwäsche and visitor shop with hiking maps, books, souvenirs and regional natural products.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit