Naturkundemuseum Niebüll

About the museum

It began in 1979 with an association that wanted to keep the extensive collection of animal specimens and minerals belonging to Niebüll master gardener Kurt Bachmann in the town. Volunteers built display cases and dioramas, and on August 30, 1980, the "Naturkundliches Heimatmuseum" (natural history local museum) opened on the second floor of the building at Hauptstraße 108 – at the time, a Danish shoe factory was still operating on the first floor. The building had been constructed as a hotel in 1898 and, after the border was drawn in 1920, served as the district office of the Südtondern district.

As the collection grew, the museum eventually took over the entire building. After closing and extensive renovation starting in 1989, it reopened in June 1993 as the Naturkundemuseum Niebüll, now with large dioramas, an aquarium system and an activity room for children. Alongside the permanent exhibition, the program has since included lectures and excursions to the natural areas of the surrounding region; in 1994 the museum received the state's environmental prize.

In 2012/13, a completely new, interactive exhibition was created that leads room by room through the landscapes of the German-Danish borderland, with all texts also in Danish. The museum has been certified as a Museum in Schleswig-Holstein since 2015, a national park partner since 2017, and in 2022 it was equipped with an exterior elevator and an accessible restroom. In the storage rooms, the supporting association keeps insect collections, herbaria, fossils, rocks and eggs, among other things.

Highlights

• Interactive exhibition "Room by room through the region" on the nature of the German-Danish borderland
• Freshwater aquariums with native fish
• Living bee colony behind glass
• National park station with information on the Wadden Sea
• All texts in German and Danish
• KreativWerkstatt (creative workshop) with holiday program for children

Permanent exhibitions

• Raum für Raum durch die Region – The interactive exhibition leads through landscapes on both sides of the German-Danish border – with specimens from the bee to the white-tailed eagle, freshwater aquariums, nocturnal forest sounds and a living bee colony.

Founded

1980

Operated by

Naturkundemuseum Niebüll e.V.

Admission & discounts

Members of the supporting association have free admission.

Accessibility

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

An exterior elevator provides access to the exhibition rooms on the second floor and the KreativWerkstatt; accessible restroom available. Clear door widths: first floor 96 cm, exhibition 86 cm, KreativWerkstatt 76 cm, restroom 89 cm. As an older building, the house is not optimally accessible everywhere. Offerings for people with dementia.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Interactive hands-on exhibition with a children's activity area. KreativWerkstatt and holiday program for 6- to 12-year-olds (e.g., amber polishing, pond dipping, forest rally, from €3). Children's birthday parties for children aged 6 and older.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the southern part of Hauptstraße toward Deezbüll, at the corner of Deichstraße. E-bikes can be charged at the reception inside the building by arrangement.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Info café; a packed snack may be eaten in the info café or in the small museum garden.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 70 guests.

Event hall (approx. 95 m²) for lectures, seminars and meetings with up to 70 people, equipped with projector, screen, Wi-Fi and kitchenette; association members pay lower rent.

Plan your visit