Ruhr Museum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The Ruhr Museum's roots go back to around 1900: in 1901 a museum association was founded in Essen, and on December 4, 1904, a municipal museum opened that brought together art, local history, natural history, and ethnology under one roof. It was one of the first museums in the Ruhr region, moved several times, and from 1934 was called the Ruhrlandmuseum. Under its long-serving director Ernst Kahrs, it developed its regional profile.

From 1984, the Ruhrlandmuseum was housed in a new building on Goethestraße, which it vacated in 2007 to make way for the expansion of the Museum Folkwang. In the following years, its holdings – some four million objects from geology, mineralogy, archaeology, history, industrial history, and photography – were moved to the Zollverein colliery.

On January 9, 2010, at the start of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010, the new Ruhr Museum opened in the former coal washery of Shaft XII. The colliery's largest building was converted following the master plan by Rem Koolhaas (OMA) together with Heinrich Böll, with exhibition design by HG Merz. Visitors enter the building via a long, free-standing escalator and then move from top to bottom along the former production route, through the present, prehistory, and the industrial age.

Since 2008, the museum has been an independent foundation under the umbrella of the Stiftung Zollverein. It also includes the Mineralien-Museum (mineral museum) in Kupferdreh, the Schaudepot (visible storage) at the Zollverein coking plant, and other branches in Essen. Since July 2026, Dietmar Osses has directed the museum, succeeding Heinrich Theodor Grütter.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition on the nature, culture, and history of the Ruhr on three levels of the coal washery
• Long, free-standing escalator up to the entrance on the 24-meter level
• Panoramic roof of the coal washery with views over the Zollverein World Heritage Site
• Free audio guide with more than 90 stops in five languages
• Schaudepot at the Zollverein coking plant with some 25,000 objects (guided tours only)

Permanent exhibitions

• Natur, Kultur und Geschichte des Ruhrgebiets – Across three levels of the coal washery, the permanent exhibition leads from the region's present through its prehistory and early history to the industrial age.
• Schätze aus den Sammlungen – Geology, mineralogy, and biology at the Mineralien-Museum in Essen-Kupferdreh, with free admission.
• Das Schaudepot Ruhr Museum – A look behind the scenes: the study collection in the salt factory of the Zollverein coking plant can be seen on guided tours.

Founded

1904

Operated by

Stiftung Ruhr Museum (unter dem Dach der Stiftung Zollverein)

Director

Dietmar Osses

Visitors per year

approx. 250,000 (2023)

Admission & discounts

The ticket for the permanent exhibition includes the Portal der Industriekultur and the panoramic roof. Combination tickets available with the Red Dot Design Museum, Gasometer Oberhausen, Deutsches Fußballmuseum, and city tours. The Mineralien-Museum in Kupferdreh is free.

Accessibility

• 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 entrance with elevators via the north foyer; accessible restrooms on the 24-meter level. Wheelchairs and buggies are loaned free of charge (reservations at 0201 24681 500). Folding stools in the exhibitions. Awarded the "Nordrhein-Westfalen ohne Barrieren" accessibility seal.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

Free museum bag "Rätsel-Reise" (puzzle journey) for families with children ages 6 and up, as well as quizzes for the special exhibitions; family tours according to the calendar and children's birthday parties. Baby changing tables on the 21- and 24-meter levels. On busy days, stroller access may be restricted; in that case, free baby carriers and strollers are available at the coat check.

Getting there & parking

Bike racks around Werner-Müller-Platz; several bike routes lead to the Zollverein World Heritage Site.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Café Kohlenwäsche in the museum; on the Zollverein grounds, there are also Bistro Schacht XII, Casino Zollverein, and The Mine. Museum shop run by the bookstore Buchhandlung Walther König on the 24-meter level. Coat check and lockers on the 21-meter level. Free Wi-Fi.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 300 guests.

The Erich-Brost-Pavillon on the roof of the coal washery, 38 m up (320 m², up to 300 people standing or in rows, 250 for a banquet; foyer 120 m² for 150 people), is rented out through the Stiftung Zollverein; catering by Imhoff.

Plan your visit