Schwäbisches Schnapsmuseum

About the museum

The impetus came in 1977, when the Krebs distillery in Bönnigheim faced the threat of being scrapped. To save it, the Historische Gesellschaft Bönnigheim (Bönnigheim Historical Society) was founded; it wrote a museum into its statutes and documented and expanded the distillery equipment. At first a local history museum was planned; in 1985 the state office for museum support recommended a specialist museum, and since then collecting has focused specifically on schnapps.

An exhibition in the Baden-Württemberg state pavilion in Stuttgart made the idea known, and in 1993 the Schwäbisches Schnapsmuseum was founded. It is housed in the Steinhaus of 1296, a striking building in the old town with characterful rooms and a vaulted cellar. According to its own account, the house holds the largest museum collection on the history of alcohol in Germany.

The exhibition shows the cultural history of alcohol, from the development of distillation technology through secret and illegal distilling to addiction and industrial use. In 2025 the craft of distilling was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage, in which the museum participated. At the end of 2025, a collection of 185 schnapps bottles with music boxes was donated and is presented in the cellar. The museum is run voluntarily by the Förderverein Museum im Steinhaus (friends' association).

Highlights

• Illegal stills: confiscated and homemade stills
• Distillery "Hammer," the largest distillery in southern Germany
• Temperance chamber and industrial spirit
• 185 schnapps bottles with music boxes in the cellar
• Humorous schnapps and liqueur tasting in the vaulted cellar
• “Kindesglück” department on research into placenta burial, which began in Bönnigheim in 1984

Permanent exhibitions

• Schwäbisches Schnapsmuseum – Tour through the cultural history of schnapps, with themed areas on illegal distilling, the Hammer distillery, industrial spirit, the temperance chamber and distilling techniques.
• Kindesglück – Department on the history of research into placenta burial – a field of research that began in Bönnigheim in Germany in 1984.

Founded

1993

Operated by

Förderverein Museum im Steinhaus e. V.

Director

Kurt Sartorius

Admission & discounts

Admission includes a schnapps glass. Visitors who arrive by bus or train and show a bwtarif ticket valid for the day of the visit, a Schüler-Ferien-Ticket, JugendticketBW, D-Ticket JugendBW or Deutschland-Ticket pay no admission for every second person.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

The museum is accessible barrier-free via an elevator.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Children and families are welcome; alcohol at tastings is served only from age 18.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A 81, exit Mundelsheim, 8 km to Kirchheim am Neckar, then toward Bönnigheim. Navigation address: Meiereihof 5, 74357 Bönnigheim.

Amenities & dining

For tastings, coffee and cake or a hearty Vesper snack are served on request, other dishes by arrangement.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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