December 10, 2026 – September 26, 2027
Wir sind so frei
Upcoming temporary exhibition at the Stadtmuseum im Gelben Haus.
Stadtmuseum im Gelben Haus
History of Esslingen from 777 to the postwar period in the Gelbes Haus (Yellow House) on Hafenmarkt, with a medieval residential tower.
Have only individual sections read aloud
Opening hoursAdmission €4 Partially accessible
Current exhibitions
About the museum
In 1908, history-minded citizens of Esslingen decided to collect and preserve evidence of the town's past. From 1926 the objects were displayed in the Old Town Hall; since 1989 the city museum has been housed in the Gelbes Haus on Hafenmarkt.
The adjoining building at Hafenmarkt 7 also belongs to the house; it contains the only surviving stone residential tower from the 13th century in Esslingen.
The permanent exhibition begins with the first documentary mention of the town in 777 and extends to the period after the Second World War. The focus is on the history and everyday life of the imperial city (Reichsstadt) with its craftsmen and guilds, the epoch shaped by viticulture and trade, and the transformation into one of Württemberg's most important industrial cities, where textile, machine and metal processing became significant.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition from 777 to after 1945
- Imperial city, guilds and wine trade
- Medieval residential tower from the 13th century
- Industrial history of Esslingen
- Children's birthday party "Geburtstags-Detektive"
Permanent exhibition
- Dauerausstellung zur Stadtgeschichte – Tour from the first documentary mention in 777 to the present, with historic original objects on the imperial city, crafts and industrialization.
- Operated by
- Stadt Esslingen am Neckar (Städtische Museen)
- Director
- Hansjörg Albrecht
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Pupils aged 18 and over, students, trainees, people with a severe disability ID, people doing social service, groups |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to their 18th birthday enter free |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2companion free · With a severe disability ID; companions named on the ID enter free |
| Students & apprentices | €2With proof |
| Groups (10+ people) | €2 per personPer person, for groups of 10 or more |
Free admission: International Museum Day (May), Schwörfest (first weekend of July), Day of Open Monuments (September)
Free admission also with the Esslinger Kulturpass, Landesfamilienpass, Ehrenamtskarte Baden-Württemberg, for members of the Geschichts- und Altertumsverein (history and antiquities association), the Museumsverband Baden-Württemberg, the Deutscher Museumsbund and ICOM, with a VR-BankCard Plus, and for journalists with a press card.
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
The listed building is step-free via the courtyard entrance on Heugasse (opposite the city library). An elevator connects the entrance, the temporary exhibitions and the permanent exhibition; two rooms can only be accessed through doors 69 cm wide. Accessible toilet for people with disabilities on level 4.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Kids’ birthday parties
Children's birthday party "Die Geburtstags-Detektive" for children aged 7 to 12 (Saturdays 11:00–13:00, birthday child plus 7 children, €120). The children's program of the Städtische Museen, with craft and holiday activities, takes place mostly in the J. F. Schreiber-Museum.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Marktplatz
Bus stop "Marktplatz" on the Altstadtring, a few minutes' walk away; from the train station about 20 minutes on foot via Agnesbrücke and Marktplatz.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
No parking lot of its own; parking garages in the city center on the Altstadtring, the Parkhaus Küferstraße Altstadt being particularly close.
The museum is not far from the Old Town Hall on Hafenmarkt.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Individual guided tours by arrangement via the contact form of the Städtische Museen (municipal museums), at least two weeks in advance: groups of up to 20 people €60 during opening hours, €80 outside them, foreign-language tour €90, in each case plus admission. School classes and kindergarten groups from Esslingen €25, from elsewhere €60, plus €1 material fee per child. Food and drink are not permitted in the museum. |
