April 3, 2026 – February 14, 2027
Filmstar Gera. Die Stadt als Kulisse
Props, photos, and film clips show how Gera has served as a filming location – for example, the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum standing in as an airport.
Stadtmuseum Gera
City history museum in a Baroque former workhouse and orphanage: Gera's history from its first settlement to the present, plus changing exhibitions.
Opening hoursAdmission from €6
Current exhibitions
September 20, 2026 – February 7, 2027
Wir sehen was, was ihr nicht seht
Studio exhibition with paintings, prints, objects, and films by participants of all ages from a Gera art school.
October 3, 2026 – March 29, 2027
Fantastische Welten. Das Puppentheater Gera
Hand, rod, and tabletop puppets as well as marionettes from decades of puppet theater in Gera, with stage sets and hands-on stations.
About the museum
The museum's roots go back to 1878, when citizens of Gera, prompted by the merchant Johann Christian Seydel, began assembling a collection on the city's natural and cultural history. It found a permanent home in the former Zucht- und Waisenhaus (workhouse and orphanage), which opened as the Städtisches Museum (municipal museum) on April 12, 1914, after extensive conversion.
The Baroque building had been erected between 1724 and 1738 on the site of a medieval hospital. It housed orphans and the mentally ill, with prison cells in the basement. After the orphanage was dissolved in 1824, it served as a penitentiary and workhouse until 1886, and afterward as a residential building.
During the Nazi era, in 1937, the museum lost numerous works by Otto Dix and other modernist artists, which were confiscated as "degenerate." In the heaviest air raid on Gera on April 6, 1945, the building burned out completely. After reconstruction, the Stadtmuseum reopened in 1956, presenting the city's history with a focus on the textile industry.
From 2002 to 2004 the building was thoroughly renovated and the exhibition redesigned, now including the period after 1945. Today the museum presents Gera's development up to the 21st century across some 1,000 square meters on four floors, supplemented by two to three special exhibitions a year. The Stadtmuseum also looks after the Geraer Höhler, historic beer cellars beneath the old town.
Highlights
- Baroque former workhouse and orphanage (1724–1738)
- City history across some 1,000 m² on four floors
- Themed section "Romantisches Gera" (Romantic Gera)
- Two to three special exhibitions per year
Permanent exhibitions
- Geschichte Geras von der ersten Besiedlung bis heute – A chronological walk through the city's history on four floors, including the themed section "Romantisches Gera" (Romantic Gera).
- Founded
- 1914
- Operated by
- Stadt Gera
- Director
- Konrad Kessler
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4University students and apprentices aged 19 and over, people with severe disabilities, seniors, holders of the Thüringer Ehrenamtscard (Thuringian volunteer card) and the Simson-Card |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 free. |
| Seniors | €4Reduced admission. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4companion free · Reduced; companion free with "B" marker. |
| Students & apprentices | €4Reduced for university students and apprentices aged 19 and over. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4 per personGroups of 10 or more €4 per person; booked guided tour €40 plus admission. School classes visiting as part of lessons free. |
| Families | –No family ticket listed; admission is free for under-18s. |
| Annual pass (all municipal museums in Gera) | €45non-transferable, valid for 12 months |
| Public guided tour surcharge | €1.50plus admission |
Also free for holders of the Sozialcard (social welfare card), participants in a voluntary social or ecological year (FSJ/FÖJ), and tour guides. Event fee €40. Combination tickets are offered for some exhibitions.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- 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
Accessible, step-free entrance below the main entrance; please use the doorbell to the left of the door. The website gives no further details (elevator, restrooms).
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Kids’ birthday parties
Public family events during school holidays and in the pre-Christmas season; birthday parties and programs for daycare groups and schools via the museum education department.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Heinrichstraße
The museum is located directly at the central transfer stop Heinrichstraße (tram and bus, next to the Gera-Arcaden).
By car
Paid parking
No parking of the museum's own; paid parking in the Gera-Arcaden and Zentrum parking garages.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
Up to 100 guests.
Conference room: 120 m² for up to 100 people (theater seating) or 80 m² for up to 50 people; rent €90 or €60 respectively for up to 5 hours. Projector/laptop, supervision outside opening hours, kitchen use, and cleaning available for an additional fee.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Programs for daycare centers, elementary and special-needs schools, secondary schools, as well as adults and groups; children's birthday parties and bobbin lace courses. Registration with the museum education department (hasan.tabea@gera.de). |
