Villa Merkel – Galerie der Stadt Esslingen
Municipal gallery for contemporary and modern art in a Gründerzeit villa in the Merkelpark of Esslingen am Neckar.
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About the museum
The villa was built in 1872/73 to designs by the Stuttgart architect Otto Tafel for the textile manufacturer Oskar Merkel. It was built in the Neo-Renaissance style in a landscaped garden next to the railway line and is regarded as a technically remarkable Gründerzeit residence because of its building material, an early cement or concrete cast.
Since 1973 the city of Esslingen has used the building as a gallery. Monographic and thematic exhibitions present younger positions in international contemporary art. A defining feature of the house is the two-story entrance hall with a glass roof, a surrounding gallery and columns in the ancient style.
The villa houses the city's Graphische Sammlung (graphic arts collection) with around 4,000 works in printmaking, drawing, photography, painting, sculpture and video from the 20th and 21st centuries. The foundation was a private collection belonging to the former mayor (Oberbürgermeister) Dieter Roser, which came to the city in the 1950s. In the surrounding Merkelpark there are also sculptures and an augmented reality artwork.
Highlights
- Gründerzeit villa from 1872/73 with glass-roofed hall
- Changing exhibitions of contemporary art
- Graphic collection of the city with around 4,000 works
- Sculptures and AR art in the Merkelpark
- Art education for children, schools and adults
- Founded
- 1973
- Operated by
- Stadt Esslingen am Neckar
- Director
- Sebastian Schmitt
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4Pupils, apprentices, students, federal volunteers, pensioners, people with a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis) from GdB 50, recipients of state benefits, artCard holders |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Children and young people up to age 18 enter free. |
| Seniors | €4Pensioners |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4companion free · Severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis) from GdB 50 |
| Students & apprentices | €4Pupils, apprentices, students and federal volunteers; art and art history students enter free |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4 per personGroups of 10 or more participants pay the reduced rate |
| Annual pass (12 months, non-transferable, 1 adult) | €20 |
Free admission also with the city of Esslingen's Kulturpass, the ErlebnisCard Region Stuttgart, for members of ICOM and the Deutscher Museumsbund, and for press. Please show your ID at the ticket desk without being asked.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- 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
The ground floor is barrier-free; the upper floor and the stairs leading to it are not suitable for people with limited mobility.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
For children and young people there are public guided tours with hands-on artistic practice, children's vernissages and programs for kindergartens and school classes. In the Merkelpark the house offers education about the sculptures, such as “Kunst zum Anfassen” (art to touch) from age 4.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bahnhof Esslingen (Neckar)
By regional train or S-Bahn to Esslingen (Neckar), exit on the Neckar side, then on foot along the Neckar to the Merkelpark. From Stuttgart Airport take bus 122 to Esslingen-Maille (about 30 minutes), or the S-Bahn via Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof and S 1 (about 35–40 minutes).
By car
Parking available · 5-min walk to the entrance
Parking spaces at the Landratsamt (district office); in the center the car parks Kiesstraße and Pliensauturm (near the Vogelsangbrücke), about 5 minutes' walk from there.
The walk from the station takes about 5 to 10 minutes. By car, use the B10 exit for Esslingen Zentrum or Landratsamt/Oberesslingen, then follow the signs toward the Landratsamt.
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 | Public guided tours on Sundays at 15:00 and Thursdays at 18:30; private tours can be booked through the art education department (johanna.knoop@esslingen.de, tel. 0711 3512-2640). School and kindergarten programs last 60 to 90 minutes and are free for institutions of the city of Esslingen. |
