Haus der Stadtgeschichte Waiblingen

About the museum

The Haus der Stadtgeschichte stands in the former tanners’ quarter on the bank of the Rems. The half-timbered building known as the Großes Haus was built between 1549 and 1553 and is considered Waiblingen’s oldest surviving secular building. Because it stood outside the town walls, it survived the town fire of 1634; from the 18th century it was home mainly to winegrowers.

In 1983 the town acquired the house and had it restored in line with heritage guidelines, for which it received the Europa Nostra Award in 1992. After a conversion that added an elevator and a new exhibition concept, it reopened in May 2014 as the Haus der Stadtgeschichte. Together with the Galerie Stihl and the Kunstschule (art school), it forms a cultural quarter by the river.

The permanent exhibition tells the story of Waiblingen from Roman times to the present, focusing on crafts, trade and everyday life; biographies of well-known Waiblingen residents and a town model with multimedia presentations complement it. The building itself, with its vaulted cellar and painted plank-paneled parlor (Bohlenstube), is the largest exhibit. Special exhibitions follow regularly. The museum also includes the Beinsteiner Torturm, the Hochwachtturm and the Siechenhauskapelle as satellite sites.

Highlights

• Waiblingen’s oldest surviving house (1549–1553)
• Multimedia town model covering 2,000 years of town history
• Historic plank-paneled parlor (Bohlenstube) with restored paintings
• Hands-on objects in the permanent exhibition
• Free admission

Permanent exhibitions

• Dauerausstellung zur Stadtgeschichte – Trade, crafts, festivities and everyday life in Waiblingen from Roman times to the present, complemented by portraits of notable townspeople and an animated town model.

Operated by

Stadt Waiblingen

Director

Kristina Kraemer

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Permanent and special exhibitions are free of charge. Private tours for groups, schools and daycare centers through the art education department (Kunstvermittlung).

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

There is an elevator, but some rooms are not fully accessible. Assistance animals are allowed.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Two digital museum rallies for children and teens, on your own smartphone or with loaner devices from the ticket desk. Some objects may be touched; workshops and children’s birthday parties through the art education department.

Getting there & parking

Entrance on Eva Mayr-Stihl Platz. The street Weingärtner Vorstadt ends behind the museum as a dead end and is not suitable as a GPS destination.

Amenities & dining

• Lockers

Large bags and jackets can be stored free of charge in lockers; only small bags are allowed in the exhibition.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 25 guests.

Civil wedding ceremonies in the historic Bohlenstube (third floor, reachable by elevator) for up to 25 people, reservations through the registry office (Standesamt); champagne receptions by separate arrangement with the museum administration.

Plan your visit