Storchenturm-Museum
Town museum in the nearly 700-year-old Storchenturm in Zell am Harmersbach – town history, crafts, clocks and a view from the tower; free admission.
About the museum
The Storchenturm (“stork tower”), about 25 meters high, was built around 1330 as part of the fortifications of Zell am Harmersbach and is now the town’s landmark; it owes its name to the storks that like to nest on it. In the Middle Ages its cool walls also served as a jail and starvation dungeon.
In 1960 the newly founded town museum moved into the tower. The old prison with its shame bell, thumbscrew and other instruments of punishment remained part of the exhibition. Since 1997 the adjoining Haus Volk, a former fire station, has also belonged to the museum. A climb of 108 steps leads up to the former tower keeper’s room with a view over the old town.
On around 800 square meters, some 3,000 objects collected by the people of Zell over decades present the history and culture of the Harmersbach valley: reconstructed workshops of cigar makers, tinsmiths and potters, tableware from Zeller Keramik, minerals from the Kinzig valley, coins, a dollhouse and a Märklin model railway. The Bildstein collection, named after its donor, includes Black Forest clocks up to an astronomical clock from 1896. An orchestrion from Waldkirch dating from 1897 still plays today, and a Basel Dance of Death made of 42 terracotta figures is considered a special gem.
Highlights
- View from the tower keeper’s room after 108 steps
- Medieval tower prison with instruments of punishment
- The 1897 orchestrion “Zamba”, which plays for one euro
- Bildstein collection with an astronomical clock from 1896
- Basel Dance of Death made of 42 terracotta figures
- Tableware from Zeller Keramik
Permanent exhibitions
- Stadt- und Kulturgeschichte im Storchenturm – A tour across several tower levels and the Haus Volk with the tower prison, craftsmen’s workshops, Zeller Keramik, minerals, coins and toys.
- Bildstein-Sammlung – Clock collection with Zell porcelain-dial clocks, cuckoo clocks, longcase clocks and musical clocks, as well as an astronomical clock by the Zell clockmaker Gustav Riehle.
- Founded
- 1960
- Operated by
- Stadt Zell am Harmersbach
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | –Tours for groups of up to 20 people €50, only with advance booking through the tourist information office. |
|---|
Free admission; the museum rally for children is included.
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
The route through the tower climbs 108 steps up to the tower keeper’s room.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Museum rally for children aged 6 and up: with a booklet and the mascot Prof. Gustav Federleicht, kids follow stork tracks to puzzle and search stations and receive a certificate at the end. Takes about 45–60 minutes and is included in the free admission.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours only with advance booking through the Tourist-Information Zell am Harmersbach (Hauptstraße 19). |
