State museum of technology and work in Mannheim: 200 years of technological and social history with a steam engine, steam locomotive and many hands-on experiment stations.
June 25, 2026 – June 27, 2027
Major special exhibition with ten stations on six levels about crimes and how they are solved – from counterfeit money and codes to forensics and deepfakes, with a laser tunnel and many hands-on stations.
November 20, 2026 – July 25, 2027
Major state exhibition on scientific stargazing since the Enlightenment, centered on the 18th-century instruments of the Mannheim observatory, with a mechanical ceiling planetarium and experiments.
In the late 1970s the state government proposed a large technology museum for Baden-Württemberg; in 1980 the state parliament decided to establish a Landesmuseum für Technik und Arbeit (State Museum of Technology and Work) in Mannheim. The city provided the former Maimarkt fairgrounds, and in 1985 the joint foundation of state and city was set up and the cornerstone laid.
The striking white building by Berlin architect Ingeborg Kuhler opened on September 28, 1990. Its diagonally staggered levels are laid out as a descending time spiral through the industrial and social history of southwestern Germany. In 1992 the museum was named European Museum of the Year; in 1997/98 it hosted Europe's first Body Worlds exhibition.
From 2004 the permanent exhibition was gradually updated and expanded with the hands-on experiment areas of the Elementa. Following a comprehensive renovation, the museum has been called TECHNOSEUM since 2010. New departments on car manufacturing, media history, energy and bionics have since been added. The building and museum park have been listed as historic monuments since 2020.
The museum is currently undergoing a fundamental modernization while remaining open; in the future the permanent exhibition will be organized by theme rather than chronologically. On around 9,000 square meters, the museum combines historic machines with demonstrations, hands-on stations and major state special exhibitions.
| Adults | €12 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €9Children 6 and over, school students, university students, people with severe disabilities, retirees, holders of the Sozialpass (social welfare pass) and partner cards, groups of 10 or more |
| Children & teens | €9free up to age 5 · Minors with a degree of disability of 50 or higher free. |
| Seniors | €9Retirees pay the reduced rate. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €9companion free · Minors with a degree of disability of 50 or higher free. |
| Students & apprentices | €9 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €9 per personFor 10 or more people; school students in a class group €5. Groups and school classes please register in advance. |
| Families | €242 adults with children under 18. |
| School students in a class group | €5Booking required |
| Annual pass (individual) | €70 |
| Family annual pass | €902 adults with children under 18 |
| Late rate from 16:00 | €650% off the applicable admission price |
| Discount with bwtarif ticket (bwegtPlus) | €9With a public transport ticket valid on the day of the visit |
Free admission: “FREI-Zeit” promotional day: free admission on November 13, 2026, from 13:00
Special exhibitions are always included in the admission price, including the state exhibition “Der Kosmos” (from 20 November 2026).
According to the museum, accessible but not fully barrier-free: entrance via ramp, separate door with door opener (small threshold). All levels except E reachable by elevator; Level E via steep ramps. Loaner wheelchair, rollators and buggies at the ticket desk, folding seats in the exhibition. No tactile floor guidance system in the museum. Tactile tours, tours in German Sign Language (DGS) and for people with dementia; app tour in sign language.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €24 · 2 adults with children under 18. |
Hands-on exhibition with experiment stations on three levels; TECHNOscouts explain the experiments, with daily demonstrations. Buggies available to borrow. Children’s birthday parties and TECHNOclubs can be booked.
Luisenpark/Technoseum · 250 m
Tram 6 to “Luisenpark/Technoseum” (approx. 250 m) or 6A to “Technoseum Süd” (approx. 350 m); from the main train station take line 1 to Tattersall and transfer there.
Free parking
Free visitor parking at Friedensplatz 1–3 with disabled spaces (car park 1); during SV Waldhof home matches, car parks 2 and 3 in particular may be closed. The main entrance is reached via the bridge by the lake. Coach parking available.
Sat nav: enter “Theodor-Heuss-Anlage 2”, in Google Maps “Friedensplatz 2”. Mannheim low-emission zone (sticker required).
Get directionsHistoric workers’ pub (Tue–Sun 9 am–5 pm, run by Fody’s) and break areas on levels C and F for packed lunches, with vending machines. Since the foyer was rebuilt, there is no longer a museum shop.
Up to 300 guests.
Auditorium with gallery (up to 300 guests, €2,275–3,500), anteroom (200 standing), workers' pub and event space by the historic locomotive (€1,625–3,500), foyer for receptions from 18:00, seminar room with terrace, TECHNOarena (approx. 90 seats).
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Rules are set out in the “Fotografieren und Filmen” (photography and filming) information sheet on the website. |
| Good to know | Free TECHNOSEUM app with highlights and energy tours and a site map. Daily demonstrations and shows in the TECHNOarena according to the daily schedule. Public guided tours on weekends; groups and school classes please register in advance. Navigation: enter “Theodor-Heuss-Anlage 2” or “Friedensplatz 2”. Exhibition space around 9,000 m². |
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