Urzeitpark Sebnitz
Seasonal theme park on the edge of Saxon Switzerland with more than 400 sculptures on the evolution of life, plus a display of minerals and fossils.
About the museum
The park was created by the sculptor Franz Gruß, who is also behind the Saurierpark Kleinwelka and the Sauriergarten Großwelka near Bautzen. Because his dinosaur garden offered too little space, he looked for a site for another park in the 1990s and found it in Sebnitz, in the Forellenschänke recreation area right on the border with the Czech Republic. The Urzeitpark opened in 1996.
On roughly 10,000 square meters, winding paths lead past more than 400 sculptures that trace the development of living things from water to land. On view are greatly enlarged microorganisms and insects, sea creatures such as ichthyosaurs and giant octopuses, Cenozoic mammals such as the woolly rhinoceros and Indricotherium, as well as the lineage of the horse and early humans.
The tour is complemented by a small exhibition of minerals and fossils as well as play areas with a climbing castle and an excavation site. The park is operated by Sauriergarten Gruß GmbH; it stays closed in winter so that expansion and repairs can be carried out.
Highlights
- More than 400 sculptures of prehistoric life forms on about one hectare
- Life-size Indricotherium, one of the largest land mammals
- Microorganisms and insects enlarged up to 1,000 times
- Minerals and fossils exhibition
- Playgrounds with a climbing castle and an excavation site
Permanent exhibitions
- Rundgang durch die Entwicklung des Lebens – More than 400 sculptures show the path of living things from water to land – from enlarged microorganisms and sea creatures to Ice Age mammals and early humans.
- Museum – Mineralien und Fossilien – Small exhibition of minerals and fossils on the park grounds.
- Founded
- 1996
- Operated by
- Sauriergarten Gruß GmbH
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5.50People with a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis) |
| Children & teens | €7free up to age 3 · Admission from age 4; children under 14 only when accompanied by an adult. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5.50With a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis). |
| Groups (15+ people) | €6 per personGroups of 15 or more people (from age 4). Children's groups from after-school care, daycare, or school €5 per person, not on weekends; only at the day ticket desk. |
| Families | €25.502 adults and 2 children aged 4 to 13; each additional child €5.50 (maximum 2 additional children). |
| Season pass (per person from age 4) | €25 |
Dogs on a leash get in free. Card payment is possible at the ticket desk; day tickets and season passes are also available online.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: not available
- 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
About 80 percent of the paths are wheelchair-accessible. The restrooms can only be reached by stairs.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €25.50 · 2 adults and 2 children aged 4 to 13; each additional child €5.50 (maximum 2 additional children). |
- Playground / play area
Playgrounds with a climbing castle, an excavation site in the giant sequoia, and bumper cars. Children under 14 may only visit the park with an adult.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Forellenschänke
Bus lines T and 337 to Forellenschänke or Kreutzstraße in Sebnitz, then about a 10–20 minute walk.
By car
Parking available · 150 m to the entrance
Own parking lot about 150 m from the entrance (signposted). More parking about 500 m uphill in the Forellenschänke recreation area, from there along a forest path to the park.
The park is located in the Forellenschänke recreation area right on the border with the Czech Republic.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
No food service in the park, but snack and coffee vending machines. Restaurants within a few minutes' walk in the Czech Republic and in the Forellenschänke recreation area.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Dogs are allowed on a leash. |
|---|
