Verkehrshistorische Ausstellung Galerie

About the museum

The "Galerie" is the museum of the association Traditionsbus Mark-Sauerland e. V. and is devoted to the history of public transport in what is now the Märkischer Kreis district. It is housed in the BHG Gewerbepark on Gartenstraße in Lüdenscheid, the former site of a factory of the company PEHA. The entrance is marked by a bus stop.

The story begins in the 19th century with light railways: in 1886 the Kreis Altenaer Schmalspur-Eisenbahn was founded, in 1896 the Plettenberger Straßenbahn and in 1899 the Westfälischen Kleinbahnen. With the founding of Kraftverkehr Mark-Sauerland GmbH in 1925 the age of the bus began; from the 1950s on, buses became the most important means of transport and replaced the rail lines. After the regional reform of 1975, the bus operations of the region were merged into the Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft by 1977.

The exhibition focuses not on vehicles but on the everyday work behind the scenes: a re-created dispatch center, workshop, administration office and a break room of the kind familiar from the 1970s and 1980s. There is also a timeline of ticket development, archive photos of the regional companies, and eyewitness interviews and historical film footage. The museum is run by the association on a volunteer basis.

Highlights

• Re-created dispatch center with period equipment
• Workshop, administration and break room of a transport company
• Timeline of ticket development
• Archive photos of the Iserlohner Kreisbahn, Kraftverkehr Mark-Sauerland and Plettenberger Kleinbahn
• Eyewitness interviews and historical film footage

Permanent exhibition

• Omnibusgeschichte im Märkischen Kreis – Permanent exhibition on the history of buses and light railways since 1925, with re-created work areas, a ticket collection and archive material.

Operated by

Traditionsbus Mark-Sauerland e. V.

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; the association welcomes donations. Payment by EC card is possible on site.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The exhibition includes interactive stations as well as audio and video exhibits.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the BHG Gewerbepark (former PEHA factory); a footpath leads from Gartenstraße to the entrance, which is marked by a bus stop.

Amenities & dining

• Café

The Schaffner lounge (not part of the exhibition) offers drinks and small snacks; the proceeds support the upkeep of the museum.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit