Verkehrsmuseum Frankfurt am Main
Museum on the history of Frankfurt's streetcars, subway and buses in Schwanheim – closed until probably 2028 while the West Hall is rebuilt.
About the museum
The collection began with three historic cars that were saved from the scrapyard before World War I and only rediscovered in the Eckenheim depot in 1950. After that, Frankfurt's transit company kept one vehicle from every retired series, restored it in the main workshop and stored it in the car sheds of the former Frankfurter Waldbahn (forest railway) in Schwanheim.
On May 8, 1984, Stadtwerke Frankfurt opened the Verkehrsmuseum there in the West Hall; the neighboring East Hall was added in 1987. The ensemble at the turning loop of streetcar line 12 also includes the listed Schwanheim station building. Since April 2006, the volunteer association Historische Straßenbahn der Stadt Frankfurt am Main (HSF) has run the museum on behalf of the Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt (VGF).
The permanent exhibition “Von der Pferdebahn bis zur Neuzeit” (From the Horse-Drawn Tram to Modern Times) shows more than two dozen rail vehicles and buses, including a horse-drawn tram car from 1872, one of the earliest electric streetcars from 1884 and the 1964 light rail prototype, along with tickets, uniforms, network maps, signaling technology and a model railroad.
The museum has been closed since the end of 2020, first because of the pandemic and then because of serious fire safety deficiencies in the old West Hall. The VGF plans to demolish and rebuild the hall and to extend the East Hall; reopening is planned for 2028. In the meantime, historic vehicles run on special trips around the city.
Highlights
- Horse-drawn tram car from 1872
- Electric streetcar motor car from 1884, one of the oldest surviving
- Prototype of Frankfurt's first light rail car
- Historic Waldbahn car sheds and Schwanheim station building
- Special trips on vintage streetcars such as the Nikolaus-Express
Permanent exhibitions
- Von der Pferdebahn bis zur Neuzeit – Some 150 years of public transport in Frankfurt, with restored streetcars, buses and a steam locomotive, plus tickets, uniforms, signaling technology and a model railroad; not accessible during reconstruction.
- Founded
- 1984
- Operated by
- Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF); Museumsbetrieb durch Historische Straßenbahn der Stadt Frankfurt am Main e. V.
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
By public transit
Rheinlandstraße/Verkehrsmuseum
Streetcar 12 to the Rheinlandstraße/Verkehrsmuseum terminus; bus 51 from Höchst Bahnhof, bus 62 from Flughafen Terminal 1 and 2.
By car
No dedicated parking listed; there are some public parking spaces in Schwanheim.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
