Naturmuseum Südtirol

About the museum

The Natural History Museum of South Tyrol opened in 1997 as a provincial museum. Its roots go back to 1892, when Georg Gasser opened a private natural history museum in his house in Bolzano; his collection, with about 11,000 minerals, was bought by the province in 1972 and forms the core of the collections. The museum also holds the herbarium of Rupert Huter, with 74,000 specimens.

The museum is in the historic centre of Bolzano, in the former administrative palace of the territorial prince, connected with Emperor Maximilian I, on Via dei Bottai. It conducts research and conservation of scientific collections in geology, botany and zoology of South Tyrol and the Alpine region, and is part of the Provincial Museums Company (Azienda musei provinciali).

The permanent exhibition “Geology and Biology of South Tyrol” explains, through selected examples, how the province's landscapes were formed and how they look today: sections on the geology and natural environments of South Tyrol, and a large 9,000-litre coral reef aquarium that recalls the region's oceanic past in the age of the Tethys Sea. The museum also runs the Planetario Alto Adige.

Highlights

• Geology of South Tyrol
• Natural environments of South Tyrol
• 9,000-litre coral reef aquarium
• Nautilus aquarium
• Planetario Alto Adige and school programmes

Founded

1997

Operated by

Azienda musei provinciali dell'Alto Adige

Visitors per year

approx. 75,301

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Step-free access, with a 7 cm threshold at the entrance and a heavy door 74 cm wide (opens up to 145 cm); staff assist at the ticket office. All exhibition rooms are barrier-free and served by a lift; accessible toilets on the ground floor. Four disabled parking spaces in Andreas-Hofer-Straße. Short videos in easy language on the landscape of the second floor, and a website in an easy-to-read version. Offers for blind and deaf visitors are in preparation.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Workshops for children, an autumn week for children and families, and school programmes; the planetarium offers evening events on specific themes.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit