Handwerksmuseum Ovelgönne
Volunteer-run museum in a townhouse from 1773 in Ovelgönne with historic workshops, shops, and a working forge.
Over het museum
The museum originated in 1978 as a local history collection on crafts and trade in the house at Breite Straße 27, a two-story brick gabled house that an attorney had built in 1773 as a stately residence. On May 17, 1981, at the suggestion of the then municipal director, the collection opened to the public as the "Norddeutsches Handwerkermuseum" (North German Craftsmen's Museum).
On the recommendation of a museum concept by the Wesermarsch district, the house was called Handwerkermuseum Ovelgönne from 1991. In 1997 the Heimat- und Kulturverein Ovelgönne (local history and culture association) took over operation from the municipality; after a renovation, it has operated as Handwerksmuseum Ovelgönne since 2002. Later the listed main building was renovated and extended with an annex containing a working forge and workshop rooms for groups.
The collection comprises over 11,500 objects. On around 520 square meters in the house, outbuildings, and museum garden, a tour leads through furnished workshops and shops – from pharmacy, barber, and grocery store through wheelwright's shop, bakery, and butcher's shop to watchmaker's and photography – as well as through topics of local history such as the medieval castle. The museum is run entirely by volunteers, cooperates with the University of Oldenburg, and is also an official wedding venue.
Hoogtepunten
- Fully functional historic forge
- Furnished castle pharmacy with original storage jars
- Barber and hairdresser salon as well as grocery store
- Museum garden with historic large equipment and castle model
- Listed townhouse from 1773
- Free discovery booklets for children
Vaste collectie
- Dauerausstellung „Geschichte erleben“ – A tour across several buildings leads in chapters through trade and health, crafts and construction, food and household, and culture and local history – with furnished workshops, shops, and large equipment in the museum garden.
- Opgericht
- 1978
- Beheerder
- Heimat- und Kulturverein Ovelgönne e.V.
- Directie
- Arman Džaferagić
- Bezoekers per jaar
- ca. 3.150 (2025)
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
| Volwassenen | € 3 |
|---|---|
| Met korting | € 1Children, pupils, students, trainees, people with severe disabilities (from degree of disability 50), and refugees |
| Kinderen & jongeren | € 1Reduced admission for children. |
| Mensen met een beperking | € 1Reduced from degree of disability 50. |
| Studenten | € 1Students and trainees. |
| Groepen | –Group tour €25 flat rate for up to 15 people each, plus admission; daycare and school groups €4 per child including tour and materials, accompanying adults free. |
| Group tour (up to 15 people) | € 25Flat rate plus admission; €25 again for each additional 15 people |
| Daycare and school program (per child) | € 4Including tour and materials |
Free admission for members of the sponsoring association as well as of the Museumsverband Niedersachsen und Bremen and ICOM. Cash only.
Toegankelijkheid
- Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
- Lift: niet aanwezig
- Aangepast toilet
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
- Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
The first floor and annex are wheelchair-accessible, the historic second floor only via a staircase (no elevator). Wheelchair-accessible restroom available. Tactile exhibits and exhibition texts in plain language. Dogs are not allowed in the exhibition rooms, but are permitted on a leash on the outdoor grounds.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Bezoekduur | ca. 60 min. |
|---|
- Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
- Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
- Doe- en voelstations
Free discovery booklets and puzzle sheets for children at the ticket desk; some original tools and devices may be touched and tried out. On event days, work takes place in the forge; also holiday activities and family programs on Sundays.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met het openbaar vervoer
Ovelgönne Schule · 300 m
Bus 422 (WeserSprinter) to "Ovelgönne Schule"; nearest train station Brake (Unterweser), approx. 8 km away.
Met de auto
Gratis parkeren
Free parking directly at the museum and on Breite Straße; parking areas for tour buses nearby.
By car via the A29 (exit Brake or Nordenham) or the B212; approx. 25 km from Oldenburg, approx. 50 km from Bremen.
Route plannenService & horeca
- Café: niet aanwezig
- Restaurant: niet aanwezig
- Museumwinkel
- Garderobe
- Kluisjes: niet aanwezig
Small museum shop with regional products at the entrance; large bags can be left at the reception. Restaurants in the center of Ovelgönne.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
- Ruimtes te huur
- Bruiloften / trouwceremonies
Official wedding venue with two ceremony rooms: Sängerzimmer on the second floor (stairs only, for small parties) and the ground-level Alte Schmiede (Old Forge); sparkling wine reception in the museum garden, and in summer also short outdoor ceremonies. Register the marriage through the Standesamt Ovelgönne (registry office).
Aanvragen & detailsJe bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 1,5 uur |
|---|---|
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Fotograferen | Permitted for private purposes without flash or tripod; commercial photography by prior arrangement. |
| Goed om te weten | Allow 60 to 90 minutes for a tour. Book group tours in standard German, English, or Low German at least two weeks in advance (04401 81955, office@handwerksmuseum-ovelgoenne.de). Programs for daycare centers and schools of all levels, including museum scavenger hunt, hands-on workshop, and themed tours. In-depth object information via QR code on your own smartphone. |
