One of the key attractions in Ratingen, Northeast of Dusseldorf, is the remarkable Cromford Textile Factory, which is driven by the regional authority LVR (Rhineland region) as one of their Industrial Museums (“Industriemuseum”). In summer 2018, I stopped by this place called “LVR Industriemuseum Textilfabrik Cromford” to review it.
Cromford Factory – Location and Admission
Cromford is in the North of Ratingen, quite conveniently located to several motorway exits. The easiest way to get there is likely by car. If you follow the signs to the parking lots, you may first of all have to pay limited parking fees and secondly have a some 500 meter walk – it feels easier (and maybe: a bit more unfriendly) to trust your GPS navigation and look for a free parking lot around.
The museum is open Tuesday to Wednesday 1000 to 1700 hrs and Saturday and Sunday 1100 to 1800hrs. There are demonstrations of the machinery regularly. The adult entry is 4.50 EUR, kids under 18 years are generally free in LVR museums. There is an additional fee in case of temporary exhibitions. If you are interested in industrial history and culture, it might be worth to buy a LVR card, which is valid for one year and costs 25 EUR for one person and 35 EUR for two. It covers several LVR museum places as well as the ones of the regional authority of the Northwestern part of Northrhine-Westfalia, the LWL (Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe). Other LVR places I visited are the Alte Dornbach Paper Mill and the Lindlar Open Air Museum.
You may even have civil marriages in the manor house, so this might have a limited impact on your visit. The museum accepts the RUHR.TOPCARD.
Cromford Factory – History
Producing strong-enough twine to make cloth out of cotton in an industrial way was a very well-preserved secret at the end of the late 18th century. The world leading company was driven by Richard Arkwright in the English village of Cromford. The German Johan Brügelmann managed to get the details of Arkwright’s machine, though it was patented and even protected by death penalty in England in case you spy the construction, in 1783. It is not fully sure how he managed it, but one potential story is that he worked in Arkwright’s factory and collected pieces of the machines as long as he was able to reconstruct it.
Thus, Brügelman managed to set up one of these machines called Waterframes (as they are driven by water) in Ratingen. In respect to his idol, he called the area Cromford, which is still the name today. While most of the area nowadays is a posh living area, the original manor and the factory building are preserved – the machine is a reconstruction, but still working (while the original machine in England is in display, but therefore not able to be used).
Cromford Factory – Factory Building
The main attraction of the museum is of course the reconstructed Water Frame and all the environment to have solid-enough cotton to create cotton cloth. The replica is no longer running on water power (though there is a water wheel), but by an electric motor, which allows to switch the transmission on and off. Seeing the machine and the single worksteps live in action by the museum guide is definitely impressing – however, I felt the tour was slightly unmotivated. Finally, it teaches you a lot about the processing of cotton. The museum also does not leave out critical aspects like the fact that comparably young children have worked in that factory.
There is an audio guide available. However, the website does not state whether it is available in English or any other language.
Cromford Factory – Manor House
In order to tour the manor, you enter the building from the rear door (which also allows to have an accessible exhibition). There are various rooms – the most impressing one is definitely the Garden Hall, which you will visit quite at the end of your walk through the building. Many other rooms are quite interesting as well. There is a small museum cafe, which is however just having a limited menu.
Cromford Factory – My View
Though the machines are “just” a reconstruction, the Cromford Factory is definitely an interesting spot and a nice place worth visiting. I personally liked the manor very much as well. A really interesting industrial history gem, which I is definitely worth a visit if you are around.
Technical Museums – Other Postings
Here are all other Flyctory.com postings dealing with technical museums and exhibitions:

Arabia Steamboat Museum

Henri Tudor Museum (Rosport, Luxembourg)

Andorra National Automobile Museum

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Lane Motor Museum (Nashville)

American Space Museum (Titusville)

Dutch Railway Museum Utrecht

The Silverstone Interactive Museum

Umberto Panini Collection Motor Museum

Cyprus Railways Museum

Malta Aviation Museum

German Rail Museum (DB Museum) Nuremberg

Takis Pattichis Museum of Industrial Pharmacy (Limassol)

Phänomenta Lüdenscheid

BMW Museum Munich

German Röntgen Museum Remscheid


Rickmer Rickmers Museum Ship Hamburg


Ystafell Auto Museum (Iceland)


Polish Aviation Museum (Krakow)


Volandia Aviation Museum Milan


LWL Open Air Museum Hagen


Icelandic Aviation Museum (Akureyri)


DAF Museum Eindhoven


Al Aqah Heritage Village & Car Museum


Halton County Radial Railway / Streetcar Museum


Berlin Computer Games Museum


Museum of The Story of Alfa Romeo


Sharjah Off Road History Museum


Deutsches Museum Traffic Center (Verkehrszentrum)


Automobile & Toy Museum North Sea (Norden, Germany)


Erwin Hymer Museum


Porsche Museum Stuttgart


Lokwelt Freilassing


Jet Age Museum Gloucester


German Spy Museum Berlin


Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization


Elder Science Museum (Las Palmas)


MUDETEC / Museo delle Tecnologie (Sant’ Agata Bolognese)


Museum Ferrari Maranello


Auto & Traktor Museum Bodensee (Lake Constance)


Austrian Aviation Museum


Schleusenpark Waltrop-Henrichenburg – History of Naval Locks


German Oil Museum Wietze


Sharjah Maritime Museum


Enzo Ferrari House Museum Modena


Automuseum Wolfegg (Wolfegg Car Museum)


ESO Supernova Munich – Garching


Marconi Automotive Museum & Foundation



Bergisches Museum for Mining, Craft & Trade Bensberg


German Movie Museum Frankfurt


Lyon Air Museum Santa Ana


Cap San Diego Museum Ship Hamburg


A Walk Through Zeche Zollverein (Pictured Story – Essen, Germany)


Zeppelin Museum Zeppelinheim


Leonardo da Vinci Museum Venice


Siku & Audi-Museum Höing (Stadtlohn, Germany)


Georg Breusing Rescue Cruiser Emden


Aviodrome Lelystad (Netherlands)


Computer History Museum (Mountain View CA)


Museum Prototyp Hamburg


USS Requin – A Submarine in Pittsburgh


Louwman Museum The Hague


German Architecture Museum (Frankfurt)


Philips Museum Eindhoven


Carnegie Science Center Pittsburgh



Deutsches Museum Bonn


Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen


Hangar 7 (Salzburg, Austria – Pictured Story)


Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg


Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen


HomeComputerMuseum Helmond (Netherlands)


Pinball Hall of Fame (Las Vegas)


Imperial War Museums Duxford


McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum


Zeppelin Museum Meersburg


Nelson, Nevada – A Ghost Town


Visiting Indianapolis Motor Speedway


Sharjah Classic Car Museum


De Havilland Aircraft Museum (London Colney)



Arithmeum Bonn – A Museum about Calculations


Sharjah Al Mahatta Historic Airport Museum


Stockholm Police Museum


Titanic Belfast


Flugausstellung Peter Junior (Hermeskeil)


Stockholm Gaming Museum


Madrid Railway Museum


International Towing & Recovery Museum (Chattanooga TN)


Civil Defense Heritage Gallery (Singapore)


Concorde Technical Tour at Manchester Airport


Science History Institute Philadelphia


Platform 0 Chamberí – A Madrid Metro Ghost Station


National Emergency Services Museum Sheffield


National Videogame Museum Sheffield


Emirates Aviation Experience London



Alte Dombach Paper Mill


Speyer Technology Museum


Emirates National Auto Museum


Finnish Aviation Museum (Suomen Ilmailumuseo)


Deutsches Museum – Flugwerft Schleissheim


Willemstad – Maritime Museum and Harbour Tour


A Day at Sinsheim Technology Museum
Postings of the Greater Cologne Region
Here are postings which are dealing with the Greater Cologne and Rhineland region:


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Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 14 July 2023)


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The Deslondes (6th June 2023, Cologne)


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Saturn Oil Open 2023: R. Ramanathan (IND) / N. Zimonjic (SRB) – D. Brown (JAM) / T. Sandkaulen (GER) 4-6 7-6(4) x-1(9-11))


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bett1HULKS Championship 2020: Krawietz / Mies (GER) – A. Zverev / M. Zverev (GER) 6-4 7-5


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bett1HULKS Championship 2020: Alexander Zverev (GER) – John Millman (AUS) 6-0 3-6 6-3


bett1HULKS Championship 2020: Sharan (IND) / Sandgren (USA) – Marach (AUT) / Pavic (CRO) 4-6 2-6


bett1HULKS Championship: Egor Gerasimov (BLR) – Daniel Altmaier (GER) 6-1 6-0


bett1HULKS Championship: Jordan Thompson (AUS) – Gilles Simon (FRA) 3-6 5-7


bett1HULKS Championship 2020: Sumit Nagal (IND) – Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 6-3 (4)6-7 1-6


bett1HULKS Indoors 2020: Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs. Mischa Zverev (GER) 6-4 6-3


bett1HULKS Indoors 2020: Davidovich Fokina / Verdasco (ESP) – Masur / Molleker (GER) 3-6 6-1 10-8


bett1HULKS Indoors 2020: Gonzales (MEX) / K. Skupski (GBR) – Nielsen (DEN) / Puetz (GER) 4-6 6-1 10-5


bett1HULKS Indoors 2020: Sharan (IND) / Withrow (USA) – Herbert / Mahut (FRA) 3-6 3-6


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ibis Dusseldorf Main Station


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INNSIDE Hotel Dusseldorf Hafen


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Andy Clark (19th October 2019, Dusseldorf)


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Alte Dombach Paper Mill


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Six Intercontinental Flight Weekend – Day 1 (Trip Report)

