25. March 2025
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Museums & Exhibitions

Nature Museum (Naturmuseum) Dortmund

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Naturmuseum Dortmund

Naturmuseum Dortmund
4.3

Rating

 4.3/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Really good presentation
  • Easy access by car and public transport
  • Free admission to permanent exhibition

Flyctory.com Cons

  • No English signs

Visiting Dortmund, my wife and I also headed to the Naturmuseum (Nature Museum) in the city of the German Ruhrgebiet. After the interesting Brewery Museum, this has definitely been a very different topic of our trip. Until 2020, the place has been called Museum für Naturkunde, i.e. “Museum of Natural History”. Here is my review.

 

Naturmuseum Dortmund – Location & Admission

The museum is located in Northern Dortmund, close to the tram / underground station Fredenbaum, which is served by three lines, U41, U45 an dU49. Alternatively, you can reach the museum quite handily by car, as the museum has a rather large car park. The area close to the B54 road does not have too many other tourist attractions in close proximity. A large hospital is likely the most important point of interest around, but is ideally not part of your travel plans.

The museum is open 10:00 to 18:00, Tuesday to Sunday (Monday closed). Admission to the permanent exhibition is free. The museum also features temporary exhibitions (the one during my visit was a popular one on dinosaurs), which is typically 4 EUR (adults). If you have a Ruhr.Topcard, you can use it for free admission to the temporary exhibition.

 

Naturmuseum Dortmund – The Visit

The museum tries to illustrate a lot of aspect of the development of nature and how biospheres are working. Unfortunately, the signs are typically in German only. One major section is about prehistoric life and how life on Earth developed. the museum is featuring fossils, but also sculptures and stuffed animals. The Naturmuseum is having two levels of exhibition space. The temporary exhibitions were on the lower floor during our visit.

A really interesting part is also how nature is dealing with the dense population and all the roads and sealed soil in the Ruhrgebiet region. You learn about the animals, which became domestic in the region, including farm animals and pets. However, the museum is also explaining how life in water developed. In contast to stuffed mammals, there are also some living fish in the aquariums.

The pictures below are illustrating early human life in the region. The Neandertal, where one of the first human-alike lifeforms settled, is not too far away from Dortmund. A very fascinating part of our visit was also having a glimpse on their mineral collection.

 

Naturmuseum Dortmund – Services

The museum drives a small gift shop. A really lovely place to hang out is the cafe in the lobby area, though. My wife and I had a great time there.

 

Naturmuseum Dortmund – My View

The museum is having a great balance between historic life and modern adoption of nature. Not only the skeleton of a mammoth is worth the visit. The presentation is nice (unfortunately just in German) and modern. Visiting the Nature Museum in Dortmund is really educative and entertaining – and you have to finish it with a slice of cake. Good one!

 

Ruhrgebiet Travel Postings

Here are all my travel postings related to the Ruhrgebiet Region in Germany:

 

Flyctory.com about Animal Parks & Zoos

Here are all postings of the Zoos and More category:

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