Hessenpark Open-Air Museum

Hessenpark opened in 1974 to rescue rural buildings that were being demolished across Hesse as farming changed. More than a hundred structures have been dismantled, transported and rebuilt on the site, including farmhouses, barns, workshops, a synagogue, churches and a village school, arranged in groups representing the regions of the state. Craft workshops operate with a bakery, pottery, smithy and printing shop, and old fruit varieties and rare livestock breeds are kept. Buildings are furnished to specific decades, including some to the 1950s and later, so the museum covers the twentieth century as well as earlier periods.

The main sights

• The rebuilt village - over a hundred relocated buildings in regional groups.
• The working crafts - bakery, smithy, pottery and print shop in operation.
• The twentieth century - houses furnished to the 1950s and later.
• The old breeds - rare livestock and heritage fruit varieties.

When to go

April to October; the museum reduces to weekends in winter with many buildings closed. Craft days and markets run through the season.

Things to know

Winter opening is much reduced. The site is very large with a lot of walking. Not all buildings are open on any given day.

Nearby

The Saalburg fort lies south; Frankfurt is southeast.

Key facts