Senckenberg Natural History Museum

The Senckenberg Society was founded in 1817 and its museum is the largest natural history museum in Germany, with a research institute behind it. The dinosaur hall holds mounted skeletons including a Diplodocus and a Tyrannosaurus, and a Triceratops that is among the few substantially original specimens outside North America. Its strongest holding is from the Messel Pit nearby: fossils from an Eocene lake preserved so completely that skin outlines, hair, feathers, gut contents and unborn young survive, including the early horse Propalaeotherium with leaves and grape pips in its stomach. Whales, birds and human evolution occupy further halls.

History

In 1763 Johann Christian Senckenberg gave his whole fortune of 95,000 guilders to found a hospital and further science, and in 1817, 32 citizens of Frankfurt founded the Senckenberg Nature Research Society; the physician Johann Georg Neuburg soon gave it his collection of birds and mammals. In 1896 a mummified Egyptian child in the collection was the subject of the first X-ray of a mummy, the museum moved from near the Eschenheimer Turm to its present building on the Senckenberganlage in 1907, and by 2018 it had grown to 10,000 m2 (Wikipedia, Naturmuseum Senckenberg).

What to look for

• The Messel fossils - Eocene specimens with skin, hair and stomach contents.
• The dinosaur hall - mounted skeletons including Diplodocus and Triceratops.
• The early horse - Propalaeotherium preserved with its last meal.
• The whale hall - skeletons hung the length of the upper gallery.

When to go

Year-round; weekends and school holidays are busy with families. It opens daily with late hours on some evenings. Allow at least three hours.

Good to know

It is very busy with school groups on weekdays in term time. Some halls are dated in presentation. The building is large and tiring.

Nearby

The Palmengarten is close; the Messel Pit lies south of the city.

Key facts