Open-air museum Mühlenhof

The Mühlenhof open-air museum is a very special place, because here a piece of culture and history of the Münsterland region has been preserved with great passion. On the five-hectare site near Münster , 30 large and small buildings from the 16th to 19th centuries await visitors. Many of the buildings are original structures from that time and had their original location in rural Münsterland, while some others have been reconstructed according to old models. From the inside, the houses are furnished with historical goods so that visitors get a real impression of the habits and living conditions as well as working methods of the Münsterland of days gone by.

Museum tour

Learn more about the former Münsterland and experience with all your senses what life was like back then. Get a feel for how people lived, lived and worked here back then. These are the houses you can discover here:

The country school dating from 1823 originally came from the Ringel farming community near Lengerich in the north of Münsterland and was built for up to 130 children. The one-room half-timbered house was used for schooling until 1954. Learn more about how children were taught in rural Münsterland until the middle of the 20th century!

The mill house dates from 1619 and is the oldest building in the museum. In the past, as today, ham, bacon and sausages were smoked over an open fire in the house. For this purpose, the meat products were hung under the ceiling; there was no chimney. Unimaginable for many, but in the thatched two-storey house people lived together with the animals in a small space. The smoke from the fire still drifts through the house to the outside.

The Dorfkrug is the traditional village tavern where you can enjoy a seasonally changing menu and fresh cakes.

With tradition: crafts in the Münsterland

Are you interested in the crafts of the past centuries? Then why not visit the smithy, the shoemaker's house, the carpenter's workshop or the old bakery. In the Mühlenhof Open-Air Museum you can learn all about the typical crafts of the former Münsterland and much more besides. A special highlight is certainly the original Bockwindmühle (windmill ) dating from 1748. The mill is so special because it is the oldest type of windmill in Westphalia and was numerous in the Münsterland until the 19th century. Under good conditions, a good 40 to 50 hundredweights of grain could be ground with the mill that still exists today. A truly impressive building!

The Mühlenhof open-air museum is also a very special place for children, and there are always great activities on offer , such as fabric printing workshops or fairy tale lessons. It's always worth taking a look at the museum's calendar of events!

Map | Münster

Service & Offers

  • Guided tours
  • Gastronomy in the house
  • Dogs allowed
  • Museum in the house
  • Outdoor
  • for groups
  • child friendly
  • Spring
  • Summer

Mühlenhof am Aasee

Öffnungszeiten vom 01.10. to 31.03.
  • Monday
    closed
  • Tuesday
    closed
  • Wednesday
    10:00 Uhr bis 17:00 Uhr
  • Thursday
    10:00 Uhr bis 17:00 Uhr
  • Friday
    10:00 Uhr bis 17:00 Uhr
  • Saturday
    10:00 Uhr bis 17:00 Uhr
  • Sunday
    10:00 Uhr bis 17:00 Uhr

Einlass bis 16:00 Uhr.


Außer am 24.12., 25.12. und 31.12. ist das Freilichtmuseum an allen Feiertagen geöffnet.

Mühlenhof am Aasee

Öffnungszeiten vom 01.04. to 30.09.
  • Monday
    closed
  • Tuesday
    10:00 Uhr bis 18:00 Uhr
  • Wednesday
    10:00 Uhr bis 18:00 Uhr
  • Thursday
    10:00 Uhr bis 18:00 Uhr
  • Friday
    10:00 Uhr bis 18:00 Uhr
  • Saturday
    10:00 Uhr bis 18:00 Uhr
  • Sunday
    10:00 Uhr bis 18:00 Uhr

Einlass bis 17:00 Uhr

An Ostersonntag, Pfingstsonntag, Pfingstmontag und am Tag der deutschen Einheit hat das Museum regulär geöffnet.

Entrance to Mühlenhof

  • Adults:
    8,00 €
  • reduced:
    4,00 €
  • Children:
    0,00 €
  • Youth:
    4,00 €
  • families:
    19,50 €
  • Groups:
    7,50 €
  • Groups:
    3,50 €
  • Groups:
    1,50 €

*Discounts for people with disabilities, trainees, members of voluntary services, students, recipients of benefits according to SGB I /III/XII

**Parents or grandparents with children up to 17 years of age in the family

Please note that only card payment (EC card, Mastercard, credit card) is possible at the cash desk and in the catering area of the Mühlenhof.

Events at the Mühlenhof Open-Air Museum

Properties
Types
6 Matches.
Apr
21
Tue
Free admission to the LWL Museum of Natural History Experience the Gene exhibition free of charge
21.04.2026, 09:00 22.04.2026, ca.18:00
LWL Museum of Natural History, Münster
Organiser: LWL-Museum für Naturkunde mit Planetarium
Exhibition

On Tuesday (21 April) and Wednesday (22 April), the LWL Museum of Natural History is inviting visitors to its exhibition from 9 am to 6 pm with free admission. The museum is offering everyone - regular visitors, occasional visitors and people new to Münster - the opportunity to see the exhibition "Genes - Diversity of Life".

Unimaginably small and yet so complex and diverse - genes characterise everything that lives. The special exhibition "Genes" provides an insight into the world of genes over an area of around 850 square metres. Genetic topics such as mutations and genetic engineering cause confusion and uncertainty. What exactly a gene is and what is behind terms such as epigenetics is presented in the exhibition in a generally understandable way. The special exhibition explains interactively and inclusively what genes are, how they influence the appearance and behaviour of all living things and how genes can be changed by external influences.

In addition to the milestones of genetics, the exhibition also focuses on points of contact with genes in everyday life and epigenetic influences. Through the combination of media technology and architecture, visitors travel into the microcosm of the cell, where human genetic material is stored, and discover the diversity of life. The special exhibition "Genes - Diversity of Life" is sponsored by the LWL Cultural Foundation.

Time
21.04.2026, 09:00 22.04.2026, ca.18:00
Location
Prices
Kostenlos durch die Gene-Ausstellung


  • Eintritt frei: 0
further information less information
Apr
22
Mi
Hidden treasures Guided tour of the museum collection in the Speicherstadt
22.04.2026, 14:00 22.04.2026, 15:30
LWL Museum of Natural History, Münster
Organiser: LWL-Museum für Naturkunde mit Planetarium
guided tour

Every fourth Wednesday of the month at 2 pm, visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves up close in the hallowed halls of the LWL-Museum für Naturkunde's Zentralmagazin. The one-hour event is aimed at interested visitors aged ten and over and offers an exclusive insight into the various storage rooms of the central stacks in the Speicherstadt. Participation is free of charge. Attention: Limited number of participants! Registration is required.

Interested parties have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the various natural history collections of the LWL-Museum für Naturkunde. In addition to the large collection of vertebrates, the herbarium, the largest botanical collection in NRW, as well as fossils, minerals and rocks are also on display.

The guided tours are accompanied by either the LWL collection manager Daria Carobene or the collection curator Dr Lothar Schöllmann (Geology).

The meeting point is in front of the entrance opposite the car park.

Registration: It is necessary to book free online tickets as the number of participants is limited.

Time
22.04.2026, 14:00 22.04.2026, 15:30
Location
Prices
Teilnahmegebühr
  • Eintritt frei: 0
further information less information
Apr
24
Fri
Sky tour in April Public sky observation
24.04.2026, ca.21:00 24.04.2026, ca.23:45
Sternfreunde Münster e.V., Münster
Organiser: Sternfreunde Münster e.V.
Lecture

On a clear day, striking mountain ranges of the 8-day-old moon can be studied Moon can be studied, including the Alps, the Caucasus and the Apennines, as well as some of the large mars and craters. In addition to the well-known star clusters M44 and MEL 111, the planet Jupiter and numerous double stars can be observed with the telescope.

-In the park area between the Mühlenhof and the Natural History Museum

-The telescopes are provided on a voluntary basis by members of the association. made available on a voluntary basis.

- The event can only take place under clear skies. Please inform yourself before your visit on our website

Time
24.04.2026, ca.21:00 24.04.2026, ca.23:45
Location
Prices
Teilnahmegebühr
  • Eintritt frei: 0
further information less information
Apr
25
Sat
In search of clues through the Hohe Ward Excursion of the Species Academy of the LWL Museum of Natural History
25.04.2026, 14:00 25.04.2026, ca.17:00
LWL Museum of Natural History, Münster
Organiser: LWL-Museum für Naturkunde mit Planetarium
Trip/Excursion

The Species Academy of the LWL Museum of Natural History is organising a three-hour excursion to the Hohe Ward near Hiltrup. Together with tracker Michael Hewing, nature enthusiasts aged twelve and over can go in search of clues.

"Even in a relatively densely populated city like Münster, many wild animals live among us. They are not always directly visible, but they are there," says Hewing. During an informal walk, participants learn how to recognise animals without seeing them. Traces and signs are searched for, interpreted and used to put together stories. Who ate here? Who slept there? Who actually lives among us in Münster and why?

Background:
The Species Academy invites interested parties to take part in joint events in the greater Münster area. Experts present their areas of expertise and offer participants the opportunity to expand their specialist knowledge and report observations directly on site in Europe's largest nature observation platform, Observation.org, or in the ObsIdentify app supported by the Natural History Museum. The Species Academy is organised with the kind support of the Sparda-Bank Münster Foundation.

The event is suitable for anyone aged twelve and over and is free of charge; only online registration is required as the number of participants is limited.

Meeting point: Hohe Ward near Hiltrup, Hiltruper See car park, 48165 Münster


Time
25.04.2026, 14:00 25.04.2026, ca.17:00
Location
Prices
Eintritt
  • Eintritt frei: 0
further information less information
May
13
Mi
Rock diversity in the solar system - meteorites and their parent bodies Starfriends lecture
13.05.2026, ca.19:00 13.05.2026, ca.20:30
Sternfreunde Münster e.V., Münster
Organiser: Sternfreunde Münster e.V.
Lecture

Our solar system was formed from a collapsing molecular cloud that formed an accretion disc in which planets, moons and asteroids developed. There were repeated collisions with other planetary objects. Debris from extraterrestrial rocks hurled into space by these collisions reached and still reach the Earth as meteorites. These provide insights into the history of their parent bodies.


Dr Knut Metzler (UNI Münster) reports on his research and provides insights into the origin and diversity of meteorites found.

Time
13.05.2026, ca.19:00 13.05.2026, ca.20:30
Location
Prices
Eintritt
  • Eintritt frei: 0
further information less information
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4 Tips for the Mühlenhof Open-Air Museum

  • Just a few minutes' walk away is the Allwetterzoo Münster. Where else in Münsterland can you travel the whole world in one day?
  • In the middle of the zoo you will find the Horse Museum. On a large exhibition area, it is dedicated to the natural and cultural history of the horse in Westphalia in an informative and entertaining way.
  • And just opposite the zoo you can continue to quench your thirst for knowledge. In the LWL Museum of Natural History with Planetarium!
  • Also not far from the Mühlenhof open-air museum is the Aasee and the Solaaris pier. Fancy a boat trip?

Places of interest around the Mühlenhof

Properties
Types
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