Black Forest Open Air Museum

Great place to see how people lived and worked in previous years. I enjoyed seeing building construction, live demonstrations, and local animals. It was amazing how hard people worked just to live and possibly use extra products for sale and income. There is a nice relaxing restaurant in the entrance area with tasty food and drinks, served by excellent friendly staff. Plenty of parking. This facility is appropriate for adults, kids, and groups. This is a large, hilly facility but with nice views. If you have a few hours, this is a good experience.

A fascinating look at rural life in the Black Forest. A huge area with a number of farmhouses, all set up with very interesting displays and information boards, with German, French and English versions. Amazing to walk through farmhouses built in the 1500's and get a real sense of what it would have been like to live and work here hundreds of years ago. We spent 4 hours and could have spent much longer.

We stopped at the Black Forest Open Air Museum in Gutach late one afternoon during our Black Forest road trip, and even though we didn’t have time to go inside and explore all the exhibits, we still really enjoyed the atmosphere around the entrance. We drove there by car and had no problem finding parking right near the entrance, which was super convenient. The museum is set in beautiful surroundings with green hills and old farmhouses scattered around the property, giving you a glimpse of what’s waiting inside. Since we arrived too late to make the most of the full experience—the museum closes at 6 PM with last entry at 5 PM—we decided to slow down and enjoy what was still open. We browsed the souvenir shop, which had plenty of local handmade items, traditional gifts, and a few quirky finds that made us smile. After that, we grabbed a cold beer and some proper German currywurst at the kiosk right next to the beer garden seating area. Sitting there under the trees, enjoying the food and the relaxed vibe, actually turned out to be a great little memory from our trip. The setting is beautiful, and even without entering the museum itself, it felt like a worthwhile stop. Next time, we’d definitely plan to arrive much earlier to explore the historic farmhouses and exhibitions in full. So if you’re planning a visit, make sure to give yourself a good couple of hours to enjoy everything this place has to offer.

An incredible cultural and educational experience that takes you on a journey through time from the olden days to today. It’s impressive how they’ve relocated some of the buildings from afar to this beautifully maintained site. Surrounded by mountains, the museum is strategically located and offers a stunning setting. We came during low season and didn’t expect much. Parking information can be a bit clearer. We were also able to bring our own lunch which is nice. We did however stop for a Black Forest cake in the onsite restaurant for tea. We also stopped at the cafe on site for hot drinks. We spent over 5 hours here with our two kids (both under 10), and it was amazing to explore all the buildings. The museum is excellently preserved, providing just the right amount of information alongside engaging, non-screen interactive play. A fantastic day out for the whole family—highly recommended!

Insanely cool museum housing… houses from across the Black Forest to show off the different designs and contrast the eras. All the house to my understanding were moved board by board to the current location. It’s a real treat for the young and old to see the houses almost 500 years old as well as lively hoods from that time. I’ll come again since I was only here for about 2 hours but it’s real treat to take a look around.

Interesting historical displays in original farm houses from around the Black Forest. I particularly enjoyed meeting the pigs and sampling traditionally brewed schnapps.

The museum contains historic buildings in their original locations and relocated from their original sites. The learning experience was engaging as we walked through the simulated environments and imagined life in the time period. Exhibit captions in multiple languages provided insights and details into the design and use of the buildings. I wanted to spend more time reviewing the museum exhibits.

Excellent visit although for us it was raining. Need to be prepared for a lot of walking and stair climbing.