Museum für Naturkunde Stiftung Schloß und Park Benrath

Museum für Naturkunde Stiftung Schloß und Park Benrath

The Natural History Museum in the western wing of Benrather Castle was founded in 1929 by Dr. Heinrich Opladen, a teacher at the Schloss-Gymnasium, which was then located in the east wing, as a natural history museum. It deals with the nature of habitats in the region around Düsseldorf, such as the Rheinauen, the Neandertal and the Ohligser Heide. The museum was last renovated in the 1970s.

Large parts of the exhibition have not changed. Numerous showcases still offer a fascinating view of typical local habitats. Such showcases, in which excerpts from nature are reproduced down to the smallest detail, are called dioramas. They offer today’s visitors instructive insights into the nature of the Düsseldorf region that they would otherwise never see.

In addition, parts of the bird collection of Dr. Peter Frey exhibited. The dentist from Leverkusen independently collected more than 1,074 birds, stuffed them in a lifelike way and installed them in 450 showcases with a naturalistic background painting – mini or individual dioramas. In doing so, he created scenes of lasting value. The museum’s technical equipment includes a unique bird clock, which lets the birds in the castle park sing throughout the day.

On the upper floor of the Natural History Museum you can visit the permanent exhibition “How people see animals. Visit the animal sculptures of Josef Pallenberg”. The exhibition shows animal sculptures by the internationally renowned animal sculptor Josef Pallenberg (1882-1946).