This private nature museum exhibits one of the largest private snail and shell collections of the world. The lovingly restored historical brick building offers 500 m² exhibition space. The visitor can discover snails and shells (molluscs), indigenous and exotic minerals, fossils, preserved birds and mammals, butterflies, grasshoppers, beetles, crustacean, corals and many other things.
With more than 4.000 species it is the largest snail and shell exhibition in Germany. It provides a concise overview of the overwhelming diversity of this second largest animal clade. The shells vary in size between a grain of sand and a length of up to one meter and occur in all colours and forms. In addition to the exhibition there is an extensive collection of mollusc shells that is used for research and special exhibitions.Throughout the year there are several special exhibitions (mostly on topics of natural history as well).

adults 4,- €, reduced 3,- €
groups 3,- per pers.
children 1,- €

Regular tours

Lectures on natural history in irregular sequence (information in the museum), Seminar and lecture room for educational and environmental work, Numerous worksheets and other educational material on the exhibition and the nature trail in Cismar (attended by the ‘Haus der Natur’ and the ‘Verein zur Förderung der Naturkunde in Cismar e.V.’, Guided tours by appointment

Information leaflet, printed short guide, Guide on the museum, regularly appearing monthly ‚Tier des Monats’ (Animal of the month), academic serial publication „Schriften zur Malakozoologie aus dem Haus der Natur – Cismar“, Leaflet on the protection of snail and shell species

The ‚Haus der Natur – Cismar’ is a centre for molluscan science in Germany (e.g. Deutsche Malakozoologische Gesellschaft)
Museum association: "Verein zur Förderung der Naturkunde in Cismar e.V."
Director of the museum: Dr. Vollrath Wiese

Arriving by car

Parking facilities directly at the museum or with a 150 m-walk at the ‚Kloster Cismar’ (Cismar cloister), car park for busses on the other side of the street, Motorway A 1, exit Lensahn/Cismar in the direction of ‚Kloster Cismar’, the museum is situated in the centre of Cismar village directly on the federal road B 501

Find more museums…

of the type: Natural history

of the region: Ostholstein

in: Cismar