Museum of Nature Dortmund

Museum of Nature Dortmund (Roland Gorecki)

The Dortmund Nature Museum, located directly at the Fredenbaumpark in the north of Dortmund, houses a collection of biological and geological specimens, fossils and minerals, mainly from the Ruhr and Westphalia region.

Over two floors, the new permanent exhibition guides visitors through submerged and present-day habitats of the region around Dortmund. Numerous interactive media stations and objects to touch make the local nature understandable for young and old.

Accessibility certified People with walking disabilities Wheelchair users Deaf people People with visual impairments Blind people People with cognitive impairments

Barrier-free information

Short Report as PDF

All areas relevant for testing meet the quality criteria of the label "Accessibility certified - accessible for people with walking disabilities and wheelchair users".

Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.

  • There are two marked parking spaces for people with disabilities (parking space size: 350 cm x 500 cm).
  • The path from the parking lot to the entrance is 120 m long. It is partly not easy to walk and drive on and has a maximum longitudinal gradient of 2% over a distance of 100m.
  • The Fredenbaum subway station is 200 meters away.Der Weg von der U-Bahn-Station zum Eingang ist leicht begeh- und befahrbar und hat eine maximale Längsneigung von 5 % über eine Strecke von 25 m.
  • The building is steplessly accessible.
  • All rooms and facilities that can be used and elevated for guests have stepless access via an elevator.
  • The elevator cabin is 175 cm x 340 cm.
  • All doors/passages usable and elevated for the guest are at least 88 cm wide.
  • The checkout counter is 84 cm high at the lowest point.
  • Exhibits/stations/objects and exhibit information are visible and readable in most cases while seated.
  • There are wheelchair accessible tables available in the dining room (maximum height 80 cm, wheelchair accessible at a height of 67 cm and a depth of 30 cm). 
  • Guided tours for people with walking disabilities and wheelchair users are offered. Advance reservation is necessary.
  • There are mobile or fixed seats available for people with walking disabilities to use during the tour.
  • The entire route of the guided tour is stepless for wheelchair users.

Public toilet for people with disabilities (first floor)

  • The  manoeuvring spaces are:
    in front of the sink 260 cm x 170 cm; in front of the WC 260 cm x 140 cm;
    to the left of the WC 140 cm x 70 cm; to the right of the WC 90 cm x 70 cm.
  • There are grab rails to the left and right of the WC. The grab rails can be flipped up.
  •  The sink is wheelchair compatible. 
  • There is an alarm trigger.

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

All areas relevant for testing meet the quality criteria of the label "Accessibility certified - partially accessible for people with hearing impairment".

Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.

  • The alarm is not clearly visually perceptible throughout the building/object.
  • There is an audio induction loop system.
  • An outgoing emergency call in the elevator is only confirmed  audibly.
  • Information about the exhibits/objects is conveyed acoustically and in writing, and some of it is photo-realistic.
  • In the dining room, there are tables with bright and glare-free lighting, where there are no lamps or hanging lamps that interfere with the field of vision or eye contact.
  • Guided tours are available for people with hearing disabilities, but not for deaf people.

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

 All areas relevant for testing meet the quality criteria of the label "Accessibility certified - accessible for people with visual impairments and partially accessible for blind people". 

Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.

  • Assistance dogs may be brought into all relevant areas/rooms.
  • External paths have a visually contrasting and tactilely detectable walkway border.
  • Entrance is visually contrasting and identifiable by tactilely detectable flooring change.
  • All elevated areas usable by guests are well lit, i.e., bright and glare-free.
  • There are visually contrasting or tactilely detectable floor indicators in the entrance area.
  • Signage is designed in legible, high-contrast lettering.
  • Information for orientation is tactilely detectable (e.g., relief or prismatic lettering and available in Braille).
  • An outgoing emergency call in the elevator is confirmed acoustically. The stop position is announced by speech. The operating elements are designed with high visual contrast and are tactilely detectable.
  • Alternatively, stairs are provided.
  • Stairs have visually contrasting edges at least on the first and last steps.
  • Stairs have handrails on both sides. Tactile floor information is present at the beginning and end of stair flights.
  • Exhibits/objects are generally well lit.
  • Exhibit/object information is provided in writing and is visually contrasting.
  • There is auditory information about the exhibits/objects and in some cases the information is olfactory.
  • Guided tours are offered for people with visual impairments and blind people. Advance reservation is required.
  • During the tours, exhibits are integrated for touching.

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

All areas relevant for testing meet the quality criteria of the label "Accessibility certified - accessible for with cognitive impairments".

Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.

  • The name or logo of the museum is clearly visible from the outside.
  • The destinations of the paths are within sight or there are path signs at a constantly visible distance.
  • Information about exhibits/objects is not provided in plain language and some are photo-realistic.
  • Guided tours are provided for people with cognitive impairments. Advance registration is required.
  • The guided tour for people with cognitive impairments is held in easy language.

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

Image gallery

Museum of Nature Dortmund Museum of Nature Dortmund (Roland Gorecki)
Museum of Nature Dortmund Museum of Nature Dortmund (Roland Gorecki)
Aquarium at the Museum of Nature Dortmund Aquarium at the Museum of Nature Dortmund (Naturmuseum)
Museum of Nature Dortmund Museum of Nature Dortmund (Roland Gorecki)
Museum of Nature Dortmund Museum of Nature Dortmund (Naturmuseum)
Museum of Nature Dortmund Museum of Nature Dortmund (Naturmuseum)
Museum of Nature Dortmund Museum of Nature Dortmund (Naturmuseum)