German Museums and Cultural Heritage Centers in North America

German Museums and Cultural Centers do what they can to preserve the history of Germans in North America. They come in all sizes. Many hold exhibits of objects and ephemera, some are living museums that allow visitors to immerse themselves in another time, and others are a treasure trove for genealogists.

Please help me add to this list of German Museums, Heritage Centers, and other places where German history in America is stored.
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Then let’s plan a road trip to visit them!

German Museums and Cultural Centers in North America

Illinois

DANK Haus German American Cultural Center
4740 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 561-9181

Our mission is to preserve and promote German culture, heritage, and language through maintaining a center consisting of a museum, art gallery, library, and language school, and organizing educational and social programming focusing on and emphasizing the history, traditions, and contributions of Germans and German Americans. Read more about the DANK Haus here

Iowa

German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, IA 52802

Founded on August 1, 1994 as a private, not-for-profit organization, the German American Heritage Center (GAHC) seeks to preserve the heritage of our German speaking ancestors for present and future generations and to enrich our knowledge of the German immigrant experience.

Amana Heritage Society
705 44th Ave Amana, IA 52203
(319) 622-3567

The Amana Heritage Museum collections consist of about 12,000 objects and 10,000 archival pieces. All items relate to the history of Amana and its associated religious group The Community of True Inspiration in Germany and America. The period of the collections covers ca. 1700 to the present, with emphasis on the communal period of Amana history (1855-1932). Some of the objects can be viewed on our Online Collections Database. This collection is an important resource for studies of American communal societies and German/American religion and culture. In addition, the research library contains works printed by the Community of True Inspiration and related books from the 18th century to the present. Also, letters and personal papers, genealogical records, and historical photographs provide abundant research sources.

Louisiana

German American Cultural Center & Museum
519 Huey P. Long Ave. Gretna, LA 70053
504-363-4202

The German-American Cultural Center and Museum tells the stories of the German immigrants who founded Mechanikham in 1836 – the village that became Gretna, Louisiana. Those settlers and their descendants forged Gretna’s history.

Germantown Colony Museum
200 Museum Road Minden, LA 71055
318.377.6061

Located a short drive north of Minden off Interstate 20, the Germantown Colony Museum tells the story of a small group of settlers led by the Count and Countess von Leon. The von Leons made their way into the isolated wilderness of north Louisiana to establish a pure Christian community, their own “kingdom of heaven.” The poor Count did not make it all the way, dying of yellow fever along the Red River, but his wife continued on and managed to establish a remarkable settlement that endured for the next 40 years. Members of the original families still live nearby, and the site includes several original buildings and the community cemetery.

Michigan

Frankenmuth Historical Museum
The Frankenmuth Historical Association is a registered 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization located in downtown Frankenmuth. The Association includes an 11 gallery museum, the ​Wolkensdörfer Log House, and Fischer Hall. The Association collects and exhibits artifacts from the history of the Franconian colonies, in addition to offering education programs, events, tours, digital learning, lectures, venue rentals, and more!

 

Missouri

Historic Hermann Museum
312 Schiller Street, Hermann, Missouri 65041.

Located in the 1871 German School Building, the Historic Hermann Museum is home to an extraordinary collection of treasures from Hermann’s past.

Perry County Lutheran Museum
75 Church St./P.O. Box 53 Altenburg, MO 63732
573-824-6070

The Lutheran Heritage Center of the Perry County Lutheran Historical Society has a state-of-the-art museum with a world-class family research library.  The site interprets the 1839 German-Lutheran immigration to Perry County, Missouri.  Included at the site is the first Concordia Log Cabin College, the Christiane Loeber Cabin, as well as two large galleries of historic exhibits and displays.  The research library is a free use collection of early regional church books, regional manuscript collections, maps, as well as German research materials.  Tours of historic Trinity Lutheran are a part of our tour.  The Lutheran Heritage Center is open 360 a year.  Admission is free.  One of the highlights of our year is a 50+ Christmas tree exhibit from Nov. 15-Jan. 15.

New York

Das Haus German Heritage Museum
2549 Niagara Rd Niagara Falls, NY 14304

Visit a bit of the old country. Explore your roots. Learn how these industrious Prussian / German immigrants worked and lived. Personal Tours and Historical Genealogical research.

North Dakota

Germans from Russia Historical Collection (NDSU)
1201 Albrecht Blvd. Fargo, ND 58102

The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection (GRHC) at the NDSU Libraries was established in July 1978, which was first housed with the North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies. As a land-grant university, there was interest in establishing a collection of materials about Germans from Russia ancestry, which includes a large population of North Dakota. Currently the GRHC houses numerous books, manuscript collections, and photographs, as well as oral histories, and other historical material. GRHC in cooperation with Prairie Public has produced award-winning documentaries of the Germans from Russia Series beginning in 1999. GRHC’s Journey to the Homeland Tours began in May 1996, with the 24th Homeland Tour in May 2020.

Ohio

German Heritage Museum
4764 West Fork Road
Cincinnati, OH 45247
or call (513) 598-5732

This museum, located in West Fork Park, is the repository of historical artifacts and records of the contributions of the many German-Americans who have made Cincinnati the great place it is today.

German Culture Museum
4877 Olde Pump Street Walnut Creek, Ohio 44687
330-763-1390

The museum houses an impressive collection of area memorabilia and displays of Amish, German and Swiss heritage. Focusing specifically on the history and settlement of Holmes County and Walnut Creek Township. It gives a snapshot of life in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center
22 Luckenbill Road, Kutztown, PA 19530
Phone: 610-683-1589

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center is an open-air folklife museum and research center dedicated to preserving and celebrating Pennsylvania German folk culture, history, and language in a unique educational setting at Kutztown University.

The German Society of Pennsylvania
611 Spring Garden Street – Philadelphia, PA  19123
(P) 215-627-2332

The German Society of Pennsylvania seeks to foster good understanding between the peoples of the United States of America and Germany by maintaining an awareness of German culture and traditions, and by promoting the understanding of German and German-American contributions to the history, culture, economy, science, and technology of the United States. They offer cultural programs, activities and experiences, such as concerts, lectures, movies, seminars, social and special events to members and the public at large. Teach German classes, and promote the use of the Joseph Horner Memorial Library, the largest private collection of publications in the German language outside universities in the United States.

Moravian Museum of Bethlehem
505 Main St. Bethlehem, PA
610-691-6055, or toll free at 1-800-360-TOUR

The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem Complex includes the 1741 Gemeinhaus, Single Sisters House, Nain-Schober House, and the 1752 Apothecary. These sites are available to tour as part of the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem tour at request.

Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, PA 18073
Phone 215-679-3103

The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, with its internationally recognized collections and research facilities, engages visitors in exploration of the themes of religious freedom, tolerance, migration, and heritage in their own lives and the lives of their families through the stories of the Schwenkfelders and the Pennsylvania Germans of the Perkiomen region—people whose bonds of faith, families, and community tell a fundamental American story.

Knauss Homestead Preservation Society
152 East Main Street (Rear) Emmaus, PA 18049

The Knauss Homestead Preservation Society was established in 1992 by a group of volunteers determined to save the Heinrich Knauss house and barn after having spent the last several decades vacant and in disrepair. We continue that work today, focused on restoring the Homestead to its authentic 18th century self. Whether it’s a group focused on genealogy, art, antiques, or even ghost stories and painting – we want our historic treasure to be able to be enjoyed and provide a truly authentic glimpse of life as it was at the time of the birth of America.

The Shelter House Society
601 South 4th Street Emmaus, PA
Call 610-965-9258 to schedule your visit.

From 1734 on, the Shelter House provided refuge to pioneers and settlers. Today, this colonial Germanic cabin stands as one of the oldest continuously inhabited log structures in the Lehigh Valley.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
2451 Kissel Hill Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601

Whether you come for the animals, to learn about early Pennsylvania German life, or to stroll the grounds and get an up-close look at the largest collection of Pennsylvania German artifacts in the United States, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Historic Trappe including the Henry Muhlenberg House
Henry Muhlenberg House  201 W. Main Street  Trappe, PA 19426
(610) 489-7560

Highlights include splendid examples of Pennsylvania German and Philadelphia furniture, silver, and portraits—many from the Muhlenberg family—on loan from Muhlenberg descendants, the Dietrich American Foundation, Rocky Hill Collection, Wunsch Americana Foundation, and many private collectors and regional institutions. Guided tours of Augustus Lutheran Church, Dewees Tavern, the Henry Muhlenberg House, and The Speaker’s House are available by appointment or during regular business hours. Contact [email protected] for more information.

The Center for Pennsylvania German Studies
301 W Main St, Trappe, PA 19426

The Center for Pennsylvania German Studies includes five galleries for changing exhibitions and ongoing displays of furniture, fraktur, redware, metalwork, textiles, and more. Housed in the Dewees Tavern, the Center includes a research library and archives focusing on local history, genealogy, and decorative arts. There is also dedicated space for classes, workshops, and a fraktur/textiles study center.

Historic Schaefferstown
111 North Market Street. Schaefferstown, PA 17088-0307
717-949-2244

Historic Schaefferstown, Inc.’s Mission is the collection, preservation, study, and dissemination of the history and folk culture of the Pennsylvania Germans in South Central Pennsylvania, with particular focus on Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. The organization provides information through educational programs for adults and children, tours of its buildings and collections, festivals and special events, and publications of research and promotional materials.

Amos Herr House 
1756 Nissley Road, P.O. Box 52Landisville PA 17538
717-898-8822

The Herr Family Homestead is a fine example of a Lancaster County farm property. You are invited to visit the buildings and grounds and to explore the history and traditions of Pennsylvania Germans in this southeastern area of the state.

South Dakota

Heritage Hall Museum and Archives
 880 S Cedar St, Freeman, SD 57029
605.925.7545

 Heritage Hall Museum & Archives in Freeman, South Dakota, tells the story of the Germans-from-Russia immigrants and others who settled in Southeastern Dakota Territory in the 1870s. Come and discover more! Pioneer stories and artifacts tells the stories of  the difficulties of living on the plains and the gradual building up of the community that is now Freeman, South Dakota.

Texas

Brenham Heritage Museum
313 East Alamo Street
Brenham, TX 77833

Maifest Collection- Since 1881, a colorful scene has unfolded in Brenham each May. This festival, known as Maifest, is a celebration highlighting German heritage, as well as showcasing the youth of the community. Except for several years during World War I and World War II, this event has been held annually since 1881, and includes elaborate coronations and a parade in downtown Brenham.

Pioneer Museum
325 W Main, Fredericksburg, TX

Fredericksburg’s German heritage stretches back over 170 years. Get a hands-on glimpse of that history at the 3.5 acre Pioneer Museum Complex in downtown Fredericksburg, complete with buildings, artifacts and displays of our areas earliest pioneers. Several times a year, the Pioneer Museum will hold events staffed by docents in period dress that are fun for the whole family including storytelling, rope making, soap making, sheep shearing and more.

Vereins Kirche
100 W Main St Fredericksburg, TX 78624

The Vereins Kirche Museum tells the story of the two Vereins Kirche buildings. The story begins with the first German settlers to Texas and continues to present-day Fredericksburg from the view of the Vereins Kirche.

German Texan Heritage Society
507 East 10th Street Austin, TX