zeche zollern ii/iv, westfalian museum of industry

The Zeche Zollern has some unique architecture, the museum is interesting and well-kept and there is a lot to discover for visitor of all ages. For children, there's an outdoor playground and a "Kinderkeller", a basement room with a mining tunnel representation made into an interesting indoor playground. For a break, there's a lovely restaurant and cafe on site, too.

There are 2 things that keep this area of Germany going. 1 is sadly almost gone - mining, the 2nd is going through a bad time (football). I was unsure about going here. My hotel had no idea what it was and the DB office at Dortmund Hauptbahnhof were having difficulty finding my train connection. It is a bit out of the way for Dortmund standards but once there it is well worth the visit. From the start, it give the visitor a though view of a coal miners life from apprenticeship to retiring, it goes through the problems such as accidents, explosions, losing their job etc. It goes into details about how life in the mines meant also a social community outside. It even goes into detail on the lighting that was used. Outside there are the schafts used. There is a very good description in English and German and a very interesting video of a young persons misery as they went through sorting the coal from stones etc. The only downside is that the main museum area is all in German. It is fine for somebody like me who speaks and understands German but for many tourists who come over and want to know about this important part of the region they can't. I asked for a brochure in English for my dad but they did not have anything which I find strange. Admission is cheap at €4 but they can attract a lot more tourists if they made more of a effort in the English end and getting people to know about the museum.

The buildings in itself are worth a visit! Very interesting changing exhibitions apart from the interesting mining story. So really, it was 3x worth the trip. Only thing I missed was going down 'for real'.

My husband loves industrial archeology so we were excited to find this actually open. On a previous trip, though the web site and the sign said it was open, it was not. There was one large display about the life of miners, both on and off the job. You could also climb and see the head wheel all the way to the top. Besides the various train cars scattered about, there was little else to see. There were a couple of large empty rooms that were beautiful but not explained. The doors to the machine house, where we really wanted to go, were locked. The architecture is gorgeous and it is amazing that an industrial complex could look this good. Sadly, the details were lost by the lack of English explanations and more so by the closures.

The museum part shows the day in life of a coal miner. But the best part, actually are all those mining carts, coaches and other stuff that is lying around. Great place to visit with children!

It is impossible to believe that a building housing the Zeche Zollern II/IV, Westfalian Museum of Industry in Dortmund was actually a coal mine. The giveaway is, of course the two towers on either side of the building. The red bricks used for the construction of the building in an opulent manner do little to prepare you for the shock you receive as you witness the museum inside that depicts the hardships the coal miners underwent while working in the mines. Some graphic details of the travails of the miner are quite poignant. However, the machine hall takes you away from the travails and transports you into the realm of coal mining equipment and machinery. Children would enjoy this place as the organizers have thoughtfully created a playing area with real mud and water so that children can get wet and dirty. It is advisable to carry change of clothing for them.

Being a pro-photographer and always in search of new locations to shoot in, a specific visit of this industrial site was a must !The weather was not so good but I had my usual equipment to face these circumstances.The place is really a dream for a photographer wanting to shoot this type of "industrial heritage", of course you need time to prepare your shooting sessions (angle of view, required depth of field, light, a.s.o.).My shooting visit took a whole day but I had liked more time because so many things were attracting my eyes...Inside the site it was possible to have a (very) good meal (with several choices !) as well as some drinks before going back shooting !Excellent experience and a rich subject to capture in different ways !

It isn't every day you get to see coal mining and Art Deco. Coming from a coal mining family I was shocked how lovely a coal mine could be built. The site is compact but in total there is fair amount to see and the highlight for us was being able to climb the shaft tower. Friendly staff who helped fill in the gaps. For children an amazing basement wooden play area simulating a coal mine.

It was a bit discouraging to come to this museum only to find that the locals didnt seem very interested in it as i was the only person present..the main exhibition in one of the very impressive buildings looked qquite interesting but despite narratives in the outside park having English translations this did not.The machine building was closed as works were being undertaken in the area.So whereas i had hoped to spend 2 or 3 hours i only spent one.Dortmund is the only city that i have been to in germany where there are no English translations.No wonder there are no tourists here other than me.

While visiting the weather was awful (I had great problems with taking pictures(((), so it's better to be visited during spring-summer time:)). One more promlem - it's far away from the center of Dortmund, but there's a bus to get. But nevertheless it's worth my efforts - very interesting "digging" into Ruhrgebiet life:))!

THis is a kind of insider tip. Visit it not without a guide who will tell you nice stories about life, work and culture of the coal miners who lived here. THe old building including the "Maschienenhalle" are a must and it is amazing how Art Deco archticeture can be found here at the Ruhrgebiet

Jemand der fast alle Zechen im Ruhrgebiet gesehen hat,wird hier ein wenig enttäuscht sein. Das Gelände war teilweise wegen Sturmschäden noch gesperrt, und man konnte auch nicht alles besuchen. Es gab eine Sonderausstellung und einen Museumsteil. Beides relativ interessant und man kann auf einen Turm steigen und so das Gelände von oben erblicken. Aber das war es leider dann auch an diesem Tag was man zu Gesicht bekam. Architektonisch sind die Gebäude im Jugendstil recht schön. Aber mit dem Gelände könnte man von der Größe her mehr machen und es deutlich attraktiver gestalten.

Sapendo il tedesco, io e i miei compagni di viaggio abbiamo deciso di prenotare la visita nella lingua locale con una guida alquanto eccentrica. Spiegazioni dettagliate, ma molto interessanti sotto ogni aspetto; la storia traspira da ogni parete di quel posto e da ogni parola del "Reiseführer".

Wir sind regelmäßig Gast "auf Zollern." Anregende Sonderveranstaltungen, immer ein interessiertes Publikum und eine außergewöhnliche Architektur haben ein umfassendes Lob verdient.

Die Zeche Zollern nahe Dortmund ist ein wunderschönes altes Industrieensemble mit zahlreichen Gebäuden im Jugenstil und Historismus. Durch eine schlossähnliche Allee kommt man zu den beiden Torhäuschen, dahinter erstreckt sich das Industriemuseum, das sich vor allem der Bergbaugeschichte widmet, aber auch Wechselausstellungen ind er alten Werkstatt bietet. Man kann den Förderturm besteigen, sich über die lehrlinge im bergbau oder über Bergbauunfälle und vieles mehr informieren.Bei unserem Besuch war die alte Maschinenhalle leider noch nicht fertig renoviert, aber das Jugendstiltor, das jeden Ruhrgebietskalender ziert, ist schon fertig. Auf dem Außengelände findet man alte Bahnwaggons, das ist noch etwas ungeordnet und manchmal hätte man sich mehr Beschriftung gewünscht.Es gibt einen Museumsshop, eine Restauration mit Biergarten und eine Veranstaltungshalle. Zu den Sonderausstellungen werden Führungen und weitere Sonderveranstaltungen auch für Kinder geboten.Auf jeden Fall ein lohnendes Ausflugsziel mitten im Grünen und doch nur 10 Minuten von der Autobahnausfahrt Dortmund-Hafen entfernt!