Four guided tours showcase the train station, signal box, and historical railway technology
On Open Monument Day, Sunday, September 13, 2026, visitors can explore the Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway Museum from different perspectives. The Darmstadt City Heritage Preservation Office and staff from the Railway Museum are offering four different themed tours of the former marshalling yard and freight depot. Participation is free, but prior online registration is required.
Kranichstein station is located on the Mainz–Aschaffenburg railway line, which opened in 1859, and was expanded into a supra-regional freight and marshalling yard in 1898. Since 2017, the site has been a listed building for historical, technical, and urban planning reasons.
Four perspectives on railway history
One of the guided tours focuses on the entire grounds of Kranichstein station. Besides the main area, participants can also take a look inside the engine shed.
Another tour leads to the hump yard and the R1 signal box. Following the electrification of the railway line in 1959, this signal box, together with the Kf signal box, replaced the previously used mechanical signaling technology. From there, five kilometers of track, 13 rails, and 60 switches were secured and controlled.
The guided tour explains the former work on the hump yard. Participants can also climb the signal tower via its 60 steps. A historic DB O 307 bus transports the participants to the site.
Roundhouse and heavy transport
The third tour offers insights into the roundhouse and workshop. It explains the tasks of a railway depot, historical operating procedures, and the maintenance of steam locomotives. The roundhouse is also presented from a historical preservation perspective.
The fourth tour heavy-duty tractor units and Culemeyer road rollers . These vehicles were used, among other things, to transport prefabricated components for the high-rise housing estate designed by Ernst May in Kranichstein, starting from Kranichstein.
Each guided tour is jointly led by a staff member of the railway museum and a representative of the heritage preservation authority. This is intended to convey both the railway engineering and the heritage preservation aspects of the facilities.
Registration is required for the guided tours
The guided tours start at 10:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. and each lasts approximately one hour. They are suitable for participants aged 14 and over.
The guided tour of the Culemeyer road scooters is the only one that is wheelchair accessible. Participation is free of charge, but online registration is required and has been possible since August 30th.
Registration at the Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway World
Before and after the guided tours, the museum cafeteria and information stands of the heritage protection authority and the museum railway are also available.
The nationwide Open Monument Day in 2026 will be themed “Networks – Monuments & Infrastructure”.
Information on historic preservation in Darmstadt
Schedule overview
What: Open Monument Day at the Kranichstein Railway Museum
When: Sunday, September 13, 2026
Guided tours: 10:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Duration: approximately one hour each
Age: 14 years and up
Cost: free
Registration: required
Accessibility: only for the tour of the Culemeyer road rollers
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip)
