The roundhouse features an original, fully preserved 20-meter turntable used to rotate locomotives.
The building was constructed as a maintenance depot for the Royal Bavarian State Railways.
It is one of the oldest roundhouses in Germany that has been repurposed as a museum.
The site played a critical role during the electrification of the Salzburg-Munich railway line.
The collection includes rare examples of early electric locomotives from the turn of the 20th century.
The roundhouse design allowed for the simultaneous maintenance of 17 different train engines.
Lokwelt Freilassing is a railway museum housed within a former locomotive roundhouse dating back to 1905. It showcases 150 years of railroad history, specifically focusing on the intersection of Bavarian and Austrian rail technology. The centerpiece of the site is the 17-track roundhouse, which retains its functional character despite its conversion into a museum space. The exhibition highlights the history of the Freilassing locomotive depot and the importance of the border crossing between Germany and Austria. Visitors can view a collection of historical steam, electric, and diesel locomotives. The museum is located just across the border from Salzburg. It operates under the management of the city of Freilassing and the Deutsche Bahn Museum. The facility serves as both an industrial heritage site and an educational center for regional transportation development.
From the center of the turntable facing the inner circular tracks to capture the symmetry of the roundhouse.
Check the museum calendar for special 'steaming' days when select locomotives are activated.
Combine your visit with a walk through the adjacent historic train yard for exterior photography.
The exhibition labels are primarily in German, so consider using a translation app for detailed technical history.
Do not attempt to climb on or touch the exhibits, as many are fragile historical artifacts.
Closed on Mondays. Open daily Tuesday through Sunday.
