The Nördlingen crater was initially misidentified as a volcanic caldera until 1960.
The town of Nördlingen is built entirely within the crater, using impact-formed suevite rock containing tiny diamonds for its buildings.
The museum contains a genuine lunar rock sample on permanent loan from NASA.
Shatter cones are a definitive indicator of an impact event and are prominently displayed in the collection.
The impact event that formed the Ries crater also created the Steinheim crater, a smaller impact site nearby.
The impact energy was estimated to be equivalent to about 1.8 million atomic bombs.
The museum is housed in a renovated tithe barn dating back to the 16th century.
The Rieskrater Museum is dedicated to the Nördlingen Ries, a 15-million-year-old meteor impact crater measuring 25 kilometers in diameter. Located inside a historic medieval barn, the museum explains the geological processes behind the asteroid collision that formed this unique landscape. Exhibits feature geological specimens, including suevite rock and shatter cones recovered from the crater site. The museum highlights the 1960s research confirming the crater's impact origin, which previously had been incorrectly attributed to volcanic activity. Displays include authentic moon rocks provided by NASA. Visitors can study the transformation of Earth's crust caused by the high-pressure shock waves of the impact. The museum serves as an educational center for understanding planetary geology and the local history of the Ries basin. It is situated in the heart of Nördlingen, a town built directly within the massive crater rim.
The central exhibition area featuring the large model of the crater impact event.
Walk up to the town's defensive wall (the 'Daniel' tower) after your visit to view the crater's scale from above.
Look for the glittering diamond dust in the building stone of the nearby St. George's Church.
The museum is quite small, so pair it with a walking tour of the historic town center.
Do not leave Nördlingen without visiting the town wall, as the crater's geography is best understood from an elevated position.
Closed on Mondays.
