LWL Roman Museum
The Roman presence in Westphalia: history, culture and heritage
Over 1,200 original finds from the entire region bear witness to the highly developed culture of the Romans and their everyday life far from home. In the LWL Roman Museum, this period - the height of Roman power in Germania - is brought back to life. Roman marching packs invite you to try them out, and you can immortalize yourself in Roman style on wax tablets. Virtual reality goggles built into Roman helmets allow visitors to immerse themselves in the world of the Romans!
In the outdoor area, part of the main Roman camp has been faithfully reconstructed as the "Aliso Roman construction site". 160 meters of the wood-earth wall and the west gate give an impression of the imposing construction methods of antiquity. A new building was added in 2022: the guardhouse at the west gate. It is furnished as if the Roman wall guard had just left it. It houses the first Roman Escape Room in Europe.
When the LWL Roman Museum was built, the idea for a Roman construction site was born. Now it is becoming a reality directly behind the museum.
Work on the "Aliso Roman Camp" project has been underway since 2012. A 5-hectare archaeological park is being created behind the LWL Roman Museum, where the remains of the Roman military site and reconstructed buildings such as the west gate, wooden earth wall and pointed ditch can be visited. Ground markings, activity areas, reconstructions and models are designed to give visitors a realistic impression of the everyday conditions to which the Roman military were exposed around 2000 years ago. The main camp in Haltern am See is regarded as the administrative and military center for Germania on the right bank of the Rhine.
The Aliso Roman construction site is being built in two phases. On an area of 4.8 hectares, the west gate was first rebuilt in 2016 exactly where the archaeologists found traces of the former posts in the ground. Parts of the adjoining wood-earth wall with its pointed ditches in front were also reconstructed where the Roman soldiers laid them out in Augustus' time and can be visited at certain times.
Interior buildings will be added in the second construction phase. As an archaeological construction site, they will be built using historical craft techniques and the materials and tools used in Roman times.
The LWL Roman Museum experience
Visitor groups such as school classes, clubs, workforces, travel or birthday parties, as well as small private groups such as families or groups of friends, can make appointments for guided tours at any time. There are various themed tours to choose from, as well as tours in which museum educators not only slip into historical costumes, but also into appropriate roles.
The programs for preschools and schools, adults, children's birthday parties, workshops and readings are available directly from the museum.
In 2022, after nine months of construction, a new building was completed on the Aliso Roman construction site: the guardhouse at the west gate. Europe's first Roman escape room is built into the guardhouse. In one hour, you have to decipher the escape plan with which the Romans were able to escape from Aliso, which was besieged by Germanic tribes, at night and in the fog. Carpe noctem - escape from Aliso is the motto.
LW-Roman Museum | Map
Current information on the Roman Museum and the Aliso Roman building site
Travel offers
We have put together exciting travel programs for you, including a visit to the Roman Museum. Immerse yourself in the world of the Romans.
