Are there guided activities?

The NaturErlebnisSchule offers prearranged visits for school and kindergarten groups, adults and birthday groups. Contact event-tiergehege@sbo.oberhausen.de to discuss a booking.

Bring waterproofs for the outdoor circuit. The farm’s covered picnic area helps with a short shower; the LUDWIGGALERIE in Schloss Oberhausen is a separate indoor option, with its own opening times and admission arrangements.

Is there an alternative parking approach?

The venue lists free parking at Stadion Niederrhein, with an approximately ten-minute walk via the Rehberger bridge. Allow for the extra walk and check local parking restrictions on arrival.

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ZooNordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Tiergehege Kaisergarten Oberhausen

Come to the Tiergehege Kaisergarten for a relaxed, free animal outing that fits naturally into a day in Oberhausen’s parkland.

Official website

About

Come to the Tiergehege Kaisergarten for a relaxed, free animal outing that fits naturally into a day in Oberhausen’s parkland. Behind Schloss Oberhausen, animal enclosures sit among ponds and remnants of the old Emscher landscape. Start with a few favourites, then leave time for a picnic and a second look at anything that caught your attention.

The collection focuses on European wildlife and domestic breeds, with small-clawed otters from Asia adding a lively stop. Lynx, red deer and golden jackals give you plenty to compare, while the European ground squirrels reward a slower look around their burrows. These are animals in managed enclosures; the suggested photo targets refer to the collection.

The farm animals have their own stories. Kaisergarten is a recognised Arche-Park, helping preserve old domestic breeds. Look at the woolly pigs’ curly bristles, then visit the goats and Valais Blacknose sheep at the farm. The dairy goats introduced in 2026 recall the Ruhr’s ‘miners’ cows’: families kept goats for milk during the mining era. It is a small, tangible connection between the animals and the city around them. Wondering what that bird or insect is? Find out on your visit using the Snappit nature app.

The animal park grew out of a botanical-garden setting; an enclosure was fenced in 1938. After wartime damage, rebuilding began in 1950 with a working donkey whose paddock became the first enclosure of the renewed park. A clearer focus on European wildlife and domestic animals developed from the 1990s.

What to do here

Build a flexible circuit around the otters, lynx, ground squirrels and farm, following the signs rather than a fixed itinerary. At one enclosure, pause long enough to watch how an animal moves or uses its paws. Use the covered farm picnic area and toddler sand-play space for a break. If everyone still has energy, continue through the wider Kaisergarten to the large pond and Slinky Springs to Fame, Tobias Rehberger’s walkable spiral sculpture over the Rhein-Herne-Kanal.

Seasonal info

Open daily throughout the year, normally 10:00–19:00 during summer clock time and 10:00–17:00 after the change to winter time. Entry gates close 30 minutes earlier. Check the official homepage before travelling for special opening arrangements or weather-related changes.

Accessibility

The venue describes the Tiergehege as barrier-free, and its entrance accommodates wheelchairs and pushchairs. For particular surface needs, accessible toilets or a booked group visit, contact the team on 0208 3770612 before travelling. Treat the optional canal-bridge walk as a separate addition to the animal visit.

Don't miss

Small-clawed otters

watch the group’s movements and the way these sociable animals use their sensitive forepaws.

Ground squirrels

look around burrow openings for a daytime forager or an animal standing upright to check its surroundings; winter is their sleeping season.

Farm with a Ruhr connection

woolly pigs, Valais Blacknose sheep and the dairy goats once nicknamed ‘miners’ cows’.

Park and spiral bridge

combine the animal circuit with playground time and a walk to Slinky Springs to Fame over the canal.

Walks and routes

Animal circuit with an optional canal walk

Choose a circuit of favourite animal enclosures, pausing at the farm. Add the large park pond and spiral bridge only if you want a longer outing.

Things to try

A paws-and-coats photo challenge

Choose three different details: an otter using its paws, a lynx’s broad feet and a woolly pig’s curly coat. A sleeping animal still gives you something to notice. If one stays out of sight, sketch the detail from its information board instead of trying to attract it.

Wildlife and habitats

Watch a short sequence of movement rather than chasing one perfect pose. The forepaws are worth noticing when the otters investigate food or objects.

Scan the enclosure slowly for a resting cat. If a lynx is visible, compare its broad paws and long legs; leave it undisturbed if it sleeps.

In the active season, look near burrow openings for an upright lookout. Remain quiet and let the animals choose when to emerge; they hibernate in winter.

Take a wider view of the deer together. Antlers are shed and regrown each year, so a stag’s appearance changes with the season.

Look up as well as along the ground. If a raccoon is active, watch how it feels around with its forepaws.

Look carefully at the resting places before assuming the aviary is empty. A quiet portrait is more realistic than expecting flight during a daytime visit.

Watch from the public viewing area for a shared rest or movement through the enclosure. These golden jackals are captive animals, even though the species is expanding its European range.

Stories and discoveries

Why a spiral bridge?

Rehberger’s Slinky Springs to Fame takes its idea from the coiled walking toy. Look at how the aluminium loops frame the canal and the differently coloured sections of the walkway.

Sources and useful links

Wildlife you might spot

Each card links to a full Explore page with photos, traits, and fun facts.

European Lynx

Red Deer

Raccoon

Eurasian Eagle Owl

Jackal

Snap map for this place

Start with the big picture, then zoom in to explore individual wildlife observations around this place.

Loading map…

Good to know before you go

Free entry

No admission charge for an ordinary visit. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Arriving by bus

Use Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof, then bus 956 or 966 to Schloss. Check current connections before setting off.

Arriving by car or bike

The suggested satnav address is Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 46. Nearby parking is managed; read the signs. Cycle stands are at the entrance, and riders must dismount inside.

Picnic and play

Bring a picnic for the covered seating by the farm. The small sand-play area suits younger children; larger playgrounds are elsewhere in the Kaisergarten.

Toilets

Public toilets are by the large park pond beside the sales pavilion and at the castle’s restaurant area; plan a stop around your animal circuit.

Feeding rules

Only the park’s dispenser feed may be offered, and only where enclosure signs permit it. Bring €2 coins for the machines. Keep picnic food for yourselves.

Dogs and boundaries

Dogs may accompany you on a short lead. Stay behind barriers and keep children from climbing fences or disturbing the animals.

Photography

Private, non-commercial photos and publication on private, non-commercial websites are allowed. The park asks for a credit and, where possible, a link. Commercial photos or filming require prior permission.

Frequently asked questions

: The NaturErlebnisSchule offers prearranged visits for school and kindergarten groups, adults and birthday groups. Contact [email protected] to discuss a booking.
: Bring waterproofs for the outdoor circuit. The farm’s covered picnic area helps with a short shower; the LUDWIGGALERIE in Schloss Oberhausen is a separate indoor option, with its own opening times and admission arrangements.
: The venue lists free parking at Stadion Niederrhein, with an approximately ten-minute walk via the Rehberger bridge. Allow for the extra walk and check local parking restrictions on arrival.