At the beginning of Wilhelmshöher Allee stands the Museum of Hessian History surmounted by its conspicuous tower, its exhibition rooms only recently (in November 2016) re-opened after a complete overhaul and a careful renovation that has kept the historical structure intact.
Originally inaugurated in 1913, the building by architect Theodor Fischer (1862–1938) is a blend of Jugendstil and Neo-Renaissance elements. The comprehensive redevelopment restored some of the original interior settings. The roofing-over of both inner courtyards enables visitors to tour 300,000 years of (North) Hessian regional and cultural history.
Three floors of exhibition space present the Pre- and Early History, Applied Arts, and European Ethnology collections, providing an overview from the earliest human settlements to our time. Visitors will find numerous innovations in addition to a new interconnected presentation of the collections: Exhibits from the European Ethnology collection will be on display for the first time; it is now possible to climb the tower and enjoy a never-seen-before view over Kassel; and there is a newly created space for temporary exhibitions.