MERKUR I Deutsches Automatenmuseum (2)

Do you know the German Vending Machine Museum?

Go on a journey of discovery into times past: whether chocolate vendors, old fortune-telling machines, one-armed bandits, cool jukeboxes or nostalgic pinball machines – in the Gauselmann Collection, you can discover around 200 vintage “treasures.”

approx. 6 min.
Do you know the German Vending Machine Museum?
Johnny Johnny

Discover, remember, experience

If you are fascinated by the history of old machines, this is the perfect place for you. If not, it still is – because at the German Vending Machine Museum – Gauselmann Collection, there truly is something for everyone to discover, whether young or old, expert or not.

The unique private collection of the Gauselmann entrepreneurial family, featuring exhibits from all over the world, takes you into the fascinating world of historic coin-operated machines from 1888 to 1977. Thus, the museum is not a corporate museum of MERKUR but transports you back to long-forgotten times.

Ingenuity, astonishing mechanisms, or impressive design: although the machines back then did not feature outstanding technology like today, they will still leave you amazed – guaranteed!

Here you will find out what kinds of machines await you on your exploration tour through the German Vending Machine Museum and what else you can do beyond your museum visit at the idyllic Schloss Benkhausen – the home of the Gauselmann Collection.

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Merchandise and service machines

With the advance of industrialisation at the end of the 19th century and the first patent for a coin-operated machine in England in 1857, which sold postage stamps, the triumph of merchandise and service machines began. These machines symbolised a technical revolution in which anyone could take part with just a single coin.

MERKUR I DAM I Hattrik_alt

Amusement machines

Amusement machines offered real entertainment for the insertion of a coin. Whether you wanted to test your strength, compete in sporting challenges, have your future told, or view pictures – there were no cash or merchandise prizes involved. Typical locations included inns, beer gardens, excursion destinations, and funfairs.

MERKUR I DAM I Flipper_alt

Pin games, bombers, and pinball machines

The path to the development of the well-known pinball machine was a long one. It led from the bagatelle games of the 18th century, through the pin games of the 19th century, to the bombers at the beginning of the 20th century. The pinball machine, still popular today, has only existed since 1947. The common element throughout is the ball, which has made its way through centuries of play.

MERKUR I Deutsches Automatenmuseum_Mechanische Musikautomaten

Mechanical music machines

From the pinned cylinder to the perforated disc and on to shellac or vinyl records – the long tradition of music machines produced fascinating sound carriers. By inserting the right coin, these carriers were set in motion and played the popular music of their time, often in public places.

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Skill machines

Towards the end of the 19th century, skill machines became increasingly popular across Europe. Ball-catching, balancing, and coin-shooting games were especially favoured. Prizes were not initially paid out in cash but in the form of tokens, which could be exchanged for goods.

MERKUR I Deutsches Automatenmuseum I Glücks-und Geldspielautomaten

Fortune and gaming machines

The automatic play with fortune has existed since the last third of the 19th century. The gambling industry was particularly prominent in the USA, which today results in a rich variety of exhibits from this region. Gaming machines with cash payouts, however, are a German invention that has existed in its present form since 1953. With the legislation passed at that time, gaming with cash was regulated uniformly for the first time in the Federal Republic of Germany.

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Jukeboxes

Dropping a coin into the slot, selecting a song, watching the special mechanism pick it out, seeing the record and tonearm move towards each other, and then hearing the chosen track – this fascinates people today just as much as it did 90 years ago. As early as 1927, the Automatic Musical Instrument Company (AMI) released the National Automatic Selective Phonograph – the ancestor of all jukeboxes and the first to use the newly developed tube amplifier.

Did you know … ❓

… that you can also explore the German Vending Machine Museum – Gauselmann Collection on a virtual tour and get a first impression of the old machines?

Further impressions

MERKUR I Deutsches Automatenmuseum (2)

1/4 The current special exhibition on the theme of the funfair: Step right up, step right in!

 MERKUR I 2023-01-19 Schloss Benkhausen (2)

2/4 The German Vending Machine Museum is set in the idyllic surroundings of Schloss Benkhausen in Espelkamp.

 MERKUR I 2023-01-19 Schloss Benkhausen (1)

3/4 Nestled in a fascinating park landscape, Schloss Benkhausen provides the perfect setting for events and leisure.

 MERKUR I 2023-01-19 Schloss Benkhausen I Wanderweg

4/4 Hiking trails through forests and flower meadows invite you to take a walk after your museum visit!

Getting here and parking

Deutsches Automatenmuseum - Sammlung Gauselmann
Schlossallee 1 (Neustadtstraße 40)
32339 Espelkamp - Deutschland
GPS Koordinaten: 52.344266, 8.575860

Free parking spaces are available at Schloss Benkhausen and the Vending Machine Museum.

Our opening hours

  • Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Saturday & Sunday from February to November
  • As well as on public holidays: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Further excursion tips

After your exploration tour at the German Vending Machine Museum, Schloss Benkhausen offers you many more ways to enjoy your day. You can savour a cosy coffee or a delicious piece of cake in our Rentei . Afterwards, the circular walking trail around the castle invites you to take an extended stroll along the Mittelland Canal and through the meadows and woods of the estate.

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