• Natural history is the kids' wing, with the dioramas, Messel Pit fossils, mastodon and minerals all in one part of the museum
• Backpacks and child carriers must be locked in the cloakroom, along with umbrellas and bags bigger than A4, so bring a small bag
• Free Saturday art club (Samstagsmaler) for school kids from 6, on Saturdays outside school holidays, with sign-up opening a week ahead

Darmstadt's state museum puts art and natural history under one roof. For kids, the draw is the natural history wing: ten animal dioramas built when the museum opened in 1906, 48-million-year-old fossils from the Messel Pit (a UNESCO World Heritage site), Peale's Mastodon, the first skeleton ever mounted in the US, and a glowing mineral display. Arms and armor, medieval art and Art Nouveau rooms round out the visit.