The Museum of Natural History is located in Gera's oldest surviving town house, the so-called "Schreiberschen Haus", which was built between 1686 and 1688. It was the only building to survive the great fire in Gera in 1780. In addition to constantly changing special natural history exhibitions, the permanent exhibition offers an overview of the geological foundations and the flora and fauna of Eastern Thuringia. In the deep cellar of the building, the Höhler, attractive minerals from sites all over the world are presented. The magnificent baroque hall and the historical cabinet of scholars are located on the 2nd floor.