Built around 1840 as a sawmill, it was converted into a drop forge in 1917. After 1985, the facility was used by the Suhl Monument Preservation Office as a metalworking shop. In 1992, the town of Zella-Mehlis acquired the building, which had been a listed building since 1988, and converted it into a technical museum. Today, the historic forge hall houses the oldest drop hammers still preserved in Germany and more than 90 historic metalworking machines, various craft tools and operational hydroelectric power plants can be viewed.
The museum is audited by "Travel for all" and therefore carries the specification barrier-free.

The museum will be closed on four days:
New Year's Day, Ascension Day, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.