The first preparations of half-open and open manganocenes were accomplished. Treatment of KPdl′ (Pdl′ = 2,4-(Me3C)2C5H5)) with [{(η5-Cp”)Mn(thf)(μ-I)}2] (Cp″ = 1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2) and MnI2(thf)2 resulted in the formation of [(η5-Cp″)Mn(Pdl′)] (2) and [(Pdl′)2Mn] (4), respectively. Both compounds adopt a high-spin (S = 5/2) ground state. Maximum spin states are rather unusual for pentadienyl complexes, since these ligands generally stabilize transition metal complexes in their low-spin state. In addition, the electronic structure of 2 was compared to its closed analogue [(η5-Cp″)Mn(η5-Cp′)] (Cp′ = 1,3-(Me3C)2C5H3), which also adopts the high-spin configuration because of steric hindrance destabilizing the electronically more favorable low-spin state. Reaction of KPdl′ with [(C5H5)2Mn] yields the trimetallic compound [{(η5-Pdl′)Mn(η5-C5H5)]}2Mn] (5) concomitant with the formation of 2,4,7,9-tetra-tert-butyl-1,3,7,9-decatetraene (Pdl′2), indicating reduction of two Mn atoms. Solid-state magnetic susceptibility studies and density functional theory computations suggest that the electronic structure in 5 is best described as two diamagnetic (S = 0) [(η5-Pdl′)Mn(η5-C5H5)]− Mn(I) anions, each being coordinated to a central Mn(II) cation with a high-spin (S = 5/2) configuration.