visit berlin museum island

Guide to Visiting Museum Island: A Berlin UNESCO Site

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Ali Garland, Berlin expert & long term resident What to Do

With so many excellent museums in Berlin, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. But you can’t go wrong with Berlin’s Museum Island , the most famous collection of museums in the city and one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Berlin . Visiting Museum Island takes you to some of the best museums in Berlin.

These five museums cover art, history, and culture, and Museum Island has been a Berlin UNESCO site since 1999. They were built between 1824 and 1930 by accomplished architects with the goal of linking the ensemble as well as connecting each museum building to its collections.

This guide to Museum Island in Berlin will tell you about each of the museums, their history, and details for visiting. Plus you’ll find tips for more great things to do on Museum Island and nearby.

Fun fact about Berlin : The city is one of the few that has 3 UNESCO sites.

What you'll find here

Hotels near Museum Island

If you’re interested in where to stay near Museum Island, you have lots of options that are within 10 minutes away on foot or about 10-15 minutes on public transport. Here are some hotel recommendations for Berlin hotels near Museum Island.

Adlon Kempinski Berlin

Luxury hotel where Michael Jackson infamously dangled his child, located steps from Brandenburg Gate

Leonardo Hotel Berlin Mitte

Midrange hotel located close to the Friedrichstrasse S&U station

Generator Hostel Mitte

Popular budget hostel located near Oranienburger Strasse Sbahn station

Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Hackescher Markt

Apartment hotel located near the charming Hackescher Markt

For a more detailed look at the different neighborhoods and our hotel recommendations, check out our guide to where to stay in Berlin .

What is Museum Island in Berlin?

Museum Island is the name of the complex of important museums in Berlin that are collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also the name of the island these museums are located on.

How many museums are on Museum Island?

There are 5 museums on Museum Island if you’re just talking about the UNESCO site. But if you’re talking about the actual island, you could also include the museum in the Berliner Dom and the Humboldt Forum museum, which makes it a total of 7 museums on Museum Island.

In general when people refer to Museum Island, they’re talking about the collection of 5 museums that are a UNESCO Site.

Where is Museum Island?

Museum Island is conveniently located in central Berlin, in Berlin’s Mitte district. It’s easily reached using public transport, and I’ve got directions for you below.

How to Get to Museum Island

Getting to Museum Island is simple whether you’re on foot or using public transport.

On Foot One of the best ways to see this area of Mitte (central district) is to walk from Alexanderplatz to Brandenburg Gate (or vice versa) along a street called Unter den Linden. It’s called Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse between Alexanderplatz and Museum Island, but it’s the same street.

When you’re on foot, you can’t really miss it. Museum Island is an island, so you’ll cross a bridge coming from either direction. And the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) is the biggest and most recognizable building there.

For reference, the Berliner Dom is pictured below.

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Public Transport If you’re visiting Museum Island using public transport, there are a couple of options depending on where you’re coming from.

The Ubahn line U5 has a stop called Museumsinsel. Exit here and you’ll be just a few steps away from the UNESCO ensemble of museums.

Otherwise if you’re using the Sbahns, take the S3, S5, S7, or S9 to Hackescher Markt. A few trams lines stop here, too.

From there, walk south on Burgstr. for a few minutes and cross the river using the Friedrichsbrücke. Again you’ll see the Berliner Dom easily from here.

Visiting Berlin’s UNESCO Museum Island

With five world class museums, there’s a lot to see here. Unless you’re really ambitious or really focused on museums above all else, you probably can’t see exhibits at all five museums.

This guide to visiting Museum Island in Berlin will help you make the most of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and understand what types of exhibits each museum has.

I’ve listed the ticket prices for each museum, which is what you’d pay if you visit them separately. But if you plan on visiting a few, it’s really worth getting a combo ticket.

The Museum Island Welcome Card gives you a 72 hour transport pass, free entry to all museums and collections on Berlin’s Museum Island (Pergamon Museum, Bode Museum, Altes Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, and Neues Museum), and discounts at many other museums and attractions.

Another option is the normal Welcome Card which gives you discounted entrance to the museums on Museum Island plus discounts at many other museums and attractions. It also includes a transport pass with an option for either 48 hours, 72 hours, 4 day, 5 day, or 6 day.

Knowing what kinds of collections each museum has will help you decide where you want to spend your time. Here’s a look at each museum.

Altes Museum

The Altes Museum is a museum focused on classical antiquity. Here you’ll find exhibits dedicated to the art and culture of the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans.

On the main floor, you’ll see exhibits on art from ancient Greece from 10th to 1st century BC. This includes vases, jewelry, stone sculptures, and crafts.

In the blue chamber, more than 1,300 ancient coins are on display. These coins range from 7th century BC all the way up to the Roman Empire in the late 3rd century AD.

Finally on the upper level, you can see art and archaeology of the Etruscans and the Roman Empire. The Etruscan collection is one of the largest in the world outside of Italy, and the Roman collection includes portraits of Caesar and Cleopatra.

The building that houses the Altes Museum was completed in 1830. With its stately columns and sweeping staircase, the building was clearly designed with its collections in mind.

Important info

The Altes Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 6pm, closed Mondays. Holiday hours may differ. Tickets are 10 euros per person.

Neues Museum

The Neues Museum contains collections of prehistoric objects, classical antiquities, and Egyptian art. The two permanent exhibitions are the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, and the Museum of Prehistory and Protohistory.

In the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, you can explore four millennia of ancient Egyptian and Nubian cultures. There are portraits, sculptures, literary works, and more.

In the Museum of Prehistory and Protohistory, there are 6,000 exhibits ranging from the Stone Age up to the Middle Ages. They include archeological findings from Europe and parts of Asia.

The Neues Museum building was heavily damaged during World War II. Decades after the war it was finally restored, and many of its scars were incorporated into the building’s facade.

The Neues Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 6pm, closed Mondays. Holiday hours may differ. Tickets are 12 euros per person.

Alte Nationalgalerie

The Alte Nationalgalerie houses impressive collections of Romantic, Impressionist & early Modernist art. The museum was actually the first in the world to purchase Impressionist art.

Today there are around 1,800 paintings and 1,500 sculptures at the Alte Nationalgalerie. The 19th and 20th century art is displayed chronologically throughout three different floors, and the museum’s collection is rarely expanded.

The building itself was designed to look like a temple with motifs from antiquity. It was the third museum on the island to open.

The Alte Nationalgalerie is open Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 6pm, closed Mondays. Holiday hours may differ. Tickets are 12 euros per person.

>>Read: 75 Popular Landmarks in Germany

Bode Museum

The Bode Museum houses two main collections: the Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art, and the Münzkabinett, which is a collection of coins and medals that show human history through coins and other metals.

The Sculpture Collection has pieces mostly from German and Italian artists, including Donatello. It is considered one of the largest collections of ancient sculpture in the world. In the Byzantine Art section, you’ll find works dating from the 3rd to 15th centuries.

In the Münzkabinett (Numismatic Collection) there are over half a million objects including coins, seals, tokens, minting tools, and more. Here you can view the history of humankind through metal starting with coins from the 7th century BC to present day coins such as the euro coin.

The building that houses the Bode Museum is at the northern end of Museum Island. The view of it jutting out into the Spree River is quite impressive.

The Bode Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 6pm, closed Mondays. Holiday hours may differ. Tickets are 10 euros per person.

Pergamonmuseum

Note: The Pergamon Museum will be closed starting October 23, 2023 until spring 2027 for major refurbishments.

The Pergamon Museum houses antiquities and collections of ancient art. The collections are divided into three main groups: Collection of Antiquities, Museum of the Ancient Near East, and Museum of Islamic Art. This is the most visited museum in Germany.

The Collection of Classical Antiquities can actually be found at the Pergamon Museum as well as the Altes Museum and the Neues Museum. The exhibits at the Pergamon include full-scale reconstructions of architectural monuments from Greek and Roman antiquity, and the most famous piece is the Pergamon Alter.

Unfortunately the wing of the museum that contains the Pergamon Alter is currently undergoing renovations and is inaccessible until at least 2025.

The Museum of the Ancient Near East collection includes 270,000 artifacts from the regions of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Anatolia over a 6,000 year time period. Some of the highlights include reconstructions of the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way of Babylon, which date back to the 6th century BC.

The Museum of Islamic Art contains a wide range of artistic and archeological pieces, considered to be one of the best outside of the Islamic world. Some of the most well known sections are decorated stone facade of the caliph’s palace of Mshatta and the famous Aleppo Room with its brightly painted wood paneling.

Unfortunately the Mshatta Room is closed for renovations starting 21 February 2022.

The Pergamonmuseum is open Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 6pm, closed Mondays. Holiday hours may differ. Tickets are 12 euros per person.

Pergamonmuseum: Das Panorama

This is a building across from Museum Island on a street called Am Kupfergraben which holds a temporary exhibit running in connection with the Pergamon Museum until 2024. The exhibition is called “PERGAMON. Masterpieces from the Ancient Metropolis with a 360° Panorama by Yadegar Asisi” and it focuses on the city of Pergamon in Roman times, around 129 AD.

The Pergamonmuseum: Das Panorama is open Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 6pm, closed Mondays. Holiday hours may differ. Tickets are 12 euros per person.

Kolonnadenhof

The Kolonnadenhof (Colonnade Courtyard) is also listed as part of the Museum Island UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the 12,900 square-meter (138,854 square feet) large garden and courtyard framed by an impressive colonnade and sits in front of the Alte Nationalgalerie.

James-Simon-Galerie

The James-Simon-Galerie serves as the Museum Island Visitor Center with ticket counters and information for all of the museums on Museum Island. It also has a gift shop, cafe, lecture auditorium, and spaces for special exhibitions.

Museum Island Welcome Card

If you’re interested in museums, a Berlin Welcome Card could really be worthwhile.

Don’t forget, the Museum Island Welcome Card gives you a 72 hour transport pass, free entry to all museums and collections on Berlin’s Museum Island, and discounts at many other museums and attractions.

Which museum on Museum Island should you visit?

In an ideal world, it would be great to visit all five museums on Museum Island. But most people visiting Museum Island probably don’t have time for all of them.

So if you only have time for one Museum Island museum, which one should it be? These are some of the best museums in Berlin, so it can be hard to choose.

Which one you visit is really a judgement call. The museums are really different, so it depends on your interests.

Are you really interested in ancient Greece and Rome? Then visit the Altes Museum.

Maybe you’re more excited to learn about ancient Egypt? Then check out the Neues Museum.

If art, especially Impressionists and sculptures, is more up your alley, you should visit the Alte Nationalgalerie.

For ancient sculptures, Byzantine Art, and an impressive history of coins, the Bode Museum is for you.

To see impressive exhibits on antiquities and ancient art, perhaps you should visit the Pergamon Museum. This is also the most visited museum in Germany, and for good reasons, so you really can’t go wrong here.

>>Read: Guide to Visiting Berlin Modernism Housing Estates UNESCO Site

What else can you do near Museum Island?

As fantastic as UNESCO Museum Island is, you might be interested in more of Berlin’s top attractions in the area. Here are a few that are just a few minutes walking from this ensemble of world class museums.

Are you visiting Berlin in autumn ? Museum Island is one of many places where you can find fall foliage in Berlin .

Berliner Dom

The Berliner Dom, or Berlin Cathedral, is a Protestant cathedral located on Museum Island. It’s one of the most well known attractions in the city.

This landmark serves as a tourist attraction and museum, as well as a religious institution. Touristic visits are not permitted during services.

Tours are available and included with the admission fee if you are interested in hearing about the history of the cathedral. You can also climb 270 stairs for lovely panoramic views of Berlin from above .

Lustgarten is the grassy park in front of the Altes Museum and the Berliner Dom. With its big fountain and gorgeous views, it’s one of the most popular parks in Berlin .

Humboldt Forum

The Humboldt Forum is a museum of world culture and art in the rebuilt Berlin Palace that only just opened in July 2021 after the building was completely rebuilt. Even if you don’t go inside, the building and the courtyard are gorgeous.

Most exhibits are free, but there are some that require buying a ticket. Even some of the free exhibits require booking a time slot. There’s also a cafe and viewing platform at the top.

German History Museum

Although the permanent exhibition in the Zeughaus is currently closed for renovations for a few years, you can still enjoy temporary exhibits at the Deutsches Historisches Museum in the Pei Building. These temporary exhibits focus on historical events and periods of time.

The DDR Museum focuses on life in East Germany. It’s an interactive museum, so it’s fun and interesting while being educational. Learn about the Stasi, the Berlin Wall, and even what everyday life was like in East Germany.

Consider booking a skip the line ticket for the DDR Muesum before your trip.

Nikolaiviertel

So much of Berlin was damaged during WWII and later had to be repaired or rebuilt. This means there isn’t much of an old town like you’ll find in many other German cities.

Nikolaiviertel is Berlin’s old medieval quarter, which was in ruins for decades after the war and finally restored in the 1980s. It’s a cute neighborhood for a wander.

>>Check out our list of places where you can see the Berlin Wall .

Palais Populaire

Not far from Museum Island is Palais Populaire, an art museum with changing exhibits. It’s also one of many free attractions in Berlin !

Berlin State Opera House

The Berlin State Opera House is a great place to go for opera and musical shows. The classical facade makes it a gorgeous building to check out even if you aren’t seeing a show.

Bebelplatz and Book Burning Memorial

Bebelplatz is a big open square on Unter den Linden next to the Berlin State Opera House. Not only is it a lovely spot for admiring architecture, but it’s also home to the simple yet moving Memorial to the Nazi Book Burning. Look down or you might miss it.

Another great place to visit near Museum Island, Neue Wache is a small building that serves as the Memorial to the Victims of War and Dictatorship. It contains the well known statue Mother with her Dead Son by Käthe Kollwitz.

Berlin Art Market

A flea market of sorts, the Berlin Art Market (Berliner Kunstmarkt in German) has stalls from local artists set up along the river across from Museum Island. They sell their art here on Saturdays and Sundays, and you can find some pretty interesting things from paintings to crafts and more.

Museum Island FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about visiting Museum Island in Berlin.

How many different museums can you visit on Berlin’s Museumsinsel?

Museum Island, or Museumsinsel in German, has 5 different museums that you can visit. If you are considering the entire island, you could also count the museum in the Berlin Cathedral and the Humboldt Forum museum, bringing the total to 7 museums.

What museums are on Museum Island?

The museums in the Museum Island complex are: Pergamonmuseum, Altes Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum, and Neues Museum. In English, they are: The Pergamon Museum, the Old Museum, the Old National Gallery, the Bode Museum, and the New Museum.

How much time do you need at Museum Island?

The amount of time you need to see Museum Island depends greatly on what you want to do while you’re there. If you simply want to see the gorgeous buildings from the outside, you could be finished in about 20 minutes.

But if you want to go inside one or more museums, you’ll need anywhere from one hour to several hours or several days. To get a good feel for one museum, I’d suggest giving yourself at least a couple hours because each one has a lot to see.

Where to buy museum pass Berlin?

Each museum can sell you a museum pass, or you can buy a Welcome Card ahead of time . A Welcome Card gives you discounts on many other museums in Berlin, plus a transport card, so it’s a great bargain.

Is Museum Island free?

Visiting the island itself is free. You can wander around the island and see the buildings and the landscapes for free, which is a great option if you’re short on time.

However, if you want to go into one of the museums, or several of them, you’ll have to buy a ticket. Depending on which museum, regular tickets are either 10 or 12 euros, but if you want to visit multiple museums, a Museum Island Welcome Card could be the right option for you.

Book a tour for your trip to Berlin

• Third Reich Berlin Walking Tour – Hitler and WWII
• Berlin TV Tower Skip-the-Line Ticket
• Discover Berlin Half-Day Walking Tour

Berlin Travel Resources

I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this guide to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Museum Island in Berlin helps. But there are lots more tips on the site!

• 101 Best Things to do in Berlin
• 23 Impressive Castles in Berlin (And Nearby)
• 27 Best World War II & Cold War Sights in Berlin
• 29 Fun Day Trips From Berlin
• 75 Things to Know Before Visiting Berlin: Essential Berlin Travel Tips
• What to Wear & What to Pack for Berlin, Germany: Your Ultimate Berlin Packing List
• How to Get Around in Berlin: An Easy Guide to Berlin Public Transportation

Check out my favorite travel planning sites and resources

These are the sites I like for travel planning, plus items I like to travel with.

Planning Booking.com : Find a Berlin hotel here.

Rick Steves and Lonely Planet : My favorite guidebook resources.

Tours, Activities, Tickets Viator : Great site for finding tours and other activities.

GetYourGuide : Another good option for tours and activities.

Transport Welcome Pickups : No stress option for airport pickups.

Discover Cars : Find a rental car for Germany road trips.

Deutsche Bahn and FlixBus : Best options for getting around Germany.

Packing Orange SIM & eSIM : Great option for SIM & eSIM cards for German & EU.

Collapsible water bottle , plug adapter , and stuff bag : Small things that will make your trip a little easier.

Packing Orange SIM & eSIM : Great option for SIM & eSIM cards for Germany & EU.

Book a local photographer Flytographer : Hire an amazing local photographer anywhere in the world. Use code BERLINTRAVEL to get $25 off your first photo shoot.

Related Posts

What to do in Berlin on Monday: 25+ Museums & More

What to do in Berlin on Sunday: 15+ Ideas

Best Berlin Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours

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Museum Island Berlin: Attractions, Highlights & Insider Tips [with Map & Tickets]

The Museum Island in the heart of Berlin is the largest museum ensemble in the world and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

With over three million visitors a year, it is one of the most popular and most visited attractions in Berlin. In total, there are five world-class museums on Berlin's Museum Island dedicated to art and history.

In this complete guide to Museum Island Berlin, we present the five museums along with the James-Simon Gallery in full detail and provide helpful information on admission, tickets, opening hours and more.

We then describe the other attractions on the island , including the Berlin Cathedral, the Lustgarten, and the Humboldt Forum. 

Finally, we answer common questions and tell you about the history of Museum Island.

Berlin Museum Island Visitor Center & Museums

1. James Simon Gallery

As the central reception and visitor center of Museum Island , the new James Simon Gallery completes the museum complex since 2019. The three-story building, designed by British star architect David Chipperfield, houses a 300-seat auditorium, a special exhibition space, a checkroom, a ticket office, a café and a museum store.

The building is not only intended to receive and direct the large streams of visitors to Museum Island, it also provides orientation, information and hospitality. In the future, museum guests will be able to reach all the surrounding exhibition buildings via the "Archaeological Promenade" . At the moment, you can enter the Pergamon Museum via the James Simon Gallery through an entrance on the upper floor and the Neues Museum through an entrance in the basement.

• Tip : Admission to the James-Simon-Galerie is free, except for special exhibitions.
• The current opening hours and special exhibitions can be found on the official website, smb.museum/en/ .

2. Pergamon Museum

The Pergamon Museum is the centerpiece and main attraction of Museum Island. Designed by Alfred Messel in the neoclassical style, the museum building was the last of the five exhibition buildings on Museum Island to open in 1930.

It consists of the Vorderasiatisches Museum (Museum of the Ancient Near East) , the Antikensammlung (Collection of Classical Antiquities) with its Architectural Halls and sculpture wing, and the Museum für Islamische Kunst (Museum for Islamic Art).

Notable exhibits:

• Pergamon Altar
• Market Gate of Miletus
• Ishtar Gate with the Processional Way of Babylon
• Mshatta Facade 

Note: Due to extensive renovation work, the Pergamon Museum will be completely closed for three and a half years from October 23, 2023.

Afterwards, the Ishtar Gate and the Processional Way will not be visible again until 2037.

Currently: In the course of the redevelopment within the framework of the "Masterplan Museum Island", the hall with the Pergamon Altar will remain closed until at least 2027. The North Wing and the hall of Hellenistic architecture are also closed. The finds from Uruk and HabubaKabira as well as the rooms with Babylonian, Old Iranian and Sumerian monuments are also not accessible .

However, the south wing of the Pergamon Museum with the Ishtar Gate, the Processional Way and the Museum of Islamic Art as well as the room with the Market Gate of Miletus  are   currently   open .

• Tip: The temporary exhibition "Pergamon Museum. The Panorama" focuses on the city of Pergamon in Roman times around 129 AD and serves as a counterpart, so to speak, for the closed room with the Pergamon Altar.
• For the current opening hours and prices, please visit the museum's website .

3. Altes Museum

The Altes Museum (“Old Museum”), built between 1823 and 1830, is Berlin's first museum , therefore it is considered to be the nucleus of Museum Island. With its impressive architecture, it is one of the most important classicist buildings in Germany .

The Altes Museum, which transports its visitors to the world of classical antiquity, presents the collection of antiquities of the National Museums in Berlin . You can admire art from Ancient Greece and part of the coin cabinet on the main floor, while exhibits from the Roman and Etruscan times are on the upper floor.

 Notable exhibits:

• Portrait busts of Caesar and Cleopatra
• Treasury with gold and silver jewelry

For the current opening hours and prices, visit the official website of the museum .

4. Neues Museum

The Neues Museum ("New Museum") is made up of three outstanding collections: the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection , the Museum of Prehistory and Early History , and selected exhibits from the Collection of Classical Antiquities . With the world-famous bust of Nefertiti , it is one of the most popular museums in Berlin.

The construction of the museum was ordered in 1841 by Frederick William IV, who commissioned the architect, Friedrich August Stüler. After 12 years of construction, it was opened in 1853 - as the second museum on today's Museum Island. However, after 70% of the Neues Museum was destroyed during World War II and it continued to deteriorate during the GDR, the museum was not reopened to the public until 2009.

• Bust of Nefertiti
• Berlin gold hat
• Skull of the Neanderthal of Le Moustier
• Treasure of Priamos (discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in ancient Troy)

For the current opening hours and admission fees, please refer to the museum's website .

5. Alte Nationalgalerie

The Alte Nationalgalerie ("Old National Gallery") presents one of the most important German art collections of the 19th century. But the imposing building itself, a high point in Stüler's work, is also impressive as one of the most important examples of museum architecture in the 19th century.

Around 4,000 works, including masterpieces by French artists, impressive sculptures and important works of German Romanticism , are currently housed in the Alte Nationalgalerie. Classicist sculptures and "Ways of Realism" are displayed on the second floor. Works of Romanticism, Realism and Impressionism are exhibited on the second floor. Works from the Goethe period and Romanticism can be admired on the third floor.

• "In the Winter Garden" (1878/79) by Édouard Manet.
• "The Monk by the Sea" (1808-1810) by Caspar David Friedrich
• "The Thinker" (1881-83) by Auguste Rodin
• "In Summer" (1868) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

For current opening hours and admission prices, please visit the museum's website .

6. Bode Museum

The magnificent Bode Museum at the northern tip of Museum Island houses the Museum of Byzantine Art, the Sculpture Collection , the Numismatic Collection and over 150 works from the collection of the Gemäldegalerie ( Picture Gallery) . But even the majestic-looking museum building itself is already an experience and worth a visit.

The Bode Museum was built between 1897 and 1904 by the court architect, Ernst von Ihne, in the Wilhelminian Baroque style. When it opened, it was named the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum. During World War II, this building was also severely damaged and was gradually restored between 1948 and 1986. In 1956, it was renamed the Bode Museum after its intellectual creator.

• The relief of the Pazzi Madonna by Donatello
• Bernini's "Satyr with Panther”
• Tilman Riemenschneider's "Four Evangelists“
• Ancient sarcophagi from Rome as well as mosaic icons

Please see the museum's website for the current opening hours.

Entrance, Tickets & Tours for the Museum Island Berlin

• Entrance : The opening hours of the museums are: Tue/Mi/Fri/Sat/Sun 10am-6pm, Thursdays 10am-8pm, closed Mondays. The Neues Museum as well as the Pergamon Museum are open on Mondays from 10am to 6pm. You can find a current overview of the individual opening hours here .
• Tickets : We recommend the combined ticket , which grants admission to all five museums on Museum Island for a whole day. More information here .
• Tours : If you like, you can discover the treasures of Museum Island on a guided tour. You can find guided tours that take you through the historic center of Berlin including Museum Island and the Humboldt Forum here .
• Traveler's Tip : You should expect a lot of waiting time and long lines, especially in high season. For this reason, we recommend buying an online ticket with skip the line entrance in advance, which allows you to benefit from priority admission.

More Attractions on Museum Island 

1. Berlin Cathedral

Majestic and magnificent, right in the heart of the capital, Berlin Cathedral rises. The upper parish and cathedral church in Berlin was once the court church of the Hohenzollern dynasty and is n an important Berlin landmark. With a total height of 116 meters on a floor area of nearly 6800 square meters, the cathedral is the largest Protestant church in Germany.

Upon paying an entrance fee, you can explore the magnificent interior and climb the dome, where after 270 cathedral steps you will be treated to a breathtaking panoramic view of historic Berlin. Also worth seeing is the Hohenzollern Crypt, the most important dynastic burial place in Germany.

• Read more details about this sight in our complete guide to Berlin Cathedral .
• For current ticket prices and opening hours, please visit the cathedral's website .

2. Humboldt Forum

Since July 2021, the Humboldt Forum has expanded the Museum Island's offerings with collections from the Ethnological Museum Berlin, the Museum of Asian Art, the non-European art collection, the Berlin Exhibition and the Humboldt Lab.

Built in eight years, the building, seen from the outside, is a faithful replica of the Berlin City Palace, which stood on the same site until 1950 and was considered a major work of northern German Baroque architecture. Visible from afar, the museum covers an area of around 30,000 square meters. The construction costs amounted to 677 million euros. This makes the Humboldt Forum the most expensive cultural building in Germany.

• For opening hours and ticket prices, please visit the museum's website .
• For more information, please read our guide to Humboldt Forum .

3. Lustgarten

The Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden) was laid out in 1573 by Elector Johann Georg as a fruit, vegetable and herb garden for the Berlin City Palace. In the 17th century, the Great Elector had the two-hectare green space transformed into a pleasure garden.

Today, the Lustgarten mainly serves as a resting area for visitors to the museums on Museum Island and the Berlin Cathedral. As before, the main attraction of the garden is the 70-ton granite bowl , which was inaugurated in 1834 and was considered a world wonder of the Biedermeier era at the time. Berliners very quickly found an affectionate nickname: "Berlin Soup Bowl".

How to get to the Museum Island Berlin?

• From Alexanderplatz: Take the U5 for 2 stops to U Museumsinsel (Berlin). From there it is only a few meters. Alternatively, you can take bus 100 (to U Museumsinsel) or walk 12 minutes to Museum Island.
• From Potsdamer Platz: Get on bus line 200 at the Varian-Fry-Str stop and go 6 stops to the Fischerinsel station. From here it is only about a 4-minute walk. Alternatively, you can go three stops on the U-Bahn 2 to the U Hausvogteiplatz station and walk the remaining 9 minutes.

FAQ about the Museum Island Berlin

WHAT IS MUSEUM ISLAND BERLIN?

Museum Island in Berlin is a museum ensemble consisting of five museums and the central entrance area/visitor center, James Simon Gallery. Other attractions on the Museum Island are the Humboldt Forum, the Berlin Cathedral and the Lustgarten.

WHERE IS MUSEUM ISLAND IN BERLIN?

Museum Island is located on the Spree Island, right in the heart of Berlin.

The address is: Am Lustgarten, 10117 Berlin

HOW CAN I GET TO THE MUSEUM ISLAND BERLIN?

Thanks to its central location in the heart of the city, Museum Island Berlin is very easy to reach. From Alexanderplatz, visitors can best get to the Museum Island by taking the U5 (to the stop U Museumsinsel). From there it is only a few meters. Alternatively, you can take bus 100 (to U Museumsinsel) or walk to the Museum Island.

WHAT MUSEUMS ARE THERE ON MUSEUM ISLAND?

There are a total of five museums on Berlin's Museum Island. These include the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum , the Pergamon Museum , the Bode Museum and the Alte Nationalgalerie. The James Simon Gallery is the new visitor center on Museum Island. Other attractions on the island include the Humboldt Forum, the Berlin Cathedral and the Lustgarten.

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History & Facts about Museum Island

In the Middle Ages, Museum Island was a marshy floodplain. The patch of earth in the middle of the Spree has been used for all kinds of purposes since the founding of Berlin, including as an orangery and a packing yard. It was not until the reign of King Frederick William II in 1797 that the idea of building a museum to display art treasures was taken up. The idea was realized in 1830 with the opening of the Altes Museum ; Prussia's first public museum.

In the following 100 years, four more museums were built on the island. The Neues Museum, opened in 1855, the Nationalgalerie, now the Alte Nationalgalerie, in 1876. Since then, the island has been called Museum Island . In 1904, the Kaiser-Friedrich Museum, today the Bode Museum , was added, and in 1930 the Pergamon Museum .

After the war, the Museum Island resembled a landscape of ruins; the Neues Museum was almost completely destroyed. Reconstruction of the complex began in GDR times. Starting in 1999, the Neues Museum was rebuilt, and the other museums were renovated as part of the Museum Island Master Plan, which called for the restoration and further development of Museum Island. In addition, the individual museum buildings were connected to form an ensemble. In 2010, the Kolonnadenhof was also reopened. Since 2019, guests have been welcomed in the James Simon Gallery , the central entrance area. The Humboldt Forum has been expanding the Museum Island's offerings since July 20, 2021.

Contact & Map

• Address : Museumsinsel Berlin, Am Lustgarten, 10117 Berlin.
• Hours : You can find an overview of the individual opening hours of the museums here.
• Public Transport : U5 to station U Museumsinsel (Berlin)
• Website : MuseumIslandBerlin

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The Museum Island

6,000 years of culture and history.

Six thousand years of culture and history are illustrated on the Museum Island, a panorama stretching from the Ancient Egyptians and the civilisations of the ancient Near East to Greek and Roman Antiquity and the Christian and Islamic art of the Middle Ages to European art of the 19th Century.

(Status: Febuary 2024)

The New Museum, East Side Entrance © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Photo: Maximilian Meisse

Six thousand years of culture and history are illustrated on the Museum Island, a panorama stretching from the Ancient Egyptians and the civilisations of the ancient Near East to Greek and Roman Antiquity and the Christian and Islamic art of the Middle Ages to European art of the 19th Century. The collections housed in the Museum of Prehistory and Early History extend the timeline even further to cover the whole of human history. Various different cultures come together in the New Museum , rebuilt by David Chipperfield, which houses not only the rich treasures of the Egyptian Museum and the Museum of Prehistory and Early History , but also the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Münzkabinett (coin collection) and the Sculpture Collection, examples of all of which are displayed on the main floor to enable visitors to take an impressive tour from the early period of Egypt’s history via the Roman provinces and the Celts and Germanic tribes right through to the High Middle Ages.

The Museum Island is most famous for the large scale architectural exhibits in the Pergamonmuseum , which came to light during German excavations at the end of the 19th century and can be seen as impressive reconstructions in the Pergamon Museum: The Pergamon Altar with the Giant Frieze, the Market Gate from late Roman Miletus and the Processional Way and Ishtar Gate of Babylon.

The Pergamon Museum has been completely closed to visitors since October 2023 due to renovation work, with parts planned to reopen in 2027. In the immediate vicinity of the Museum Island, the temporary exhibition building  Pergamon. The Panorama During the period of closure, important artefacts from Pergamon and a panorama by the artist and architect Yadegar Asisi, which dates back to 129 AD and shows the ancient city of Pergamon, will continue to be on display.

View of the James-Simon-Galerie and Pergamonmuseum © Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects

The Altes Museum (Old Museum) offers an insight into the worlds of Etruscan, Greek and Roman art. Built during the empire period, the Bode Museum with its striking cupola houses the Sculpture Collection including works from all over Europe dating from the early Middle Ages to Classicism. You can also see Byzantine art of the 3rd to 19th Centuries here, as well as a selection of some of the most valuable coins and medals from Antiquity to the 20th Century in the collection displayed in the Münzkabinett .

The Old National Gallery , rising above the Spree like an Ancient Greek temple, was opened in 1876 to house the contemporary art of the time and today still has painting and sculpture from the 19th Century on show. The highlights are the rooms with the Impressionists and Caspar David Friedrich.

Altes Museum © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Photo: Maximilian Meisse

Don’t Miss

The Pergamon Panorama, Nefertiti and the "Berlin Gold Hat" in the Neues Museum, the "Berlin Goddess", the "Praying Boy" and the bust of Caesar in the Altes Museum, Tilman Riemenschneider's "Four Evangelists" in the Bode Museum, Schadow's double statue of the Prussian princesses, Menzel's "Iron Rolling Mill", Manet's "Winter Garden" and Caspar David Friedrich's "Monk by the Sea" in the Alte Nationalgalerie.

How to Get There

By underground 5 (U-Bahn) to U Museumsinsel station.

Where to Get a Coffee

In the café in the Bode-Museum (above the portico) or in the small cafeteria in the Old Museum. The James-Simon-Galerie entrance building houses the new Cu29 café and restaurant.

To See Everything

The Museum Island area ticket, available in all the museums, is valid for the permanent collections (but not for special exhibitions). From tourist information offices you can get the Museum Island Welcome Card , entitling you to use all public transport and likewise valid for all the permanent exhibitions.

Three of the museums are regular venues in the Long Night of Museums in August. There are occasionally concerts and theatre productions in the stairway hall of the New Museum. During the summer months, there are readings, music and drinks in the colonnades of the Alte Nationalgalerie.

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• Description

The museum as a social phenomenon owes its origins to the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century. The five museums on the Museumsinsel in Berlin, built between 1824 and 1930, are the realization of a visionary project and show the evolution of approaches to museum design over the course of the 20th century. Each museum was designed so as to establish an organic connection with the art it houses. The importance of the museum's collections – which trace the development of civilizations throughout the ages – is enhanced by the urban and architectural quality of the buildings.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Museumsinsel (Île des musées), Berlin

Le musée d'art en tant que phénomène social doit ses origines à l'époque des Lumières, au XVIII e siècle. Les cinq musées de la Museumsinsel à Berlin, construits entre 1824 et 1930, représentent la réalisation d'un projet visionnaire et l'évolution de la conception des musées au cours de ce siècle. Chaque musée ayant été pensé en rapport organique avec les collections qu'il abrite, l'importance des collections – qui témoignent de l'évolution de la civilisation – se double d'une grande valeur urbanistique et architecturale.

ميوزمسينسل (جزيرة المتاحف) في برلين

تعود جذور المتحف الفني كظاهرة إجتماعية إلى عصر الأنوار في القرن الثامن عشر. وتشكّل المتاحف الخمسة في ميوزيومسينسل في برلين، والتي شّيدت بين العام 1824 و1930، تجسيداً لمشروع رؤيوي ولتطوّر مفهوم المتاحف عبر القرون. فقد تمّ تصميم كل متحف على أساس العلاقة العضوية بينه وبين المجموعة التي يأويها، علماً أن أهمية المجموعات التي تشهد على تطوّر الحضارات تتضاعف أهمية بالقيمة المدنية والهندسية التي تحويها.

source: UNESCO/CPE Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

博物馆是一种社会现象，源于18世纪的启蒙运动。柏林的博物馆岛共有五个建于1824年至1930年间的博物馆，是一种理想的实现，展示了20世纪博物馆设计方式的变革。各个博物馆的设计都有意地在其艺术藏品之间建立起有机联系，而各建筑的规划和建筑质量又大大提升了馆中藏品的价值，这些藏品展示了各个时期人类文明发展的历史。

Museumsinsel (Isla de los Museos), Berlín

En cuanto fenómeno social, el museo de arte nació en el Siglo de las Luces. Construidos entre 1824 y 1930, los cinco edificios de la Museumsinsel de Berlín fueron la culminación de un proyecto visionario y son representativos de la evolución de la concepción de los museos a lo largo de esos cien años. Cada uno de los cinco museos de la isla se proyectó para que guardase una relación orgánica con sus colecciones, que son un testimonio de la evolución de la civilización. Al valor de las colecciones viene a sumarse el del patrimonio arquitectónico y urbanístico del conjunto del sitio.

ベルリンのムゼウムスインゼル（博物館島）

source: NFUAJ

Museuminsel (Museumeiland), Berlijn

Het museum als maatschappelijk verschijnsel heeft zijn oorsprong in het tijdperk van de Verlichting in de 18e eeuw. De vijf musea op het Museumeiland in Berlijn zijn gebouwd tussen 1824 en 1930. Ze zijn de realisatie van een visionair project en tonen de ontwikkeling in benaderingen van museumontwerp gedurende meer dan een eeuw. Elk museum werd zo ontworpen dat het een organische verbinding met zijn kunstcollectie laat zien. Het belang van de collecties van het museum – die de ontwikkeling van beschavingen door de eeuwen heen traceren – wordt versterkt door de stedenbouwkundige en architectonische kwaliteit van de gebouwen.

Source: unesco.nl

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis 

The Berlin Museumsinsel is a complex of buildings composed of individual museums of outstanding historical and artistic importance located in the heart of the city. The five museums, built between 1824 and 1930 by the most renowned Prussian architects, represent the realization of a visionary project and the evolution of the approaches to museum design over this seminal century. They form a unique ensemble that serves purely museological purposes and constitutes a town-planning highlight in the urban fabric as a kind of city crown.

The Museumsinsel of Berlin is a remarkable example of the urban and architectural realisation of an urban public forum which has the symbolic value of the Acropolis for the city. It is appropriate to emphasise its rare planning and architectural continuity and the consistency with which for more than a century a concept has been continuously implemented.

The cultural value of the Museumsinsel is linked with its historic role in the conception and development of a certain type of building and ensemble, that of the modern museum of art and archaeology. In this respect the Berlin Museumsinsel is one of the significant and most impressive ensembles in the world. The urban and architectural values of the Museumsinsel are inseparable from the important collections that the five museums house, which bear witness to the evolution of civilization. The connection is a direct one, as the architectural spaces in the museums were designed in an organic relationship with the collections on display, whether incorporated as parts of the interior design or framed and interpreted.

Criterion (ii): The Berlin Museumsinsel is a unique ensemble of museum buildings, which illustrates the evolution of modern museum design over more than a century.

Criterion (iv ): The modern museum is a social phenomenon that owes its origins to the Age of Enlightenment, and its extension to all people to the French Revolution. The Museumsinsel is the most outstanding example of this concept given material form and placed in a symbolic central urban setting.

The Museumsinsel includes all elements necessary to express the Outstanding Universal Value of a remarkable example of an urban public forum which has the symbolic significance of the Acropolis of the city. It is appropriate to emphasise its rare planning and architectural continuity and the consistency with which for more than a century a concept has been continuously implemented, ensuring its integrity and its urban and architectural coherence at each stage of the creation of the ensemble.

Authenticity

Despite the wartime damage and the long series of conservation interventions that followed, the Museumsinsel has retained a high degree of authenticity in its historic buildings, in their functions, in their design, and in their context. The authenticity of both the historical characteristics and the development of the museum role has survived in the character, style and thematic content of the collections on display, and in the organic link between the collections and the architectural spaces. Conservation interventions being carried out at present respect the imperatives of authenticity to a high degree.

Protection and management requirements

The inscribed area has been protected since the beginning of the 20th century (laws of 1907, 1909 and 1923). In 1977 the Museumsinsel was inscribed on the Central List of Monuments of the German Democratic Republic as an exceptional group of monuments of national and international importance. The 1995 Historic Preservation Law Berlin makes provision for three levels of protection for the Museumsinsel: protection as a listed Historic Conservation Area (Denkmalbereich), covering the entire area, including buildings, the open spaces between them, and the bridges; protection as individual Listed Properties (Baudenkmal, Gartendenkmal) (the buildings, the viaduct, the Iron Bridge, and the Monbijou Bridge as architectural monuments and the garden as landscape monument); and protection of the immediate surroundings of historic properties around each individual monument and around the conservation area (Umgebungsschutz).

The adjacent areas to the west of the Museumsinsel are also statutorily protected as a Listed Conservation Area (according to the Historic Preservation Law Berlin) or by Urban Preservation Statutes (according to the Federal Building Code – BauGB). Part of this area is defined as the buffer zone around the Museumsinsel.

The urban plans – the Land-Use Plan and the informal Master Plan Inner City (Planwerk Innere Stadt) as well as the District Development Plan of Berlin-Mitte – contain provisions relating to the protection of the urban fabric of protected Areas in the Mitte district. Statutory measures in force allow the competent authorities of the Land (city-state) to act in all matters relating to the urban plans and to approve building permits.

Management of the Museumsinsel- its buildings and its collections - is carried out jointly by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the State Museums of Berlin (Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz – SPK/Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – SMB), which ensure that the property’s qualities are maintained. They cooperate with other partners to whom they delegate specialised preservation activities. As responsible bodies at governmental level, the Federal Government and all the 16 Federal States (Länder) participate in the work of the SPK, which is the source of substantial potential funding, strength and flexible management. The Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development is responsible for professional control of building works. The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung – BBR) reviews and provides approval for aspects of planning, conservation work, expert advice, design, technical proposals for Federal projects and building applications. At Land (city-state) level the Senate Department of Urban Development and Environment Berlin (Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt - SenStadtUm) oversees planning and works on the Museumsinsel, whilst the Berlin Monuments Office (Landesdenkmalamt Berlin – LDA) specifies all protection and conservation measures. In the Mitte District the local conservation authorities are concerned with the protected area outside the island, including the buffer zone.

Effective management is ensured through the continuous interaction between the main partners (SPK, BBR, SenStadtUm and LDA), and also through the participation of the other bodies involved.

• Museumsinsel Master Plan (in English only)
• Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (in English only)
• State Conservation Agency Berlin, Museum Island
• Masterplan Museumsinsel Projektion Zukunft (in German only)
• Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (in German only)
• Museumsinsel, UNESCO Commission of Germany (in German only)
• Berliner Museumsinsel (Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission)(in German only)

The Nomination files produced by the States Parties are published by the World Heritage Centre at its website and/or in working documents in order to ensure transparency, access to information and to facilitate the preparations of comparative analysis by other nominating States Parties.

The sole responsibility for the content of each Nomination file lies with the State Party concerned. The publication of the Nomination file does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the World Heritage Committee or of the Secretariat of UNESCO concerning the history or legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its boundaries.

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Berlin Museum Island: Concentrated Culture

The ensemble of five museums, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, can be described without exaggeration as one of the highlights of European cultural tourism – for example, the Bust of Nefertiti and the Pergamon Altar. Significantly, within the framework of a massive master plan, the venerable buildings are being renovated step by step – and expanded.

Pergamon Museum: great works of art, spanning 6,000 years of history

Every year, well over two million visitors flock to the Museum Island. Constructed in 1930 in neoclassical style, the Pergamon Museum is not only by far the largest museum, but also, together with the Neues Museum, the greatest magnet for visitors. No wonder, since it is considered one of the most important museums in the history of human culture, with sculptures and works of art up to 6,000 years old. Strictly speaking, these are three separate collections. One of them is the Collection of Classical Antiquities, and its stellar exhibit is the 113-metre-long sculptural frieze of the 2,200-year-old Pergamon Altar. Until this masterpiece of Hellenistic art can one again be viewed in person, a 360-degree panorama by Yadegar Asisis in the temporary "Panorama" exhibition on the opposite side compensates – its section of the museum will be closed until 2023 in the course of the general renovation, which will also include the addition of a fourth wing to the building. Other internationally famous exhibits, however, can be experienced in person, such as the Lion Relief in the Processional Way and the huge Ishtar Gate in the Vorderasiatischen Museum (Museum of the Ancient Near East). Monumental exhibits include the Market Gate of Miletus with over 1,000 tonnes of marble and 17-metre-high columns, as well as the Mshatta Façade. In addition, the Museum of Islamic Art, one of the oldest and most extensive collections of Islamic art and exhibits in Germany, displays Qurans, prayer benches, carpets and craftwork.

Old and New Museum: Nefertiti, Schinkel and Caesar

The bust of Nefertiti is considered the most famous female sculpture in the world and is a timeless icon of beauty. This impressively sculpted figure, one of the most famous art treasures of Ancient Egypt, is by far the most popular exhibit in the Neues Museum (New Museum) , which reopened in 2009. This in turn consists of two collections, the Egyptian Museum with its papyrus collection, the highlights of which include the Amarna collection (including The Bust of Nefertiti), the "Green Head" and three newly restored sacrificial chambers from the Old Kingdom, and the Museum of Prehistory and Early History. Fun fact: the oldest of around 6,000 objects on display is a 700,000-year-old hand axe from the Palaeolithic Age, and the most recent is a piece of barbed wire from the Berlin Wall. Schliemann's famous collection of Trojan antiquities is also very popular. Even more ancient treasures are housed in the Altes Museum (Old Museum) opposite, built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, which is a masterpiece of classical architecture, especially considering its pantheon-like rotunda. Once inside, vases, sculptures and relics from ancient Greece, Etruscan Italy and the Roman Empire, including portraits of Caesar and Cleopatra and the statue of the goddess of Taranto, will delight visitors.

Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery): The Best of the 19th Century

In 2001, the reopening of the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) , one of the most important museum buildings of the 19th century, marked the beginning of the decades-long renewal of the Museum Island, setting the standard for architecture, monument preservation and concept. Since then, the building, which resembles an ancient temple on a high plinth, has been given a new lease of life – and the same applies to the likewise newly-designed colonnaded courtyard in front of it and the treasures inside. Even though the entire collection is several times more extensive, there are approximately 400 paintings and 100 sculptures on display on the three exhibition floors. And what a collection it is! Works by Adolph Menzel, Sabine Lepsius, Franz von Stuck, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir and other masters make the Alte Nationalgalerie one of the most important German art collections of the 19th century. Caspar David Friedrich's "The Monk by the Sea", Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker" or Édouard Manet's "In the Winter Garden" resonate even with those less familiar with art. Anyone getting into gear and wondering how to get to the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) should take note: the exhibition venue, which focuses on 20th-century visual art, is not located on Museum Island, but eight bus stops further on, near Potsdamer Platz.

Bode Museum: Sculptural Treasures under Neo-Baroque Domes

This picturesque museum , named after the art historian Wilhelm von Bode, stands at the northern tip of the island, where the Spree and Spree Canal meet. The neo-baroque architecture is no less impressive. And then within, the artistic treasures: works of art from more than 15 centuries and across a variety of disciplines. The exhibition centre houses over 100 works from the Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery), the Museum of Byzantine Art and a large part of the coin collection. The sculpture collection is most renowned here, one of the most extensive and oldest in the world. Art connoisseurs may be overcome when they see the Pazzi Madonna relief, Bernini's "Satyr with Panther" or the mosaic icon of Christ the Merciful. But you don't have to be a connoisseur to be impressed by the museum, renovated in 2006. The aura alone of the Great Dome Hall, with its equestrian statue of the Great Elector, is captivating and can be seen from the elevated café. Similarly enchanting is the atmosphere in the Small Dome Hall, with its statues of the Prussian generals. The highlights that await you here include an overview of the nearby premises of the James Simon Gallery , due to open in 2019. The cube-like modern building designed by David Chipperfield will not only display collections from the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art, but will also function as a kind of visitor centre for all the facilities on the Museum Island – including access to the "Archaeological Promenade", which will connect all the museums in the future. The Bode Museum included.

Explore Berlin's Museum Island from Home

For nearly 200 years, this island has held treasures from across all of history.

By Google Arts & Culture

Museum Island

Welcome to Berlin's Museumsinsel, or Museum Island. Since 1830, this island in the middle of the River Spree has been home to some of the most important museums and galleries in Germany, covering almost every era of history. There's lots to see here, so let's start the tour.

Altes Museum

The first on our journey is the Altes Museum , built from 1825 to 1830 by order of King Frederick William III of Prussia. This neoclassical building was intended only for the 'High Art' of the royal collection: paints and prints by the Old Masters, and Classical sculptures.

In 1904, the museum switched to holding Classical antiquities such as Greek vases, Roman glass, and ancient arms and armour.

Neues Museum

The Neues Museum (New Museum) was built shortly after the Altes Museum (Old Museum), to house the increasingly large collection, as well as the new Egyptian artefacts and ethnographic collection. Upstairs were the Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance rooms.

During the Second World War, the museum was almost totally destroyed, and it lay in ruin for decades afterwards. It reopened in 2009, and today you can see objects dating from the stone age and Ancient Egyptian, like the  bust of Nefertiti.

Bode Museum

Named after it's first curator, William Bode, who believed in mixing exhibits, rather than neatly categorising them, the Bode Museum holds a dizzying collection of artefacts from Coptic Egypt, the Byzantine Empire, and Gothic Italy.

In 2006, Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum , said, "It is no exaggeration to say that in the new Bode Museum, Europe will be able for the first time to read its history - aesthetic and religious, intellectual and political - in a three-dimensional form."

Pergamon Museum

One of the marvels of Museum Island, The Pergamon Museum exists essentially to house this enormous ancient monument, the ancient Greek Pergamon Altar from the city of Pergamon , in modern-day Turkey. A masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture.

Besides the altar, the museum holds the Market Gate of Miletus . Built in the 2nd Century CE and destroyed in an earthquake in the 10th or 11th Century. It was then brought in pieces to Berlin, where it was painstakingly reassembled.

Vorderasiatisches Museum

Within the Pergamon is the Vorderasiatisches Museum, dedicated to the archaeology of south-east Asia and north-west Africa, including ancient Babylon, Uruk, Assur, Miletus, Priene and Egypt - some of the oldest civilisations in the world.

The centrepiece of this institution is the Ishtar Gate , which once stood in the inner-city walls of ancient Babylon. The enormous glazed-brick gate was constructed by King Nebuchadnezzar II and named in honour of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar.

Deutsches Historisches Museum

Technically the Deutsches Historisches Museum isn't on the island, but it is on the western bank of the Spree, and as Germany's national historical museum, and as a piece of outstanding Baroque architecture, we simply couldn't miss it.

Through 7000 objects, the permanent exhibition of the museum traces the history of Germany from the medieval era to the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification in 1990.

Ground level view of the Brandenburg Gate by CyArk CyArk

Want to learn more about Berlin? Discover the Tumultuous History of the Brandenburg Gate

CyArk's Story

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Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Please note the changed opening hours of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin since 16 April 2024. More

Tickets & Admission

Please note the ticket and admission prices valid from January 15, 2024 (PDF, 220 KB).

On-Site and Online Tickets

Tickets can be purchased at the ticket counters on site or online. They may be purchased up to four weeks in advance. To ensure reliable planning of your visit and avoid waiting in line at the ticket counters, we recommend booking your tickets online in advance:

• Book your ticket in the online ticket shop

For the visit, either day tickets or time-slot tickets are offered, depending on the museum. A day ticket allow visitors access any time during opening hours on the date of the ticket. Time-slot tickets are valid for 15 minutes, during which time you can enter the venue. After entering you can stay as long as you like during opening hours.

Day Tickets

Day tickets for exhibitions at the following venues of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin are available from 16 May 2022:

• Altes Museum
• Bode-Museum
• Gemäldegalerie
• Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
• Kunstbibliothek
• Kunstgewerbemuseum
• Kupferstichkabinett
• Museum Berggruen
• Museum Europäischer Kulturen
• Museum für Fotografie
• Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg
• Schloss Köpenick

Time-slot tickets

Time-slot tickets will be available for the following venues:

• Alte Nationalgalerie
• Neues Museum
• Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama

The Pergamonmuseum is currently completely closed due to construction work.  You can see a selection of original artefacts from Pergamon at the exhibition building  Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama  nearby.

Admission is free at the Friedrichswerderschen Kirche . The visit does not require a ticket.

Admission is free at the  Ethnologisches Museum  (Ethnological Museum) and the Museum für Asiatische Kunst (Asian Art Museum) at the Humboldt Forum. The visit does not require a ticket.

Annual Pass

Would you like to be able to visit your favourite works every day? You can enjoy art and culture as often as you wish ‒ 365 days a year at 15 museums with a Staatliche Museen zu Berlin annual pass .

Museum Sunday

Every first Sunday of the month is Museum Sunday in Berlin. Most museums have free admission then. The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin offer free day tickets, available on Museum Sunday at the museum ticket offices. There may be longer waiting times. More information here .

Museumsinsel-Ticket

The Museumsinsel-Ticket allows admission to all museums on Museum Island in one day, without time-slot ticket!

The Museumsinsel Berlin in the heart of the city is crowd puller for numerous guests from all over the world. In 1999, UNESCO declared the Museum Island Berlin a World Heritage Site. If you would like to learn more about the museum buildings and collections on Museumsinsel, please click here .

With the area ticket Museumsinsel-Ticket you can visit all houses of the Museumsinsel:

Alte Nationalgalerie , Altes Museum , Bode-Museum , Neues Museum, Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama .

The exhibition "Caspar David Friedrich. Infinite Landscapes" can be visited with an additional, chargeable time slot ticket, available in our online ticket shop .

The Museumsinsel-Ticket costs €24.

With Museumsinsel-Ticket you do not need an additional time-slot ticket at Neues Museum and Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama!*

The Museumsinsel-Ticket is available at all ticket offices of the Staatliche Museen Berlin and in our online-shop . The ticket is valid for one day.

The Pergamonmuseum is currently completely closed due to construction work. You can see a selection of original artefacts from Pergamon at the exhibition building  Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama  nearby.

* For large special exhibitions , time-slot tickets may be required for visitor management reasons. These tickets can be booked free of charge in our online-shop or at the museum ticket office.

Kulturforum-Ticket

The Kulturforum-Ticket allows admission to all museums at the Kulturforum on one day, without time-slot ticket*!

With its many museums, libraries, and philharmonic concert halls, the Kulturforum near Potsdamer Platz is one of Germany’s leading sites of art, culture, and learning and is exceptional for the enormous diversity of the arts showcased there. If you would like to learn more about the museum buildings and collections of Kulturforum, please click here .

With the Kulturforum-Ticket you can visit all the houses at the Kulturforum:

Gemäldegalerie , Kunstbibliothek , Kunstgewerbemuseum , Kupferstichkabinett ,  Musikinstrumenten-Museum ,  Neue Nationalgalerie .

The Kulturforum-Ticket costs €20.

* For large special exhibitions, time slot tickets may be required for visitor management reasons.

Museum Pass Berlin / 3-days-ticket

The Museum Pass Berlin is available at all ticket offices of the Staatliche Museen Berlin, other participating museums and Berlin Tourist Offices. It is valid for three days in more than 30 museums.

With Museum Pass Berlin you do not need an extra time slot ticket! (Exceptions can be made within selected special exhibitions). Here you find more information about the participating museums and terms of use as well as direct access to the online shop.

Before purchasing a Museum Pass Berlin, please also note the opening hours: The museums of Staatliche Museen Berlin are closed on Mondays, others on Tuesdays. Please also note the information about free entry on Museum Sunday .

Das Kulturforum-Ticket ermöglicht den Eintritt in alle Museen am Kulturforum an einem Tag, ohne Zeitfenster!

Das Kulturforum in der Nähe des Potsdamer Platzes stellt mit seinen Museen, Bibliotheken und Konzertsälen einen Ort der Kunst, Kultur und Forschung dar, der in seiner enormen Vielfalt außergewöhnlich ist. Wenn Sie mehr über die Museumsgebäude und Sammlungen am Kulturforum erfahren möchten, klicken Sie bitte  hier .

Mit der Kulturforum-Tageskarte können Sie alle Häuser am Standort Kulturforum besuchen:

Gemäldegalerie , Kunstbibliothek , Kunstgewerbemuseum , Kupferstichkabinett , Musikinstrumenten-Museum ,  Neue Nationalgalerie .

Mit der Kulturforum-Tageskarte benötigen Sie in der Neuen Nationalgalerie kein zusätzliches Zeitfenster-Ticket !*

* Bei großen Sonderausstellungen können aus Gründen der Besucherlenkung Zeitfenster-Tickets erforderlich sein.

Admission with Annual Passes, Membership Cards of Friends and Sponsorship Associations, and Berlin Welcome Card – All Inclusive

Holders of the following passes and cards receive Preferential Admission :

• Annual passes – Basic, Classic, Classic Plus
• Membership cards of Friends and sponsorship associations of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin*
• Berlin Welcome Card – All Inclusive

Holders of the named passes and cards can go directly to the entrance at all venues. As a rule, no additional ticket is required.

For reliable planning of a visit without a wait, we recommend booking time-slot tickets online in advance: www.smb.museum/tickets .

* The prerequisite for preferential admission is a scannable barcode on the membership card. Otherwise, a free ticket is available at the ticket counter.

Admission with Combined Tickets

Holders of the following tickets, cards and passes are granted direct admission :

• Ticket Museumsinsel
• Ticket Kulturforum
• Berlin Welcome Card Museumsinsel
• Museum Pass Berlin (3-day-ticket)

At venues with time-slot tickets, the holders of the above tickets and cards may obtain a free time-slot ticket at the ticket counter or book one in advance online . Both tickets are to be presented at the entrance without being asked.

Free ticket

Holders of the following tickets or concessions are requested to obtain a free time-slot ticket at the ticket counter or to book one in advance online and to present it at the entrance with the respective ID without being asked:

• Children and young people under the age of 18
• Designated caregiver accompanying a severely disabled visitor
• Members of the press
• Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz
• Media partners and their clients

In venues with a time slot ticket, holders of the mentioned tickets receive a free time slot ticket in advance online or at the box office. 

Terms and Conditions & Right of withdrawal

• General Terms and Conditions for the Purchase of Tickets and Educational/Informative Offers
• Cancellation template
• Cancellation policy

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Museumsinsel (Museum Island)

Price & Hours

• Food Scene 2.0
• Atmosphere 4.5

Museumsinsel (or Museum Island) is the name given to a group of five museums, the Baroque-style Berlin Cathedral and large gardens clustered on a tiny island in the River Spree. Built between 1823 and 1930, some museums present a different aspect of German history and art, while others spotlight global arts and antiques, such as the Egyptian Museum and Pergamon Museum .

When you visit, see if you can guess which museum hangs which art; there's the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), the Altes Museum (Old Museum), the Neues Museum (New Museum), the Bode-Museum and the very popular Pergamon Museum.

Recent travelers said that even if you don't have time to explore all of the museums, the architecture of the buildings and the well-managed gardens are perfect for a stroll or outdoor picnic. If you'd like to visit any of the museums, reviewers suggested purchasing your tickets in advance.

You can reach Museum Island via bus routes 100, 200 and N2 at the Lustgarten stop on the island or off the Hackescher Markt S-Bahn station or Klosterstraße U-Bahn station. You can pay for separate admission to each museum or opt for the Berlin WelcomeCard Museum Island, which includes a three-day pass to all the museums on the island. Most museums are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (a few museums stay open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays). To learn more about opening hours, entrance fees and information on exhibits, visit the Museum Island website .

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#1 Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor)

U.S. News Insider Tip: A nice souvenir video of the Brandenburg Gate can be captured by taking a taxi on the northbound road (Bundesstraße 2) that loops around the Brandenburg Gate. Keep your camera steady out the window, and you’ll have an impressive panoramic video. – Michael Cappetta

Inspired by the Acropolis entrance in Athens , the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) is one of the most-photographed sites in Berlin. Located in Pariser Platz (Paris Square), one of the city's most famous squares, the Brandenburg Gate was built for King Frederick William II starting in 1788. Designed by royal architect, Carl Gotthard Langhans, the sandstone structure stands 85 feet high.

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Are the Museums on Museum Island in Berlin Worth Visiting?

Curious about exploring the museums on Museum Island in Berlin but unsure if it’s worth your time?

In short, it depends.

I will delve into whether the Berlin museums, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, are worth a visit. After visiting the iconic Berlin Museum Island (Museumsinsel Berlin) a few times while living in Berlin I can confidently say it’s a must-see for cultured travellers who love art and history.

But what if you don’t, is it still worth visiting? I’ll share my insights helping you to decide. That includes highlighting what museums are on Museum Island. Also, I answer all of your burning questions, including the important details of the Museum Island ticket price for each museum.

Table of Contents

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to book. Please check out my  privacy policy and disclosure  for more information.

Is Museum Island Worth Visiting?

If you’re like me, a cultured traveller with a love for art and history, visiting Museum Island in Berlin is a no-brainer – it’s an absolute must!

But what if you’re the type of traveller who isn’t so keen on visiting museums? Or, you’re visiting Berlin for only a couple of days. Is it worth it then?

When I help plan trips for clients , I always advise them to follow their interests and passions. If you don’t like art, then don’t go to art galleries. So only you can answer that question for yourself.

But, if you’re a traveller who loves visiting top attractions , then these world-class museums will check that box! Each of them is outstanding and unique. From its architecture to the treasures it holds. There’s a reason this collection of museums on Museum Island has made its way onto the UNESCO World Heritage Site list .

This collection of museums far surpasses the museums in Paris, London, Rome and Madrid in my opinion.

What is Museum Island in Berlin?

Museum Island is a collection of five museums located on a small island in the Spree River.

It’s home to world-renowned museums like the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum, and Pergamon Museum.

These museums house an extensive array of art and artifacts, spanning from ancient civilizations to modern times, making it a hub for cultural exploration and learning.

The 5 Museums on Museum Island in Berlin

1. bode museum.

📍 2037Am Kupfergraben | 🕙 Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm | 🎟️ €12

Living in Berlin, I walked past the Bode Museum almost daily.

I loved the architecture from the exterior. It sits on the tip of the island and can be best seen from the Monbijou Bridge as a scenic viewpoint .

But it wasn’t until I finally got to visit the interior that I could see just how impressive it was! The grand dome and neoclassical design are incredible.

The spacious galleries and high ceilings add to the museum’s grandeur, making it feel like a work of art in its own right.

It serves as the perfect backdrop to its vast collection of sculptures and Byzantine art.

Highlights, and my favourites from the Bode Museum:

• Byzantine artwork: the intricate “Mosaic of the Church of San Michele in Africisco” from the 12th century, showcasing Byzantine artistry and religious symbolism
• Renaissance artwork: Donatello’s “Pazzi Madonna,” a Renaissance masterpiece renowned for its exquisite detail and emotional depth
• Medieval artwork: the “Golden Madonna of Essen” from the 10th century, offering a glimpse into the artistry and spirituality of the Middle Ages
• Baroque sculptures: like Bernini’s “Bust of Pope Paul V,” best represent the Baroque period
• Neoclassical sculptures: Canova’s “Cupid and Psyche,” showcasing grace and refinement typical of the era

2. Pergamon Museum

📍Bodestraße 1-3 | 🕙 Closed for renovations until 2037

The Pergamonmuseum was the only museum I didn’t get to. Why? I thought I had enough time to secure my tickets before its closure in October 2023 for a whopping 14 years. Unfortunately, when I finally tried to book, they were all sold out months in advance, leaving me disappointed.

Despite the closure of the Pergamon Museum, some of its collections have been relocated to other museums.

Additionally, there’s the Panorama Pergamon, offering a very cool immersive experience through a light display that transports you to the period’s daily life. Notable stories being told include the Ishtar Gate from Babylon, the Market Gate of Miletus, and the Pergamon Altar.

So this experience is the next best thing!

3. Alte Nationalgalerie

📍Bodestraße 1-3 | 🕙 Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm | 🎟️ €12

I had long admired the exterior of the building before ever stepping inside. Situated amongst the Kolonnadenhof, a neo-classical grand column walkway, it offers views of the river on one side and vistas of the Berliner Dom on the other. Friedrich August Stüler, the architect, drew clear inspiration from Greek temples for the design.

This area became a favourite spot of mine for morning walks when the city was still asleep. The neatly trimmed boxwoods in the courtyard garden perfectly lead your eye to the statues.

Upon stepping inside, I found the interior to be, dare I say it, even better! Art lovers will swoon as I did! The museum features a well-curated selection of artworks from French and German impressionists, symbolists, and post-impressionists. Artists such as Camille Pissarro, Cézanne, Monet, Manet, Gauguin, and Max Liebermann grace different rooms in the museum.

4. Neues Museum

📍Bodestraße 1-3 | 🕙 Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm | 🎟️ €14

Modern architecture always stops me in my tracks, so the Neues Museum (meaning new) did just that! A gorgeous rectangular white building stands out against the more historic museums on this list.

It is also connected to the James Simon Gallery where architect David Chipperfield took special care in preserving the old building’s historical features and acknowledging its world war scars, alongside modern renovations, producing a striking architectural style that retains its authentic character.

The building itself is stunning, each room is decorated beautifully to match the themes of the exhibits. The blending of classical and modern elements is seamless.

Highlights, and my favourites from the Neues Museum:

• Bust of Nefertiti: the reason everyone goes to this museum is to see this iconic masterpiece from ancient Egypt, believed to date back to the 14th century BCE
• Egyptian Collection: delve deep into the museum’s extensive Egyptian antiquities, including mummies, sarcophagi, and intricate artifacts that offer insight into the rich culture and beliefs of ancient Egypt
• Berlin Gold Hat: the Berlin Gold Hat, a Bronze Age artifact dating back to around 1000 BCE, is adorned with intricate engravings and is believed to have been used for ceremonial purposes
• Prehistoric Artifacts: explore prehistoric artifacts such as the famous “Lion Man,” a stunning sculpture dating back over 30,000 years
• Greek and Roman Antiquities: the museum’s collection of Greek and Roman antiquities features sculptures, pottery, and other artifacts that showcase the artistic achievements of these ancient civilizations

5. Altes Museum

The Altes Museum, meaning “old” in German, stands gracefully in Lustgarten Park alongside the iconic Berliner Dom. It serves as a popular gathering spot for tourists, who often congregate in front of the fountain, attempting to capture the perfect photo with either of these historic buildings as a backdrop.

In the museum’s foreground lies the Granitschale landmark – an impressive 70-ton bowl, carved from a single slab of granite and installed directly in front of the Altes Museum in 1828. Commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm III, the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel modelled it after Nero’s Golden House bowl, housed in the Vatican Museum in Rome. At the time of its construction, the Granitschale was considered the largest bowl structure in the world.

You enter this 19th century neoclassical architecture through its impressive 18 columns and rotunda. Inside waiting for you is one of the world’s great collections of Greek, Roman and Etruscan art, from vessels and vases to sculpture and architectural fragments, mosaic floors, and paintings.

FAQs: How to Visit Berlin Museum Island

How to get to Museum Island Berlin?

Museum Island is centrally located in Berlin, near the famous Alexanderplatz , the iconic Unter den Linden boulevard and the Spree River.

It is easily accessible by public transportation, including buses, trams, S-Bahn, and U-Bahn trains. The nearest station is Friedrichstraße.

How do I purchase Museum Island tickets?

Tickets for Museum Island can be purchased at the ticket counters on-site or online . Online tickets can typically be purchased up to four weeks in advance.

I do not recommend purchasing your tickets through a third-party vendor like Get You Guide, Viator or Trip Advisor as you will pay more than booking directly.

Should I book tickets to Museum Island in advance?

Yes, I recommend booking tickets online and in advance. Booking tickets online allows you to secure your entry time, avoid long queues at the ticket counters, and ensure availability, particularly for special exhibitions.

The Museum Island opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm.

What are the Museum Island ticket pricetickets that include access to multiple museums on Museum Island?

Yes, there are various passes and combination tickets available that grant access to multiple Berlin museums on Museum Island.

The Museumsinsel-Ticket: admission to all museums in one day €24

The Kulturforum-Ticket: admission to all museums at the Kulturforum on one day €20

Museum Pass Berlin : admission is valid for three days in more than 30 museums €32

It’s important to note that the standard Berlin Welcome Card does not include access to the museums on Museum Island, only if you were to purchase the Berlin Welcome Card Museumsinsel pass.

Is admission to Museum Island free on the first Sunday of the month?

Yes, admission to the museums on Museum Island is free on the first Sunday of each month. I recommend you book your tickets online via the  Museum Sunday website  or at the museum ticket offices.

As this is a popular thing to do on a Sunday , expect much larger crowds.

Are guided tours or audio guides available at Museum Island?

All of the museums only offer audio guides (available in multiple languages) available for self-paced tours of Museum Island.

These audio guides provide detailed commentary on the museum’s exhibits and collections, allowing you to explore at your own pace while learning about the artwork and artifacts on display.

Can I visit all the museums in one day?

While it’s possible to visit all the museums on Museum Island in one day, it may be challenging to fully explore each museum’s extensive collections without suffering from museum fatigue.

Consider prioritizing the museums and exhibits that interest you the most if you are short on time.

How much time should I spend at each museum on Museum Island?

The amount of time needed to explore each museum varies depending on individual interests and preferences.

As a general guideline, plan to spend at least 1.5 to 2 hours at each museum to appreciate the highlights and key exhibits.

However, enthusiasts may choose to dedicate half a day or more to thoroughly explore each museum’s collections.

What are the highlights of Museum Island?

The main highlights of Museum Island include the Ishtar Gate and the Market Gate of Miletus at the Pergamon Museum, the bust of Nefertiti at the Neues Museum, the Antikensammlung (Collection of Classical Antiquities) at the Altes Museum, and the sculpture collection at the Bode Museum.

Is there a gift shop on Museum Island?

Yes, each museum on Museum Island has its own gift shop offering a variety of souvenirs , books, postcards, and replicas related to the museum’s collections.

As a Holidaymaker

If I’ve convinced you to plan a visit to the museums, I recommend the 3-day pass, if time allows, giving you ample time to explore each one and not be concerned about going through them so quickly in a day.

Here are some tips:

• Plan ahead : decide which museums you want to visit, and create a flexible itinerary to ensure you have enough time to explore each one without feeling rushed
• Pace yourself : take breaks between museums at some of my favourite German restaurants to rest and recharge, allowing yourself to fully absorb the experience
• Enjoy the free museums : take advantage of Berlin’s many free museums
• boat tour on the Spree River
• visit to Charlottenburg Palace
• walk through Tiergarten Park
• enjoy a food and walking tour

Creator, Founder of Dream Plan Experience

She specializes exclusively in European travel and crafting unforgettable day trips within her home province of Ontario, Canada.

She has been travelling to Europe for over 35 years and has lived abroad in Germany twice. Revisiting countries and exploring them extensively to create in depth travel itineraries, destination guides and helping travellers plan their trips to Europe through her customized services.

She also is a co-partner in a woman-led company that offers luxury retreats in Europe offering immersive cultural experiences.

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Tickets for the museums & exhibitions in Berlin

Which ticket is right for you?

New exhibitions & recommendations

Exhibition: banksy a vandal turned idol - ticket.

An unauthorized exhibition at Kleisteck Berlin

from €20.00 Ticket

• Immersive & unique with more than 50 works
• Impressive exhibition for street art fans
• Premiere in Germany: extended until 16.06.2024

Tickets & dates

Ticket: Caspar David Friedrich - Infinite Landscapes Exhibition

Temporary exhibition at the Alte Nationalgalerie

from €16.00 online tickets

• The Art and History of Caspar David Friedrich
• Exhibition with 60 paintings & 50 drawings
• open from 19.04.2024

Ticket: Blown Away. The Palace of the Republic exhibition

An Special exhibition at Humboldt Forum Berlin

from €9.00 Online Ticket

• History & present of the Palace of the Republic
• 300 Objects, paintings, drawings, interviews & more
• Special exhibition from 17.05.2024 to 16.02.2025

Hitler - how could it happen: Exhibition Ticket

Documentary at Berlin Story Bunker

from €12.00

• An impressive exhibition about the Second World War and National Socialism
• From the rise of Hitler to the capitulation of the nazis
• Discover the comprehensive documentation made of photos, texts & movies

Tickets for the Berlin State Museums

For your next museum tour in Berlin, we compiled a list of the state museums in Berlin (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) for you, clearly arranged and up-to-date. Each museum offers you an extensive range of collections and treasures from the past to the present. In this section you get an overview of current museum exhibitions - find the right museum ticket on visitberlin.de.

Berlin Museum Island: Day Ticket

1 ticket with admission to 6 museums

from €24.00 Day Ticket

• 1 ticket for 6 museums & exhibitions
• Pergamon museum - Bode-Museum - Altes Museum
• Neues-Museum - Alte Nationalgalerie - Pergamon. Das Panorama

Kulturforum Berlin: Day ticket with admission to 5 museums

1 ticket for 5 museums & exhibitions

from €20.00 Day-ticket

• Discover world-famous artworks & collections
• Neue Nationalgalerie - Gemäldegalerie - Kunstbibliothek
• Kunstgewerbemuseum - Kupferstichkabinett

Tickets Neues Museum Berlin

Traces of pre- and protohistoric cultures

from €16.00 Time-Slot Ticket

• Egyptian Museum & Insights into Ancient Egyptian Cultures
• Artefacts from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages
• Collection of Ancient Antiquities: an extensive exhibition

Exhibition: Pergamon. The panorama by Asisi

Masterpieces of the ancient metropolis & 360 degree panorama

from €14.00

• The exhibition at Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama
• Impressive: Experience the ancient metropolis
• Get your time slot ticket now

Neue Nationalgalerie: day ticket

1 ticket for all permanent exhibitions

from €8.00 Day ticket

• Gerhard Richter: 100 Works for Berlin
• admission to current permanent exhibitions
• Get your day ticket now

Alte Nationalgalerie: Day ticket

Art of the 19th Century

from €12.00 Day ticket

• Great art collections from the 19th century
• Collection of paintings and sculptures on 3 floors
• Works from Caspar David Friedrich to Adolph Menzel

Day Ticket: Hamburger Bahnhof

Museum for Contemporary Art Berlin

from €10.00 Day Ticket

• Friedrich Christian Flick Collection
• collections & exhibitions on art from the 1960s to the present day
• Artworks from Beuys, Kiefer, Rauschenberg, Twombly & Warhol

Tickets: Bode-Museum and exhibitions

Sculpture & Painting 13th-18th Century

from €12.00 Day-ticket

• Main Works of Medieval Art: Madonna & Man of Sorrows
• Works of Romanesque, Early Renaissance & Late Antiquity
• Exhibitions: Art from Africa & Byzantine Art

Museum Europäischer Kulturen: Museum Ticket

Time-slot ticket including admission to all exhibitions

from €10.00 Museum ticket

• Exhibitions: Cultural Contacts. Living in Europe
• The Giant Mechanical Nativity Scene from the Ore Mountains
• Book your day ticket now

Altes Museum: Skip the line ticket

Discover the classical antiquity

• The ancient Greece between the 10th & 1st century BC
• Highlights of antique coinage & treasure chamber
• Roman Art: Portrait busts of Caesar & Cleopatra

Skip the line ticket: Gemäldegalerie at the Kulturforum

Your access to current exhibitions

from €10.00

• Wide collection of paintings from the 13th to the 18th century
• Numerous masterpieces of all art-histroic epochs
• Approximately 1000 masterpieces - 72 halls

Museum of Photography Berlin: Day ticket for all exhibitions

From the 19th century to the present day

• Exhibitions of the Helmut Newton Foundation & Art Library
• Permanent exhibition: Helmut Newton's Private Property
• until 20.05.2024: Photographic Treasures of the 20th Century

Schloss Köpenick: Day Ticket

Room Art from Renaissance, Baroque & Rococo

• Collection of over 500 exhibits
• Silver buffet from Berlin Palace
• Museum of Arts and Design with study collection

Kunstgewerbemuseum - Museum of Decorative Arts: Day Ticket

Fashion & design in a variety of shapes

• Materials & Forms from Fashion, Design & Artworks
• Excellent goldsmithery & Italian Majolica painting
• Discovery journey through the art & cultural history of Europe

Collection Scharf-Gerstenberg Berlin: Ticket

Fantastic art of surrealism

from €10.00 Day ticket

• Permanent exhibition: Surreal Worlds
• Journey through the art of surrealism
• An fantastic Collection of surreal art

Tickets for Prussian Palaces & Gardens in Berlin-Brandenburg

sanssouci+: Day Ticket for Palaces & Gardens

Discover all Prussian Palaces in Potsdam

from €22.00 Day Ticket

• Combined ticket incl. Sanssouci Palace
• incl. the Prussian palaces & gardens of Potsdam
• incl. the New Palace, Charlottenhof Villa & more

charlottenburg+ Combined-Ticket: Charlottenburg Palace

incl. All Museum Venues in Charlottenburg Palace Gardens

from €19.00 Combined ticket

• Combined ticket incl. Charlottenburg Palace
• Day ticket for Charlottenburg Palace Garden
• incl. Old Palace, New Pavillion & more

Ticket: Cecilienhof Country House incl. exhibition

Admission to the Cecilienhof Country House in Potsdam

from €12.00 Online Ticket

• Ticket for Cecilienhof Country House incl. permanent exhibition
• Historical site of the Potsdam Conference
• A journey back in time to the year 1945

Ticket: Rheinsberg House

Entrance ticket incl. Kurt Tucholsky Literature Museum

from €10.00 Ticket

• Visit the Rheinsberg House
• Incl. Kurt Tucholsky Literature Museum
• A journey into the 18th century

Tickets for popular exhibitions in Berlin

Which exhibition would you like to visit today? We have compiled an overview for you of popular exhibitions in Berlin. From art and culture to history and entertainment, here you will find your ticket to current special exhibitions and popular permanent exhibitions.

Ticket: Roads not Taken. Or: Things could have turned out differently

Deutsches Historisches Museum

from €7.00 online ticket

• Key moments in the German history 1989-1848 
• Exhibition until 11.01.2026 at Pei-Bau
• Get your ticket now

Day Ticket: Berlinische Galerie - Museum of modern Art

Art of divided Berlin & Dada Berlin & New Objectivity

from €6.00 Day ticket

• Art Collection Berlin Works from 1870 till today
• Large collection on 4600qm area: Extensive theme collection
• The Art of divided Berlin & Dada Berlin & New Objectivity

Time-slot ticket: Museum Barberini Potsdam

Exhibition: Impressionism: The Hasso Plattner Collection

from €10.00 Time-Slot Ticket

• Impressionism. The Hasso Plattner Collection
• Over 100 masterpieces from Monet, Renoir to Signac
• Book your ticket for the current exhibition now

Ticket for the German Historic Museum

Exhibitions on formative events in German history

• Turning Points 1989-1848: "Roads not Taken"
• Wolf Biermann. A poet and songwriter in Germany
• One ticket for all exhibitions 

Ticket: DDR-Museum Berlin

An interactive experience journey back to history

from €13.50

• The exhibition about everyday life in the GDR
• Public Life - The Wall - State & Ideology
• What was everyday life in the GDR? Find it out.

THF Tower Berlin rooftop terrace & exhibition: Combined ticket

A magnificent view over Berlin at Tempelhof airport

from €6.00 Combined ticket

• Experience the unique panoramic view
• Admission to the rooftop terrace incl. exhibition

Jewish Museum Berlin: Time-Slot Ticket

Exhibition: Jewish Life in Germany: Past and Present

• New exhibition: Jewish Life in Germany: Past & Present
• Experience the impressive diversity of Jewish culture
• Book your time-slot ticket now

All about Anne: Exhibition at Anne Frank Zentrum

Biographical, interactive & inclusive

from €8.00 Time-Slot Ticket

• An Exhibition in memory of Anne Frank
• An biographical, interactive & inclusive exhibition
• Also accessible to children, teenagers & families

Ticket: Wolf Biermann. A poet and songwriter in Germany

• An artist's biography in a historical context
• Until 02.06.2024 at the Pei-Bau
• Book your ticket now

The Wall: Asisi Panorama Berlin Exhibition Ticket

A 360 Degree Exhibition about the divided Berlin from Asisi

from €11.00 Day ticket

• An atmospheric snapshot within the shadow of the Berlin Wall
• Unique panorama exhibition of the artist Yadegar Asisi
• A visitor highlight for all ages

Ticket: Hanf Museum Berlin (Hemp Museum)

1 Ticket for all exhibitions

from €6.00 Time-slot ticket

• Discover everything about the cultivated plant
• Exhibition about the history and current topics
• Art gallery with works by various artists

Tickets for your museum visit with children

Our recommendations for family & children activities in Berlin

Discover, join in & try out - these museums are definitely worth a visit for young and old explorers. Find interesting and exciting facts about the world of animals, dinosaurs and history.

Day Ticket: Natural History Museum Berlin

A Journey through the World of Science

from €11.00

• Discover the fascinating world of science & research
• Collections & Exhibitions for all ages
• Explore the world of dinosaurs, birds & evolution

DeJa Vu Museum Berlin: Ticket

Interactive Museum of Optical Illusions & Modern Art

from €15.00 ticket

• An interactive experience for the whole family
• Experience the magic of illusions
• 1 ticket for all exhibitions

Illuseum Berlin: Skip the line Ticket

Enter the world of illusions

from €16.00

• Immerse yourself in the world of illusions
• A fascination for your senses awaits you
• Fun & Entertainment for the whole family

Deutschlandmuseum Berlin: Admission Flex ticket

The immersive history museum for the whole family

from €23.00 Flex ticket

• 2.000 years of German history 
• An immersive & interactive journey through time
• From the Varus Battle to the summer fairytale

German Spy Museum Berlin: Skip the Line Flex-Ticket

World of spies & agents

from €20.00 Flex ticket

• Discover the fascinating world of spying
• A unique exhibition for young and old
• Interactive museum & multimedia highlights

Computer Games Museum Berlin: Time-slot Ticket

Explore the evolution of computers & games

• The museum for computer games fans
• Over 300 highlights for all ages
• An interactive & entertaining exploration tour

You want to see as many museums as possible in Berlin, or would you prefer a very specific one?

Berlin has more museums than rainy days - that's 180 museums with an average of 100 rainy days a year. So even if you go to a different museum every rainy day, you'll need almost two years to see all the museums. This means you have to choose which museums you want to visit first - we cannot decide that for you.

We can help you choose the right ticket.

But we can help you find exactly the right ticket for your interests - and also save you money. Whether you came to Berlin specifically for its museum culture, or if you only want to pay a visit to Nefertiti, you can buy the right ticket from us at visitBerlin.de.

Berlin museum pass - For museum fans & culture lovers

If you are a real culture fan and cannot get enough of the museums in Berlin, the museum pass is the ticket for you. With the Berlin museum pass, you get free admission to more than 30 exhibitions and museums on three consecutive days. And for only  €32.00 (concessions: €16.00).

Here are the advantages of the museum pass at a glance:

• Free admission to over 30 museums and exhibitions
• Also available as an online ticket  
• No long queues on site
• All museums on the Museum Island are included
• Other highlights include the German Historical Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and much more

Buy the museum pass

Berlin Welcome Card – For the curious

Are you perhaps in Berlin for the first time and want to combine sightseeing and culture in Berlin? With the Berlin WelcomeCard, you can see a lot and at the same time save money and time. The official tourist ticket is a public transport ticket and a discount card in one - and you can choose how many days the Berlin Welcome Card covers. For 48 hours, the Berlin Welcome Card is from  €25.00.

Here are the advantages of the Berlin Welcome Card at a glance:

• Public transport ticket for the whole of Berlin
• Save at 200 attractions, museums, restaurants, and other partners
• Map and travel guide included
• Also available as an online ticket
• Discounts include the Berlin TV Tower, the Zoological Garden, the museums of Museum Island, and many sightseeing tours

Buy the Berlin Welcome Card

Berlin Welcome Card all inclusive - For leisure travellers

Discover Berlin without having to wait around everywhere and buy tickets? Treat yourself to a little comfort and make your visit to Berlin something special without stress. With the Berlin Welcome Card all inclusive, you pay once and then have free admission to 30 of the most exciting sights and museums in Berlin, such as the Pergamon Museum and the Neues Museum. In addition, you get many discounts throughout the city and - if you want - a public transport ticket.

Here are the advantages of the Berlin Welcome Card all inclusive at a glance:

• Pay once, 30x free admission to Berlin's highlights , including in all museums on Museum Island, no annoying queues in Berlin
• Optional public transport ticket 
• Save at more attractions, museums, restaurants, and other partners
• The all-round package for sightseeing and culture

Buy the Berlin Welcome Card all inclusive 

Berlin Welcome Card Museum Island

Transport ticket 72h included

Berlin Welcome Card Museum Island - All you need for your Berlin visit

Would you like to visit the famous museums of the Museum Island and discover Berlin in a more flexible way? The Berlin Welcome Card Museum Island is perfect choice for museum lovers and Berlin explorers.

Your advantages at a glance:

• Free Public Transport in Berlin - Ticket Included
• Including Museum Island - daily free admission to the museums
• 200 discount offers - Enjoy attractions & save up to 50%
• Free City Guidebook - city map of Berlin with practical tips
• Easy & Safe: Book Now & Experience Berlin

Here you will get more tickets for Berlin

Tickets for boat tours

Tickets for the Television Tower

Straight to view No waiting

Tickets for bus tours

Your booking advantages on visitBerlin.de

• Best price guarantee for your city break in Berlin
• Secure booking on Berlin’s official travel portal
• Travel offers & deals at selected hotels
• Qualified travel consultants with over 20 years experience
• Free cancellation for the majority of services
• American Express

THE 10 BEST Museums in Museum Island (Berlin)

Museums in museum island.

• Art Museums
• Specialty Museums
• History Museums
• Art Galleries
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Mitte (Borough)
• Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (Borough)
• Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (Borough)
• Museum Island
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Budget-friendly
• Good for Couples
• Good for Big Groups
• Honeymoon spot
• Good for Kids
• Adventurous
• Hidden Gems
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Pergamonmuseum

2. Museum Island

Recommended Museum Tickets and Passes (19)

3. Neues Museum

4. Alte Nationalgalerie

5. Bode Museum

6. Altes Museum

7. Ancient Worlds - Greeks, Etruscans and Romans

8. Berlin Global

9. James Simon Galerie

10. Historischer Hafen Berlin

11. Hosek Contemporary

12. laszlo vertes, what travelers are saying.

• Pergamon Museum Berlin
• Bode Museum Berlin
• Neues Museum Berlin
• Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin
• Altes Museum Berlin
• Opening Hours
• Getting There
• Cafés & Restaurants
• Things to Do
• Tickets & Guided Tours

Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQ)

On this page, we have gathered the most asked questions about Museums Island Berlin. For your convenience, we have sorted them into different categories.

Let's begin with general questions!

General Questions about Museum Island Berlin

Is it worth visiting all museums in museum island in berlin .

Certainly, all the museums on Museum Island in Berlin are worth visiting. Each of the five museums hosts a unique collection of cultural treasures and priceless exhibitions. From ancient civilizations to modern masterpieces, there is something for everyone's taste and interest. If you have limited time or prefer a curated experience, don't miss the must-see museums: the Pergamon Museum, where awe-inspiring archaeological findings from ancient times are exhibited, and the Neues Museum, which houses fascinating Egyptian artifacts like the famous Nefertiti bust. >> More Information

Which city pass is needed to visit Museum Island in Berlin?

There are four Berlin Museum Island city pass options that enable you to visit Museum Island in Berlin: 1. You can purchase the Museumspass Berlin card. With this card, you can enter more than 30 museums and exhibitions, including the 5 museums on Berlin Museum Island, for free. 2. You can also obtain a day ticket for Berlin Museum Island, which grants you free entry to the 5 museums. 3. By purchasing a Berlin Welcome Card Museum Island ticket, you can benefit from the advantages of the Berlin Welcome Card. 4. By purchasing the all-inclusive Berlin Welcome Card, you can benefit from discounts at more than 180 events and enter museums without buying additional tickets, depending on the ticket conditions. >> BUY TICKET ONLINE

Is there a restaurant on Museum Island in Berlin?

Yes. On Museum Island, you can satisfy your hunger quickly at the following restaurants without wasting any time. ✦Lebenswelten Bistro From the first floor of the Humboldt Forum located on the other side of the road, you can satisfy your hunger with affordable yet high-quality meals at this bistro. ✦Bandy's Currywurst You can get all varieties of Berlin's traditional taste, Currywurst, from here. Additionally, you can complement your menu with Berlin's famous beers. ✦Bandy Brooks You can satisfy your hunger with ice cream and crepes. ✦Ephraims You can explore more German food flavors. ✦Dom Cafe A wonderful spot to take a coffee and dessert break. ✦Trattoria Pizzeria San Nicola If your preference is for Italian cuisine, you will love this restaurant. >> More Information

Is there a 3-day pass for Museum Island in Berlin?

Yes, the Berlin WelcomeCard Museumsinsel (Museum Island) is valid for 3 days. You can use it to enter all the museums on Museum Island without paying any additional fees. You can be sure that what you see will be worth it!

What can I do on Museum Island in Berlin?

In Berlin's Museum Island, you can marvel at a treasure trove of priceless exhibitions. Five museums, from ancient artifacts and archaeological treasures to masterful sculptures and paintings, showcase the priceless heritage listed by UNESCO . Explore our special articles to discover each museum's permanent exhibition and significant highlights.

What are the 5 museums on Museum Island in Berlin?

The five museums located on Museum Island in Berlin are the Pergamon Museum, Bode Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, and Altes Museum.               >> More Information

What time is Museum Island open?

Pergamon Museum: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Bode Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie: 10:00 am - 06:00 pm // Neues Museum: Thu: 10:00 am - 08:00 pm Monday: closed >More information about the Opening Hours Museum Island

Which Berlin museums require timed entry?

A time slot ticket is required to visit the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Bode Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie and Pergamon Museum). > Purchase your ticket and select your preferred time slot while it is still available here!

How do you get to Museum Island?

erlin is a city with a highly developed public transportation network. You can reach Museum Island (Museumsinsel) quickly and easily using public transport vehicles. You can take the underground using the U5, U6, or S-Bahn lines S1, S2, S25, S5, S7 or S75. The S-Bahn stop of Hackescher Markt is just 15 minutes walk away from the Island. >How do you get to Museum Island?

Can you walk to Museum Island?

By Walk: The Museum Island is centrally located in Berlin. It is also very close to many other tourist attractions. You can reach Museum Island from Hackescher Markt in a 10-minute walk, TV Tower in 11 minutes, from Alexanderplatz in 14 minutes, Friedrichstraße in 15 minutes and from Brandenburg Gate in 20 minutes. (Distances are approximate.)   >More Information

Frequently Asked Questions about Pergamon Museum

What is the pergamon museum known for.

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin hosts three very important and worth-seeing collections. However, it is renowned for the Pergamon Altar (180-160 BC).             >Detailed information about the Pergamon Museum

Is the Pergamon Panorama worth it?

The Asisi Panorama at the Pergamon Museum offers an easily understandable and monumental concept with a 360° view of an ancient city in Asia Minor.

How long do you need at the Pergamon Museum?

This may vary depending on your interest. However, it is recommended to plan for a minimum of 2 hours.  >More information about visit duration

Why is the Pergamon Museum in Berlin?

Pergamon (Bergama) is a district in the Izmir province of Turkey. The main reason for the presence of the Bergama Zeus Altar in Berlin is primarily due to the discoveries made by the German engineer Carl Humann in the Bergama region. The Zeus Altar is one of the most admired works of the Hellenistic era. The artifact has been exhibited in Berlin since 1910.

Why is the Pergamon Altar important?

Monumental architectural endeavors, including the Pergamon Altar, served as a crucial means for the Attalids to assert their legitimacy as rightful successors of Alexander's empire and, consequently, the heritage of Classical Greece. The Altar stands prominently in the foreground, while a model of the acropolis at Pergamon is displayed

Why will Pergamon Museum close?

Starting from October 23, 2023, the Pergamon Museum on Berlin's Museum Island will be closed for visits until the spring of 2027 due to necessary renovation works as part of the "Museum Island Master Plan."

Frequently Asked Questions about Bode Museum

What is bode museum known for.

The Bode Museum, located in the magnificent building of the Berlin Museum Island, is renowned for its coin collection and Byzantine art objects and sculptures . >Detailed information about the Bode Museum

Why was the Bode Museum built?

Max Hasak built the Bode Museum, located at the northern end of Museum Island, between 1897 and 1904 to house Wilhelm von Bode's original sculpture and painting inventory, which extended to the Brandenburg Electors' Kunstkammer.

Who built the Bode Museum?

The Bode Museum was built by Ernst von Ihne and Max Hasak between 1897 and 1904. The establishment of this precious museum, located on Museum Island, is based on the art historian Wilhelm von Bode's dream of building an art museum. >Detailed information about Building's Architectural Side

What can you see in the Bode Museum?

The signature works that you can see at the Bode Museum are as follows. > Detailed information about the Bode Museum

• The relief of the Pazzi Madonna by Donatello
• Bernini's "Satyr with Panther”
• Tilman Riemenschneider's "Four Evangelists“
• Ancient sarcophagi from Rome as well as mosaic icons

How long does it take to see the Bode-Museum?

It is recommended to allocate a minimum of 2 hours to visit the Bode Museum. This suggested time frame may vary depending on how you wish to explore the museum. You can find information about guided tours at the Bode Museum here. If you prefer to explore the historical artifacts alone, audio-guided tours can shed light on your visit.   >Information about the best time slot for Bode Museum

Frequently Asked Questions about Neues Museum

What is the neues museum famous for.

The most famous point of the Neues Museum is the Nefertiti Bust. However, we should not overlook the fact that it also houses many other valuable works, such as the 'Green Head' and the ' Berlin Gold Hat .' >Detailed information about the Neues Museum

How much time is needed for the Neues Museum?

The average time needed to visit the Neues Museum is about 1.5-2 hours . Additionally, the recommended visiting time for a comfortable experience is 10:00 AM. >Information about the best time slots for Neues Museum

Where is the Nefertiti bust?

You can see the Nefertiti Bust at the Neues Museum's Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection section located in Museum Island. The Nefertiti Bust, the prized possession of the Neues Museum, is displayed in a spacious room all by itself.

When was the Neues Museum restored?

Between 2003 and 2009, the Neues museum was rebuilt according to the plans of the British architect David Chipperfield. The original structure of the building was preserved, and great care was taken to harmonize it with the old. The Neues Museum was completed in 2007 and opened to visitors in 2009 in the Museum Island.     >>Detailed information about Building's Architectural Side

What does the name Nefertiti mean?

The name of Nefertiti, exhibited in the Neues Museum on Museum Island in Berlin, has Egyptian origins, and its meaning is "the beautiful one has arrived".

Frequently Asked Questions about Alte Nationalgalerie

What is exhibited in the alte nationalgalerie (old national gallery) in berlin.

At the Alte Nationalgalerie, artworks from the 19th century are exhibited. You will find paintings and sculptures influenced by movements such as Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and Modernism. >> More Information about Alte Nationalgalerie

What is the history of the Nationalgalerie Berlin?

Nationalgalerie (National Gallery) Berlin was founded as a museum of contemporary art.In 1861, the decision to establish the Nationalgalerie Berlin was made following banker Johann Heinrich Wagener's donation of 262 paintings by both German and foreign artists. The gallery, which is located on Museum Island in Berlin, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.   >> Read More about Alte Nationalgalerie

What can one see in the Alte Nationalgalerie?

In Berlin's Alte Nationalgalerie, you will discover masterpieces such as ' The Balcony Room ' and ' Iron Rolling Mill' (paintings by Adolph Menzel), ' Double Statue of the Princesses Luise and Friederike of Prussia ' (a masterpiece by Johann Gottfried Schadow), ' Bronze equestrian statue of Friedrich Wilhelm IV ' sculpted by Alexander Calandrelli, ' Monk by the Sea ' (a painting by Caspar David Friedrich), and ' In Summer ' (a painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir).                                               >> Read More about Alte Nationalgalerie's Collections (Permanent Exhibition)

What is the Alte Nationalgalerie famous for?

The National Gallery Collection contains over 2,300 works, including many famous works, such as van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait , Velázquez's Rokeby Venus , Turner's Fighting Temeraire and Van Gogh's Sunflowers .

How old is the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery)?

The National Gallery Berlin is over 145 years old.. It was built between 1866 and 1876. Located on Museum Island, the gallery is considered one of the most important museum architectures of the 19th century. You can take a closer look at the history of the Alte Nationalgalerie.

Frequently Asked Questions about Altes Museum

What is the altes museum known for.

The Altes Museum is renowned for being the first building of both Berlin and Museum Island . It was built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and is one of the most captivating architectural structures in Berlin. It houses numerous artworks from the Greek, Roman, and Etruscan periods, even hosting the second-largest Etruscan art collection after Italy.

What is inside the Altes Museum?

The Altes Museum, built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, houses the city's fine arts collection, including old favorite paintings, drawings, prints, and the Numismatic Collection on Museum Island in Berlin. Important works of Etruscan and Roman art are kept here, and Greek Art is also exhibited. >> Read More about Altes Museum

Is the Altes Museum Berlin free?

The Altes Museum is free for children and young people up to the age of 18. (On Sundays, you can access the list of museums that are free under the Free Museum Day .) >> Buy Online Ticket Now

Why was the Altes Museum built?

The Altes museum building was built between 1823 and 1830 by the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the neoclassical style to house the Prussian royal family's art collection . It was designed to showcase various art pieces, including old favorite paintings, drawings, prints, and the Numismatic Collection. The museum also houses important artworks from the Etruscan and Roman periods, as well as Greek art. >> More Details about History of Altes Museum

What was the Altes Museum in Berlin modeled after?

The Altes Museum, built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel from 1823 to 1830, is one of Europe's important museum buildings with a wide and orderly staircase and an elegant rotunda modeled after the Pantheon in Rome .

Frequently Asked Questions about Tickets & Guided Tours

How much does it cost to go to museum island in berlin.

Tickets to the Alte Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie and Bode-Museum can be purchased on site at a price of 10 € per person. Tickets to the Neues Museum and Pergamonmuseum cost 12 € on site. The “Museum Island + Panorama Ticket” costs 19 €. On the 1st Sunday of the month, admission to all museums on Museum Island is free.   >> BUY TICKET ONLINE

How much does it cost to go to the Pergamon Museum?

Tickets for the Pergamon Museum cost €12 and €6 for concessions. A combo ticket for access to all museums on the Museum Island costs €19 for adults and €9.50 for concessions. A 3-day Museum Pass for Berlin costs €32 for adults and €16 for concessions. >> BUY PERGAMON MUSEUM TICKET ONLINE

Do you need reservations for museums in Berlin?

To visit the five museums located on Museum Island in Berlin, a time slot ticket should be reserved . >> BUY TICKET ONLINE

Museum Island Buildings Overview

Museum island tickets & guided tours.

The 12 best things to do in Berlin

F rom museum hopping to picnicking in an abandoned airport and scoping out city views from an erstwhile Cold War radio station, Berlin does not lack for fun and quirky activities.

Read on for the best things to do in the city. Plan your visit with our guides to the best restaurants , bars , nightlife and shopping , and how to spend a weekend in Berlin .

Explore the seat of German Parliament

The (literal) highlight of a visit to the Reichstag is its famous glass dome. Built by Sir Norman Foster, the structure is lined inside with photogenic, light-catching mirrors, and offers views down into the Bundestag, as well as sweeping vistas across the city. Take a guided tour to learn about the building’s history and architecture, and the workings of German government. (Passport ID required).

Insider's tip:  The most popular part of a visit is the dome; its roof terrace offers a restaurant as well as impressive views over the city. It’s also possible to see preserved war damage such as bullet-holes and Russian graffiti throughout the main building.

Find out more:  bundestag.de

Nearest Metro: U Bundestag

Price: Free

Go museum hopping

The Unesco heritage Museum Island comprises five conveniently adjacent museums, as well as the Simon James Galerie, an entrance and special exhibition building built by David Chipperfeld Architects and opened in 2019. Each museum is a destination in its own right and deserves at least half a day to explore. The Pergamon Museum has vast treasures from the Ancient NearEast and Islamic art; the Neues Museum holds Egyptian, prehistoric and classical treats, while the Bode Museum has an outstanding sculpture collection.

Insider's tip: You can get a one-day Museum Island ticket, but if time allows bag the three-day Museum Pass , which gets you into 30 museums. If you only have time for one museum, do the Neues.

Find out more :  smb.museum

Nearest Metro : S/U Hackescher Markt

Admission : £

Visit the world's most famous checkpoint

Checkpoint Charlie was the main entry point for visitors wanting to cross the infamous Iron Curtain to East Berlin. The Mauer Museum – Museum House at Checkpoint Charlie offers exhibitions relating to tales of escapees, both would-be and successful. It can be overwhelming, not least because it’s always so busy and there is no clear route through all the rooms – but some items of note are the cars (and wooden carts) that were used for escapes, and examples of care packages dropped into West Berlin during the airlift.

Insider's tip: Save time for the several excellent related museums and exhibits nearby, including the small but comprehensive Black Box Cold War , the fascinating large-scale Asisi Panorama , and an outdoor exhibition of black-and-white images that document the checkpoint’s history.

Find out more:   mauer-museum.com

Metro Station : U Stadtmitte / Kochstraße

Immerse yourself in Jewish culture and history

Daniel Libeskind’s zig-zag, zinc-clad Jewish Museum is a singular architectural sight in Berlin. Highlights include the new core exhibition that opened in 2020; the Axes, which deal with the topics of emigration and exile, racial exclusion and the Holocaust; the Garden of Exile; and Menashe Kadishman’s poignant artwork, "Fallen Leaves", located in the Memory Void. There are also regular events, installations and temporary exhibitions. There's also a children’s museum called ANOHA.

Insider's tip: For a deeper look into the personal histories of Jewish residents in Berlin throughout the ages – as well as some more striking architecture – visit the W. Michael Blumenthal Academy opposite the museum. Its impressive documentation spans religious, and cultural life as well as personal experiences.

Find out more :  jmberlin.de

Metro station : U Hallesches Tor / U Kochstrasse

Scope out the striking Brandenburger Tor

Napoleon’s army 'borrowed' it, Ronald Reagan called for Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" from behind it, and Jacko held a baby from a balcony near it. Instantly recognisable, Brandeburger Tor has also been the backdrop to everything from John F. Kennedy’s famous 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech to previous World Cup celebrations, and continues to host major events in its associated square (Pariser Platz).

Insider's tip: Save some time to visit the Room of Silence on the north side, built specifically for visitors to rest and reflect.

Opening hours: 24hrs a day

Metro Station : U Brandenburger Tor

Admission : Free

Visit the Memorial to the Murdered Jews

Peter Eisenman’s controversial Memorial to the Murdered Jews consists of 2,711 concrete slabs (stelae) arranged in a neat grid near the Brandenburger Tor. They’re deliberately built at varying height to give visitors a sense of disorientation and confusion. The memorial’s underground visitor centre, full of heartbreaking personal stories, is often missed but very poignant.

Insider's tip: Close by, towards the edge of the Tiergarten park, are related memorials to other prominent victim groups of the holocaust; namely homosexuals, Roma and Sinti people and those murdered in the Nazi’s notorious Aktion T4 euthanasia program.

Find out more:   holocaust-mahnmal.de

Metro station : U/S Potsdamer Platz

Price : Free

Visit the city’s newest—and hippest—photo gallery

Photography is a big part of Berlin’s thriving art scene, with major galleries such as C/O Berlin hosting big-name retrospectives like Sebastião Salgado, Martin Parr and GDR snapper Harald Hauswald and the smaller but elegant Camera Work , housed in a nineteenth-century coach-house, presenting iconic snappers such as Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon and Man Ray. The city’s latest opening, Fotografiska , is located in the vast former art-squat Kunsthaus Tacheles, whose graffiti-splattered walls and stairwell form part of the venue’s overall slick design by Herzog & de Meuron. The first three floors are given over to rotating exhibitions from an array of global photographers and multimedia artists that confront contemporary themes (fashion, consumerism, race, feminism). On the fourth floor lies the dark and decadent Verōnika restaurant , with its velvet banquettes and high-end menu of lobster omelette, tempura oysters and Irish entrecote restaurant, and one floor above, the equally dapper bar serves excellent wines and cocktails plus a signature martini tray; booking a table at one of these gets you free entry into the exhibitions.  

Opening hours: 10am-11pm daily

Metro Station: U Oranienburger Strasse

Admission: 14-16 Euros

Laze by Landwehr Canal

Berlin’s 19th-century Landwehr Canal might not be as famous as the Spree, but its meandering seven-mile length will take you through a host of inner city districts and sights, including Kreuzberg’s café-lined embankments, Paul-Lincke-Ufer and Maybachufer; Mies ran der Rohe’s striking Neue Nationalgalerie; the 1930s modernist ShellHaus building; the city’s celebrated Bauhaus Archiv; and a part of the Tiergarten park.

Insider's tip: If you stroll the canal in summer, be sure to drop into one (or both) of the beer gardens en route, namely, Cafe am Neuen See and Schleusenkrug .

Discover one of Weimar Berlin’s biggest art icons

Schöneberg’s Kleine Grosz Museum , set inside a revamped modernist petrol station complete with a new bamboo garden and koi pond, is a quintessentially quirky Berlin spot. Dedicated to the life and work of German-American painter, graphic artist, cartoonist and anti-war activist George Grosz—best-known for critiquing the Great War and ideas of patriotism—the museum gives a chronological overview of the artist’s career on the ground floor, including some of his local endeavours such as production designer for Erwin Piscator and others at the nearby Theatre am Nollendorfplatz. The upper level hosts themed exhibitions of his works that change every six months, zooming in on phases such as his connections with the Berlin Dada movement and the postwar collage work he embarked on while living in the States (he was exiled by the Nazis in 1933). The small but pleasant on-site cafe is an attractive, peaceful spot for coffee and cake. 

Opening hours: 11am-6pm, Thu-Mon

Metro Station: U Bülowstrasse

Admission: 10 Euros

Browse art in a Second World War Bunker

One of Berlin’s most idiosyncratic art spaces, Boros Sammlung is a gallery hidden inside a monolithic, five-floor Second World War concrete bunker. The exhibition changes every four years, and has no overarching themes; it’s simply a selection from the owner’s collection. Visitors can expect everything from installations and video art to painting and sculpture – all with a thought-provoking twist – by some of the contemporary art world’s best-known names.

Insider's tip: Given the structure of the gallery/bunker and its popularity, it’s not possible to drop by. Sign up on the website a good few weeks prior to your visit if you want to be sure to get a spot.

Find out more :  sammlung-boros.de

Metro Station : U Oranienburger Strasse / U/S Friedrichstrasse

Picnic at an abandoned airport

One of the largest public spaces in Europe, Tempelhofer Feld used to be a functioning airport: for the Nazis (who expanded it into its current form) during Second World War as well as for the Berlin Airlift during the Cold War, and then a commercial airport. It has been used as a recreational space, and makes a unique day-trip for picnickers, kite-surfers, cyclists and rollerblade fans alike. Bikes (for adults and children), as well as pedal cars, GoKarts and rollerblades can be rented from the park’s Mobilcenter .

Insider's tip:  You can order a pre-made picnic here . A new rooftop terrace and gallery opened in 2023 but the interiors of the main buildings, only open via tours , contain Second World War bunkers and tunnels, as well as Cold War paraphernalia.

Find out more :  thf-berlin.de

Metro Station : U Platz der Luftbrücke

Admission : Access to the park is free.

Embrace your inner spy with a hike to 'Devil's Mountain'

A trip out to Cold War radio base Teufelsberg (Devil’s Mountain) is something of a pilgrimage for locals as well as visitors. Hidden away in the Grunewald forest, on top of a mountain made of post-WWII rubble, the base was used by US and British forces to spy on the Soviet Union, including Russian-controlled East Germany. Today its distinctive radomes and tower are completely dilapidated, street art adorns the interior, and the views on a clear day are superb.

Insider's tip:  It’s possible to tour the site independently, but the best way is via the regular English-language tours, which explain the history and artworks.

Find out more : teufelsberg-berlin.de

Metro Station : S9 or S75 to Heerstraße, or S1 to Grunewald

How we choose

Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.

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