List of museums and galleries in Berlin explained

Active museums

This is a list of museums and non-commercial galleries in Berlin, Germany.

NameImageNeighborhoodBoroughTypeSummary
Abguss-Sammlung Antiker Plastik Art Part of the Free University of Berlin, plaster casts of sculptures from Ancient Greece, Rome, and the Byzantine Empire
Mitte Art Located in Pariser Platz, offers exhibitions, concerts, debates, readings, film, theatre, and dance performances
Railway Railway vehicles, exhibits about the history of Zehlendorfer Railway
Alice - Museum for Children Children's Website, located in the FEZ Berlin
Steglitz-Zehlendorf History Cold War history and roles of the Western Allies (US, France and Britain) in Germany between 1945 and 1994 and their contribution to liberty in Berlin
Alte NationalgalerieArt Part of the Berlin State Museums, gallery showing a collection of Neoclassical, Romantic, Biedermeier, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork
Museum Island Mitte Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, features antiquities - art and culture of the Ancient Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans
Mitte Mitte Medical Part of the Humboldt University of Berlin, historic teaching auditorium for the veterinary school
Anna Seghers Museum Treptow-Köpenick Biographical Website, rooms where author Anna Seghers lived, operated by the Academy of Arts, Berlin Archive
Mitte History Exhibit about Anne Frank and about antisemitism and intolerance in the present
Mitte History Website, facts on the topics of war and peace, and features an original air raid shelter from World War II, weapons, war toys, peace movement
Treptow-Köpenick Science Observatory and museum of astronomy
Mitte Art Art pieces, items, documents and literature which relate to the Bauhaus School (1919–1933)
Charlottenburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, features, collection of modern art classics including Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, and Alberto Giacometti
BcmA BerlinKreuzbergFriedrichshain-KreuzbergArtBcmA Berlin is a non-profit cultural and artistic platform for artists in Berlin to present and create new ideas in a highly collaborative project space.
Steglitz-Zehlendorf Technology Website, development of energy generation and supply systems, located in a former power plant
Mitte Mitte Medical Website, developments in medicine including the view of and into the body, patients, today's medicine, pathological-anatomical specimens, microscopes, medical instruments; formerly the Pathology Museum of Rudolf Virchow
Tiergarten Mitte Music Musical instruments from the 16th-century onwards, located at the Kulturforum
Staatliche Münze BerlinReinickendorfNumismatic Website
Berlin Story Museum History Website, photos and artifacts about the city's history
Mitte History Website, history and tours of the city's underground systems including the bunker systems in Berlin's subway system, recovered bombs and ammunition stores, Berlin's pneumatic post system, breweries and blind tunnels
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Transportation Website, history of the city's subway system, located in the historical signal tower at the Berlin Olympiastadion station
Berlin Wall Memorial and Documentation CentreMitte Mitte History Features the last piece of Berlin Wall with the preserved grounds, a documentation center with exhibits and a visitor center with film
Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical MuseumDahlem Steglitz-Zehlendorf Natural history Botanical garden and museum about plants and botany, botanical art
Berlin-Hohenschönhausen MemorialPrison Former Stasi prison
Mitte Mitte Transportation Website, over 140 motorcycles, scooters and mopeds from East German manufacturers
Berlinische GalerieKreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Art Berlin's visual art from 1945 on, including painting, graphics, sculpture, multimedia, photography, architecture and artists’ archives
Mill Website, reconstructed 19th-century windmill
Bezirksmuseum Marzahn-Hellersdorf Marzahn Marzahn-Hellersdorf Local Website, local and cultural history of the district
BlackBox Cold War Kreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg History Website, exhibition pavilion about the history of Checkpoint Charlie
Braun-Sammlung Ettel, Museum für DesignMoabitMitteDesignWebsite
Brecht Weigel Museum Mitte Mitte Historic house Website, last place Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel lived and worked, operated by the Academy of Arts, Berlin[1]
Britz Neukölln Mill Website, restored 19th-century windmill
Bode MuseumMuseum Island Mitte Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, features sculpture, Byzantine art, coins and medals
Boros CollectionMitte Mitte Art Contemporary art by international artists dating from 1990 to the present, located in a former air-raid shelter, tours by appointment
Bröhan MuseumCharlottenburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Art Art and design including Art Nouveau, Art Deco and functionalism
Brücke MuseumDahlem Steglitz-Zehlendorf Art Collection of works by Die Brücke ("The Bridge"), an early 20th-century expressionist movement
C/O BerlinCharlottenburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Photography Website
Charlottenburg PalaceCharlottenburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Historic house Part of the SPSG, including Old Palace, New Wing, Mausoleum, Belvedere, New Pavilion, Orangery and theater building (now exhibition rooms)
Checkpoint Charlie MuseumKreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg History History of attempts to cross the Berlin Wall out of East Germany
Computerspielemuseum BerlinFriedrichshain-Kreuzberg Video games Cultural history of computer gaming
Tiergarten Mitte Art Website, contemporary art, located at Haus Huth at Potsdamer Platz
DDR MuseumMitte Mitte History Life of people living in East Germany
DesignpanoptikumMitte Mitte Art Surrealist museum of industrial objects
Mitte Mitte Art Website, operated by Deutsche Bank, international contemporary art
Deutsches Historisches MuseumMitte Mitte History History of Germany, German life and culture
Berlin Spy MuseumMitteMitteHistoryHistory of espionage, interactive exhibition
DeutschlandmuseumMitteMitteHistoryWebsite, immersive and interactive exhibition on German History
MitteMitteHistoryWebsite, Berlin Wall cityscape in a rotunda and accompanying photography exhibition into the period
Domäne DahlemDahlem Steglitz-Zehlendorf Agriculture Website, historic manor house featuring exhibits on agriculture and nutrition, a 1920s merchant shop, butcher shop, food laboratory of the Imperial Health Office, exhibits about bees, working farm
East Side GalleryFriedrichshain Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Art Art painted on sections of the Berlin Wall as an international memorial for freedom
Ephraim PalaisMitte Multiple Website, exhibitions of art, history and culture of Berlin
Ethnological Museum of BerlinMitte Ethnographic Part of the Berlin State Museums, features art, sculptures, objects and archaeological artifacts from Africa, Meso-America, Native Americans, South Seas cultures, ethnic minorities in Southeast-Asia
The Feuerle CollectionKreuzberg Kreuzberg Art Website, art museum juxtaposes international contemporary artists with Imperial Chinese furniture and Southeast Asian sculptures.
FHXB Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg MuseumKreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Local Website, local history and culture, regional history on current issues
Fire Brigade Museum BerlinFirefighting Website
Grunewald Forest Museum Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Natural history Website, animals and plants of the Grunewald (forest)
Forum Willy Brandt Exhibition Mitte Mitte Biographical Website, life of Willy Brandt
Friedrichsfelde PalaceLichtenberg Historic houseWebsite, located in Tierpark Berlin, restored 1800-period castle, exhibits about the castle and zoo history
Friedrichswerder ChurchMitte Mitte Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, currently closed
FuturiumMitteMitteTechnology
Gaslaternen-Freilichtmuseum BerlinCharlottenburgCharlottenburg-WilmersdorfHistoryGas Lantern Open-Air Museum Berlin, located in Tiergarten park.
GemäldegalerieTiergarten Mitte Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, features European painting ranging from the 13th to 18th century, located at the Kulturforum
Georg-Kolbe-MuseumCharlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Art House, studio and gardens of sculptor Georg Kolbe
German Museum for the Blind Dahlem Steglitz-Zehlendorf History Website, history of the blind and visually impaired in Germany, Louis Braille and the development of Braille
German Museum of TechnologyKreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Technology History of science and technology, including rail, maritime and aviation transport, photography, computers, Science Center Spectrum
German-Russian MuseumLichtenberg Military German-Soviet and German-Russian relations with a focus on the German-Soviet war from 1941 to 1945
Glienicke PalaceSteglitz-Zehlendor Historic house 19th-century palace, west wing also houses the Hofgärtner Museum about the life and work of the court gardener
CharlottenburgCharlottenburg-WilmersdorfArtWebsite, part of the Berlin State Museums, features replicas of works from the collections of the SMB and from other European museums
Gothic HouseSpandauSpandauHistoric houseWebsite, a secular medieval monument, the upper floor houses a branch of the City Historical Museum Spandau
Treptow-Köpenick Maritime Website, history of water sports like rowing and sailing, includes rowboats, canoes, dragon boats, polo canoes, boat club artifacts, photographs
Marzahn-Hellersdorf Historic house Website, features eleven fully furnished rooms dating from 1870 to 1900, the Gründerzeit
Günter Litfin MemorialMitteMitteHistoryWebsite, part of the Berlin Wall Foundation
Hamburger Bahnhof: Museum of the PresentMitte Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, features contemporary art exhibits
Hemp MuseumNikolaiviertel Mitte Agriculture Website, focus is cannabis, including its effects, cultivation, processing, and possibilities of use
Tiergarten Mitte Art Website, hosts six to eight exhibitions of national and international contemporary artists in all media
Steglitz-Zehlendorf Art Website, platform for contemporary artists who live and work in Berlin and have already achieved significant international standing
Haus der Kulturen der WeltTiergarten Mitte Art Located in Tiergarten Park, exhibitions of international contemporary art, with a special focus on non-European cultures and societies
Herzberge Boiler House MuseumLichtenberg Technology Website, restored boiler house that provided heat, warm water and electricity for a hospital complex, includes exhibits about the history of the Herzberge medical complex of the Königin Elisabeth Hospital
Hohenschönhausen CastleAlt-Hohenschönhausen Lichtenberg Art Restored manor house with exhibitions of art and culture
Hošek ContemporaryMitte Mitte Art Website, located on a boat MS Heimatland near Fischerinsel, exhibitions of international contemporary art, with a special focus on performances and sound installations
House of the Wannsee ConferenceSteglitz-Zehlendorf History 1915 villa used for the Wannsee Conference of 20 January 1942, exhibits about the Holocaust in Germany
Mitte Religious Located in the Französischer Dom, the history of the Huguenots and the emergence of the French congregation in Berlin[2]
OberschöneweideTreptow-KöpenickTechnologyWebsite
Jewish Museum BerlinKreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Jewish History of the Jews in Germany
Jagdschloss GrunewaldGrunewaldCharlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Historic house Part of the SPSG, Baroque palace with Dutch and German paintings from the 17th century
Jugend Museum SchönebergTempelhof-Schöneberg Children's Website, housed at Schöneberg Museum
Käthe Kollwitz MuseumCharlottenburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Art Works by the German artist Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945)
The Kennedys (museum)Mitte Mitte Biographical Lives of the American Kennedy family
Keramik-Museum BerlinCharlottenburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Art Contemporary and historic ceramic art
Nikolaiviertel Mitte Historic house Website, 18th-century town house
KöpenickTreptow-KöpenickHistoryWebsite, permanent exhibition "The Captain of Köpenick"
Köpenick MuseumKöpenickTreptow-KöpenickHistoryWebsite
Köpenick PalaceTreptow-Köpenick Decorative arts Part of the Berlin State Museums, Baroque palace, houses decorative arts of the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo periods, outstanding masterworks in interior design from the 16th to 18th centuries
KPM WorldTiergarten Mitte Ceramics Website, KPM Royal Porcelain Factory tours, history and production of their porcelain
KulturforumTiergarten Mitte Multiple Part of the Berlin State Museums, collection of many museums, galleries and concerts halls
Kunstbibliothek (Museum collections)TiergartenMitteArtPart of the Berlin State Museums, boasts valuable collections on the history of architecture, photography, graphic design, fashion, book art, and media art, located at the Kulturforum
Kunstgewerbemuseum BerlinTiergarten Mitte Decorative arts Part of the Berlin State Museums, features European and Byzantine decorative arts, located at the Kulturforum
Dahlem Steglitz-Zehlendorf Art Website, German post-war modernist art in East and West
Kreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Art Website, contemporary art, group exhibitions of themed exhibits relating to current social and cultural activity
Kupferstichkabinett BerlinTiergarten Mitte Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, features prints and drawing, located at the Kulturforum
KW Institute for Contemporary ArtMitte Mitte Art Contemporary art exhibitions
Wedding Mitte Children's Website
Liebermann VillaWannsee Steglitz-Zehlendor Art Former summer residence of the German painter Max Liebermann, showcases his art
Lipstick Museum René Koch Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Fashion Website, open by appointment, historic lipstick and makeup cases, celebrity photographs with kiss marks, advertising, costumes
Luisa Catucci Gallery Neukölln Neukölln Art Website
MACHmit! Museum for kids Children's Website
Marienfelde Refugee Center MuseumHistory Website, history of the Marienfelde refugee transit camp and the history of flight and emigration in divided Germany
Märkisches MuseumMitte Mitte Local Culture and history of Berlin
Madame Tussauds BerlinMitte Mitte Wax Wax figures of media celebrities, musicians, politicians, historical figures
MAGICUM - Berlin Magic Museum Mitte Mitte Magic Website, magical practices and artifacts from all over the world
Martin-Gropius-BauKreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Art Modern and contemporary art and photography
me Collectors Room BerlinTiergarten Mitte Art Changing exhibitions of contemporary art from private collections
Memorial to the German ResistanceTiergarten Mitte History Resistance to National Socialism from 1933 to 1945
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of EuropeMitte History Memorial and visitor center exhibits about the persecution and extermination of the Jews of Europe and the historical sites of the crimes
Mitte Biographical Website, history of the Mendelssohn family and the Fascists' forced liquidation of the former Mendelssohn & Co. bank
Body Worlds Mitte Mitte Natural history Website, museum by Body Worlds about the human body, features preserved human bodies
Military History Museum at Belin-GatowAviation History of the Luftwaffe of the German Armed Forces
Wedding Mitte Local Website, local history and culture, features themed rooms about everyday life in around 1900
Mitte Mitte Biographical Website, life and work of author Mori Ōgai, part of the Japan Centre at the Humboldt University of Berlin
Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto WeidtMitte Mitte History Website, history of Otto Weidt's workshop for the blind and efforts to protect his Jewish workers in World War II
Museum Flat WBS 70Historic house Website, typical East German apartment with all furnishings made in East Germany
Museum in the KulturbrauereiPankow History Website, everyday life in East Germany
Treptow-Köpenick Technology Website, located in a former waterworks facility, history of the city's water supply, sewage disposal and waste treatment facilities
Museum for Architectural DrawingMitte Mitte Architecture Historic architectural drawings, operated by the Tchoban Foundation
Mitte Mitte Media Website, origins, development and future of the information society including postal systems and telecommunications
Lichtenberg Local Website, local history, located in the former town hall
Local Website, local history and culture
Charlottenburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Architecture Website, drawings, prints and photographs related to architecture, mostly by 19th and 20th century Prussian architects
Museum of Asian ArtDahlem Steglitz-Zehlendor Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, one of the largest museums of ancient Asian art in the world
Museum of European CulturesDahlem Steglitz-Zehlendor Ethnographic Part of the Berlin State Museums, culture and cultural contacts within Europe from the 18th century to the present day, including costumes, handicrafts, folk lore
Museum of Film and Television BerlinTiergarten Mitte Media History of film and television in Germany
HansaviertelMittePrinting Website, emergence, production and history of typography, scripts and sign systems
Museum of IllusionsMitteMitteMultipleWebsite
Museum of Islamic ArtMuseum Island Mitte Art and ArchaeologyPart of the Berlin State Museums, located in the Pergamon Museum
Museum of Natural HistoryMitte Mitte Natural history Includes dinosaurs, fossils, minerals, German animals, geology, astronomy, shells
Museum of PhotographyCharlottenburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Photography Part of the Berlin State Museums, features photographs from the state collection and the Helmut Newton Foundation
Kreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Design Houses the collection of the Deutscher Werkbund, 20th and 21st century design for everyday objects
Museum of Unheard Of Things Schöneberg Tempelhof-Schöneberg CuriositiesWebsite, collection of artistic, scientific and technical objects from the past and present linked by stories
Prenzlauer Berg Pankow Multiple Website, three sites: main museum of local history at Prenzlauer Allee 227; home on Heynstraße 8 depicts upper class life in 1900; house at Dunckerstraße 77
Museum Reinickendorf Local Website, borough history and culture
Steglitz-Zehlendor Open-air Website, recreated medieval village
Nazi Forced Labour Documentation CentreTreptow-Köpenick History Preserved former Nazi forced labour camp
Neue KircheMitte History Former church, features exhibit about the development of parliamentary democracy in Germany
Neue NationalgalerieTiergarten Mitte Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, features modern art with a focus on early 20th century, part of the Kulturforum
Neues MuseumMuseum Island Mitte Archaeology Part of the Berlin State Museums, features Egyptian art, prehistoric and archaeological objects, classical antiquities, development of prehistoric and protohistoric cultures, spanning from the Middle East to the Atlantic, from north Africa to Scandinavia
New Synagogue Berlin-Centrum JudaicumMitteMitteReligiousPermanent exhibition documenting the history of the building and of Berlin's Jewish community
nGbK (New Society for Fine Arts)Kreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Art Website, contemporary art exhibitions
NikolaikircheNikolaiviertel Mitte Religious Restored 13th-century church, site of many historic events in city history
TempelhofTempelhof-SchönebergHistoryWebsite, exhibition on location that documents the history of the prison
Pergamon MuseumMuseum Island Mitte ArchaeologyPart of the Berlin State Museums, features antiquities, Middle Eastern art and artifacts, Islamic art, Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin
Museum IslandMitteArchaeologyPart of the Berlin State Museums, new exhibition house that complements the Pergamon Museum
Pfaueninsel PalaceWannseeSteglitz-ZehlendorHistoric housePart of the SPSG, closed for refurbishments since 2016
Tempelhof-Schöneberg Law enforcement Website, located in Berlin Police headquarters at Platz der Luftbrücke, includes uniforms, weapons, tools[3]
Puppet Theatre Museum Puppetry Website, marionettes and theatrical puppets[4]
Ramones MuseumMitte Mitte Music Dedicated to the American punk rock band the Ramones
Red Cross Museum FriedenauTempelhof-Schöneberg Medical Website, history of the German Red Cross, includes uniforms, insignia, medical kits, equipment
Sammlung Scharf-GerstenbergCharlottenburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Art Part of the Berlin State Museums, features surrealist art, traces the evolution of the art of the fantastic
Samurai Art MuseumZehlendorfSteglitz-ZehlendorfArtWebsite, art of the Samurai from the Janssen Collection Berlin
Schloss BritzBritzNeuköllnHistoric house Restored 18th-century period manor house
Schöneberg Museum Schöneberg Tempelhof-Schöneberg Local Website, local history and culture
Schönhausen PalaceHistoric house 18th-century Baroque palace
Schwules MuseumMitte Mitte Culture LGBT culture
Spy Museum BerlinMitte Mitte History Website, history of spying, secret agents and secret services
Spandau CitadelSpandauSpandauMilitary 16th-century Renaissance fortress, includes the City History Museum Spandau, the ZAK Center for Contemporary Art, or the permanent exhibition “Unveiled. Berlin and its Monuments”
Sportmuseum Berlin WestendCharlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Sports Website, located in Olympiapark, German sports history
Stasi MuseumLichtenbergLichtenberg History History of the political system of the former East Germany, located in the former headquarters of the Stasi
Steglitz Steglitz-Zehlendorf Local Website, local history and culture
Tempelhof Museum MariendorfTempelhof-Schöneberg Local Website, local history and culture
Topography of TerrorKreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg History Site of the headquarters for the Secret State Police, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office
Trabi Museum Kreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Automobile Website, history of the Trabant
Tränenpalast: Palace of TearsFriedrichstadt Mitte History Former border crossing point for East Germans, impact of a divided Germany on people's personal lives
Treptow MuseumJohannisthalTreptow-KöpenickHistoryWebsite
Urban Nation-Museum for Contemporary ArtSchönebergTempelhof-SchönebergArtWebsite
Charlotteburg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf History Website, late 19th-century villa with museum about the regional and urban history of the district and Berlin's cultural history, 1908 art collection of the then independent city of Charlottenburg
Zehlendorf MuseumSteglitz Steglitz-Zehlendorf Local Website, local history and culture
Zille Museum Nikolaiviertel Mitte Art Website, life and work of Heinrich Zille, including drawings, lithographs and photographs
Deutsches Zweirad- und NSU-MuseumKreuzberg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Transportation Website, historic motorcycles, sidecars, engines and bicycles

Defunct museums

NameArea of focusClose dateNotes
Sugar MuseumHistory2012Properties acquired by- and incorporated as a core exhibition of the German Museum of Technology
Kunsthaus TachelesArt2012[5]
Deutsche GuggenheimArt2013
Beate Uhse Erotic MuseumSexSeptember 2014[6]
Berlin S-Bahn MuseumHistory, local2016[7]
Arratia Beer GalleryArtAugust 2018[8]
The Story of Berlin MuseumHistory, local2018
Deutsches Currywurst MuseumFood December 2018
Dalí - Die Ausstellung am Potsdamer PlatzArt
Das Verborgene MuseumArtJanuary 2022[9]
Micky Schubert GalleryArtJuly 2017[10]
ProgramArt2012

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brecht Weigel Memorial Centre. MuseumsPortalBerlin. 13 October 2015.
  2. Web site: Huguenot Museum. Museums Portal Berlin. 14 October 2015.
  3. Web site: Polizeihistorische Sammlung. Visit Berlin. 14 October 2015.
  4. Web site: Puppentheater-Museum. Visit Berlin. 14 October 2015.
  5. Web site: 4 September 2012. Authorities shut Berlin's iconic Tacheles arts squat. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180929060456/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19473806. 2018-09-29. BBC News.
  6. Web site: Beate Uhse Erotik-Museum. 2021-01-31. berlin.de. de.
  7. Web site: Berliner S-Bahn Museum. 2021-01-31. berlin.de. de.
  8. Web site: 2018-08-27. Berlin's Arratia Beer Gallery, the Latest Victim of the Mid-Market Squeeze, Closes After 12 Years. 2021-01-31. artnet News. en-US.
  9. Web site: Hickley . Catherine . 2022-01-28 . Berlin's 'hidden museum' that championed forgotten women artists closes down after almost 40 years . 2022-04-06 . The Art Newspaper.
  10. Web site: Neuendorf . Henri . 2017-09-11 . Forced to Close Her Gallery, Berlin Dealer Micky Schubert Is Launching a Brooklyn Art Incubator Instead . 2022-04-08 . Artnet News . en-US.