12 Museums to visit in Berlin

13 February 2019

Berlin is one of the cities with the most appealing museum lineups. Whether you like history, art, or technique, you will find at least a few museums here that fit your profile.
There are so many exhibitions, museums, documentation centers, and art collections to choose from that you will need more than a couple of days to see everything you want. And with so many options, it could be challenging to know what to choose.

So here you have my favorite 12 museums in Berlin that will have you covered no matter what you’re interested in:

1. Pergamon Museum

Pergamon Museum holds three museums: the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Museum of the Ancient Near East, and the Museum of Islamic Art. The museum is home to some of the most impressive archeological discoveries in the whole world. Don’t miss the Pergamon Altar, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, dating from the 6th century BC, and a reconstructed palace facade from the 12th century BC.

Address: Bodestraße 10178, Mitte
Admission: €12.00
Openings: Monday – Sunday 10:00 am – 06:00 pm

Find out more about the Pergamon Museum.

2. Neues Museum

During World War II, the Neues Museum suffered severe damage and was abandoned. Only in 2003 did the British architect David Chipperfield begin restoration works, and in 2009, the museum opened its doors again to the public.
The museum collection features beautiful Egyptian art pieces (don’t miss the bust of Nefertiti), many prehistoric objects, including a Neanderthal skull, and a selection of classical antiquities.
Address: Bodestraße 10178, Mitte
Admission: €12.00
Openings: Monday – Sunday 10:00 am – 06:00 pm; Thursday: 10:00 am – 08:00 pm

Find out more about Neues Museum.

3. Altes Museum

At Altes Museum (Old Museum), you can see an extensive collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities and art objects. The museum, completed in 1830, is hosted in a beautiful neoclassical building.
Address: Am Lustgarten 10178 Berlin
Admission: €10.00
Openings: Monday – Sunday 10:00 am – 06:00 pm; Thursday: 10:00 am – 08:00 pm

Find out more about Altes Museum.

4. Märkisches Museum

This is an excellent place to come if you want to find out more about Berlin and the Brandenburg Region without being surrounded by tourists. Starting in June 2018, Märkisches Museum hosts a permanent exhibition called “BerlinZEIT,” a flashback into Berlin’s history from the Ice Age to the present.
Address: Am Köllnischen Park 5 10179
Admission: €7.00
Openings: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Find out more about Markishes Museum.

5. Jewish Museum

The museum tells the story of Jewish people in Berlin, with its complicated and intricate implications. The building, an architectural masterpiece of Daniel Libeskind, is one of the city’s landmarks.
Address: Lindenstraße 9-14 10969 Berlin
Admission: €8.00
Openings: Monday: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm; Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm

Find out more about the Jewish Museum.

6. Stasi Museum

Opened on the former grounds of the Stasi headquarters (Ministerium für Staatssicherheit – Ministry for State Security), the museum houses the permanent exhibition “State Security in the SED Dictatorship.” On the three levels, you can see how state surveillance impacted people’s lives, the methods used, and how the informers were recruited. The exhibition’s centerpiece is the office of Erich Mielke – the last GDR Minister of State Security preserved in its former state.
Address: Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1, 10365 Berlin
Admission: €8.00
Openings: Monday – Friday: 10.00 am – 6.00 pm; Weekend: 11.00 am – 6.00 pm; Holidays: 11.00 am – 6.00 pm

Find out more about the Stasi Museum.

7. DDR Museum

DDR Museum is an interactive museum where you can experience everyday life in former East Germany. Two of the museum’s highlights are a simulated drive in an original Trabant P601 and an authentic reconstruction of five apartments where people used to live during that time.
Address: Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1, 10178 Berlin
Admission: €8.50 online / €9.80 at the cash desk
Openings: Monday-Sunday 10 am-8 pm; Saturday 10 am-10 pm

Find out more about DDR Museum.

8. Topographie des Terrors

The museum is located on the former site of the Gestapo and gives you an insight into one of the darkest periods in Germany’s past. The focus of the Documentation Center is the SS state police during the Third Reich and all the crimes that were perpetrated during that time.
Address: Niederkirchnerstraße 8, 10963 Berlin
Admission: free
Openings: Daily 10 am – 8 pm

Find out more about Topographie des Terrors Museum.

9. History Museum

This extensive and well-documented museum covers 2000 years of history, from the early Middle Ages to the present day. The permanent exhibition houses more than 7,000 objects, while other temporary exhibitions examine particular themes and periods.
Address: Unter den Linden 2, 10117 Berlin
Admission: € 8, reduced € 4
Openings: Daily 10 am – 6 pm

Find out more about the History Museum.

10. Museum Village Duppel

Visiting this seasonal open-air museum will allow you to experience how a medieval village once was, with its artisan houses, animals, traditions, and way of life. The museum is open from Easter through October and has many fun and exciting activities for children and adults alike, such as markets, festivals, and workshops.
Address: Clauertstraße 11, 10163 Berlin
Admission: € 4
Openings: from Easter through October, Saturday / Sunday 10:00 – 18:00

Find out more about Museum Village Duppel.

11. Sachsenhausen Memorial Site and Museum

Though it’s located about 30 minutes near Berlin, in Oranienburg, Sachsenhausen, the former Nazi concentration camp is a place you should visit. It was the administrative center for all the concentration camps in Germany and one of the most important, with more than 200.000 people imprisoned between its walls.
Address: Straße der Nationen 22, D-16515 Oranienburg
Admission: free
Openings: April 1 to September 30: open daily, 8:30 am to 6 pm. October 1 to March 31: open daily, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. On Mondays, the museums, visitor services, and bookstores are closed.

Find out more about Sachsenhausen Memorial Site and Museum.

12. The Berlin Wall Memorial

Back in 1961, when the wall was constructed and Berlin was divided from East to West, Bernauer Strasse witnessed one of the most tragic events: people trying to escape and reunite with their families, courageous jumps over the wired wall, all searching for freedom. This open-air museum is located precisely on Bernauer Strasse and gives you an insight into that period of division and despair.
Address: Bernauer Straße 111
Admission: free
Openings: Visitor Center | Documentation Center
Tuesdays – Sundays 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Open-Air Exhibition and Memorial Grounds
Mondays – Sundays8:00am – 10:00 pm

Find out more about the Berlin Wall Memorial.

There are many free museums and museums with free admission days—read about these in a future post.

And if you plan to visit more than 2-3 museums, a museum pass can save you loads of money – here are some of the options:
3-day Berlin Museum Pass
1-day ticket Museuminsel Berlin
Berlin Welcome Card