Berlin is home to almost 200 museums, ranging from the independent and quirky to the vast and world-renowned. The five Unesco-listed institutions that comprise Museum Island, for example, are famed around the globe – but not everyone knows that there’s a museum dedicated to the evolution of computer games and another covering the design history of mass-produced products from the 20th and 21st centuries.
The city hosts masterpieces by Renaissance titans and artefacts from the ancient world, as well as venues that deal with the city’s own turbulent history – especially the Second World War and the Cold War.
Some major Berlin museums are currently closed; these include the German Historical Museum, the Pergamon Museum and the Bauhaus Museum (see their respective websites for up-to-date information on reopening dates), but there is still plenty to explore in the city. Below we have selected some of the best museums to seek out during a visit to the German capital.
All our museum recommendations below have been hand selected and tested by our resident destination expert. Find out more below or for further inspiration, see our guides devoted to Berlin’s best attractions, restaurants, bars, nightlife, hotels, and spending a weekend in the city.
Find a museum by type:
History
Neues Museum (New Museum)
The Neues Museum is one of the main stars of the Museum Island’s quintessential quintet. Gorgeously and sensitively restored from a bombed-out shell by David Chipperfield Architects in the 2000s, it’s worth visiting for the renovation alone, which deliberately preserved some of the wartime damage. The two collections (Egyptian Museum and Papyrus and Prehistoric and Early History) feature a slew of highlights, including the famed bust of Nefertiti (1351-1334 BC) and the beautifully bizarre Berlin Gold Hat (1000 BC).
Insider tip: Visit early in the day – and midweek if possible – to beat the queues, or book an online ticket in advance. If you’re planning on visiting more than two Museum Island venues, consider investing in a day pass.
Website: smb.museum
Area: Museum Island (Mitte)
Nearest public transport: S Hackescher Markt or Museumsinsel
Berlin Wall Memorial
There are a few places in Berlin where you can find stretches of the Berlin Wall, including the well-known East Side Galley – but none are as well-presented or insightful as the stretch that runs along Bernauer Straße, which is actually the city’s official Wall Memorial. Located mostly outside, the mile-long outdoor area includes not only preserved sections of the Wall, but replicas of a guard tower and the notorious “death strip”, listening posts, photo and video exhibits, traces of escape tunnels and an official documentation centre.
Insider tip: On Sundays, head to Mauerpark, a former stretch of the death strip farther north that’s now a public park hosting a flea market, summer karaoke sessions and local vibes.
Website: stiftung-berliner-mauer.de
Area: Mitte / Prenzlauer Berg
Nearest public transport: S Nordbahnhof or U Bernauer Straße
Jewish Museum Berlin (Jüdisches Museum Berlin)
Europe’s largest museum dedicated to Jewish life in Germany, this eye-catching building was designed by Daniel Libeskind, with a medley of voids, labyrinths and violent slashes intended to echo the tragedies of Jewish persecution. The main exhibition gives an overview of Jewish history and culture, and gives insights into German-Jewish relations, with exhibits on medieval Jewish communities, emigration and cooperation. There is also a section that covers National Socialism and its aftermath, including restitution and reparation, Russian-speaking immigration and more.
Insider tip: The core exhibitions here are free, as is the museum’s dedicated children’s area (ANOHA). If you pay for a temporary exhibition, your ticket will get you a discount at the nearby Berlinische Galerie (and vice versa).
Website: jmberlin.de/en
Area: Kreuzberg
Nearest public transport: U6 Kochstraße
Topography of Terror
One of the most powerful places to explore the Nazi-related horrors of the Second World War in the centre of the city, this documentation centre is located on the site of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters – the most feared address in Berlin at the time. The main exhibition pulls no punches in outlining the mechanisms and crimes of fascist terror and persecution, and there’s more outside too – including an unexcavated floor-level memorial where the remaining foundations of the former “in-house prison” of the Gestapo HQ are located.
Insider tip: The site abuts a long section of the Berlin Wall and is just along the road from Checkpoint Charlie, which has several museums, including the Asisi Panorama and a free outdoor photo exhibit focusing on the famous Cold War crossing.
Website: topographie.de
Area: Kreuzberg
Nearest public transport: S+U Anhalter Bahnhof or Potsdamer Platz
Art
Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart (National Gallery for Contemporary Art)
Hamburger Bahnhof is one of the city’s key venues for contemporary and modern art. Housed in a former train station with a whopping 13,000sq m of space, the venue puts on bold exhibitions of international names (Katharina Grosse, Lee Ufan, Zineb Sedira) that are usually interdisciplinary in nature, spanning installations, video art, photography, sculpture and more. The permanent exhibition features major figures and movements in art since 1960 – Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, Bruce Nauman and Wolfgang Tillmans included.
Insider tip: The museum offers themed or overview tours as well as lectures and more. There is also a pleasant restaurant (Konstantin) and a decent bookshop on site.
Website: smb.museum
Area: Moabit / Hauptbahnhof
Nearest public transport: S Hauptbahnhof
Berlinische Galerie
As the name suggests, this gallery-museum displays modern art, photography, and architecture created in Berlin between 1870 and 1980. These dates roughly coincide with German unification (1871) and the end of the Cold War – an incredibly turbulent century or so that spanned a dizzying number of styles, from Impressionism and Expressionism, Dada and Surrealism, New Objectivity and the Eastern European avant-garde – all of which is represented here in a large, bright and airy space. The temporary exhibitions lean towards contemporary art.
Insider tip: The first Sunday of each month is free for all visitors. If you end up paying, your ticket will get you a discount at the nearby Jewish Museum (and vice versa). The café (Dix) is also a pleasant spot for a cake, coffee or beer afterwards.
Website: berlinischegalerie.de
Area: Kreuzberg
Nearest public transport: U Moritzplatz or Kochstraße
Neue Nationalgalerie
The Neue Nationalgalerie is a landmark of modernist architecture by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and the building’s minimalist elegance is worth visiting in its own right. But within its vast glass-and-steel interior, visitors can now find a peerless collection of 20th‑century art that spans German Expressionism, Bauhaus, Dada and later post‑war works. Unlike the Berlinische Galerie, the Neue Nationalgalerie also mixes in big European and American names such as Picasso, Warhol and Bacon; it also has a good rotation of temporary exhibitions.
Insider tip: Don’t miss the outdoor sculpture terrace, which includes Calder’s refurbished Têtes et Queue.
Website: smb.museum
Area: Tiergarten
Nearest public transport: S/U Potsdamer Platz
Family
Deutsches Technikmuseum (German Museum of Technology)
This sprawling museum gives an overview of Germany’s enormous and impressive industrial and technological heritage. Divided into various thematic areas – from brewing, printing, photography and film to shipping, rail, wind power and textiles – it offers memorable exhibits such as life-sized trains and planes (including a Cold War “candy bomber” on the roof), as well as interactive science and technology displays. A highlight is the replica of the world’s first computer, the Z1, originally created in 1938 by Berliner Konrad Zuse.
Insider tip: The museum’s neighbouring science centre, Spectrum, has special exhibits and fun experiments for kids, and there’s a large park – Gleisdreieck – right next door, with skate areas, beer gardens and cafes.
Website: technikmuseum.berlin
Area: Kreuzberg
Nearest public transport: U Hallesches Tor
Computerspielemuseum (Computer Games Museum)
One of the most unusual museums in Berlin, this fun-packed venue is an ode to the evolution of computer games. Set inside East Berlin’s former Café Warschau on the historic Karl-Marx-Allee, it hosts more than 300 exhibits, including a “Wall of Hardware” with more than 70 gaming devices that are (mostly) interactive. Get busy with retro arcade games such as Asteroids, Space Invaders and Frogger, admire original Atari consoles and the first ever Commodore computer, or indulge in some VR.
Insider tip: Combine a visit here with a stroll along the historic Karl-Marx-Allee, East Berlin’s former show-street. Its impressive Stalinist architecture now hosts everything from cafés and shops to galleries and restaurants.
Website: computerspielemuseum.de
Area: Friedrichshain
Nearest public transport: U Weberwiese
Museum Der Dinge
The Museum der Dinge is one of the city’s smaller and quirkier museums. Formerly located in Kreuzberg, it is now set inside a new building in Mitte that showcases its dazzling array of 15,000 everyday objects from the 20th and 21st centuries. Many of these aesthetically adorable items come from the extensive Deutscher Werkbund archive, a precursor to Bauhaus, and include anything and everything from ashtrays and sunglasses to toys and furniture – it’s endless fun to explore.
Insider tip: The museum’s guided tours are worthwhile if you want to dig deeper into the Werkbund or take a closer look at the collections by theme.
Website: museumderdinge.org
Area: Mitte
Nearest public transport: U Spittelmarkt
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 in our guides, from world-class art museums to family-friendly attractions – 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.
About our expert
Paul Sullivan
Paul moved to Berlin in 2008 and still finds it one of the best cities in Europe. He enjoys serendipitous meanders through the city and exploring off-the-beaten track neighbourhoods and abandoned sites.