Museums and galleries in Munich

Museums and galleries in Munich

1. SeeNorth

   BMW Museum

   Extensive museum displaying the evolution of motoring technology, from the earliest days to future concepts.

   Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €10, conc or child €7

2. DrinkLudwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt

   Bavariapark beer garden

   Beer garden and restaurant serving Augustiner with 1500 seats, on the park between Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum and the Bavaria Statue. It's also next to Theresienwiese the venue of Oktoberfest, but if you come out of there in need of a beer something's amiss.

   Daily 12:00-00:00

3. SeeAltstadt

   Bayerisches Nationalmuseum

   Huge and fascinating museum of European history from the Middle Ages until early 20th century. There's armour, pottery, furniture, fashions, porcelain, beer mugs, the lot; plus Oct-April a display of nativity scenes. The Bollert medieval art collection is only open Th F 10:00-17:00.

   Tue Wed Fri-Sun 10:00-17:00, Thu 10:00-20:00·Adult €7, conc €6; Sunday €1; child free

4. SeeAltstadt

   Beer and Oktoberfest Museum

   History of the festival, in a townhouse of 1340. The "Himmelsleiter" is its characteristic early staircase, a straight flight with no corners.

   Tue-Sat 13:00-18:00·€4 adults, €2.50 concessions

5. DrinkLudwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt

   Blitz Club

   Techno club in the former historic congress hall of the Deutsches Museum. One of the main venues for techno in Munich with a regular international DJ lineup. It also offers a series of gay events called Cruise. Note that the club has a strict ban on photography and filming.

   Fri Sat 23:00-08:00

6. SeeLudwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt

   Deutsches Museum

   German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology

   Enormous museum of science and technology, needing a full day, and even then you need to prioritise which galleries to explore - though half the fun is discovering the secrets of technology you'd never considered. Themes include natural sciences (from atom physics to music), materials and energy (including robotics), transport including aerospace, environment, health, agriculture and food, IT, communications and photography. At any time, some galleries are closed for refurb (these are indicated by the ticket booths), some are fresh and exciting, and some are getting tired. The museum is very popular, buy online to avoid queuing in the rain. Verkehrszentrum is the branch museum for transport west edge of this district, Flugwerft Schliessheim exhibits aviation north of the city, and there are branch museums in Bonn and Nuremberg.

   Daily 09:00-17:00·Adult €15, conc €8 (child, senior or student)

7. DrinkLudwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt

   Frau im Mond

   This rooftop bar on top of the Deutsches Museum, named after the science fiction silent movie by Fritz Lang from 1928, offers a view to the south over the Isar river and events with live DJs.

8. SeeHaidhausen

   Haidhauser District Museum

   Small display of life in the neighbourhood. Exhibitions have varying hours and prices.

   Sun 14:00-17:00, Mon-Wed 17:00-1900

9. SeeAltstadt

   Haus der Kunst

   Grand exhibition hall completed in 1937 in Nazi - Art Deco style. It doesn't have a permanent collection but mounts ever-changing graphic arts exhibitions.

   Wed-Mon 10:00-20:00

10. DrinkLudwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt

    Kulturstrand

    Perched on the tip of Museum Island, this is a bar with various live events. It compares itself to the urban beach of Paris Plage, it's more like a terrace overlooking the sandbanks as the Isar divides.

    Daily 12:00-00:00

11. SeeAltstadt

    Kunsthalle München der Hypo Kulturstiftung

    Modern art museum, no permanent collection but rotating exhibitions. It's funded by HypoVereinsbank.

    Daily 10:00-20:00·Adult €15

12. SeeEast

    MVG Museum

    Museum of public transport in Munich housed in a former tram repair and assembly shed. They have 25 historic trams, buses and works vehicles on display, with signage in German and English. Another highlight is a U-Bahn driving simulator.

    Two Sundays a month 11:00-17:00·Adult €3, concession €2

13. SeeHaidhausen

    Maximilianeum

    This is the grand sort-of Renaissance building closing the vista across the Maximilian Bridge, with the road and tramway dividing around it. It was built in fits and starts from 1857 to 1874, the problem being the steep riverbank site for such a heavy structure. Originally a foundation for gifted students, it was bombed in World War II, and since rebuilding in 1949 has housed the Bavarian parliament. They pay rent to the foundation, which continues to award scholarships and lodge students here. The rear (east) of the building is a jumble of modern additions. There's a gallery to watch parliament plenary sessions (by advance registration), but you can't otherwise go inside.

14. SeeMaxvorstadt

    Museum Brandhorst

    Opened in 2009, this has a permanent collection of modern and contemporary paintings, sculptures and installations, especially by Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly.

    Thu 10:00-20:00, Tue Wed Fri-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €7, concession €5, under 18 free, Sunday €1

15. SeeAltstadt

    Museum Fünf Kontinente

    Museum of Five Continents

    Omitting Europe and Antarctica, the former Museum für Völkerkunde is a global ethnological collection.

    Tue-Sun 09:30-17:30·Adult €4, conc or child €3, Sunday €1

16. SeeHaidhausen

    Museum Villa Stuck

    Franz von Stuck (1863-1928) was a painter and sculptor best known for his renditions of mythological scenes. From 1897 he designed this neo-classical mansion. There's a permanent display of his own works plus changing exhibitions of other artists.

    Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00·Adult €9, concession €4.50, under 18 free

17. SeeAltstadt

    Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art

    Street and urban art is ephemeral but the idea of MUCA, opened in 2016, is to bring it into the artistic mainstream. There's a permanent collection and rotating exhibitions.

    Wed-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €9, under 12 free

18. SeeAltstadt

    Münchner Stadtmuseum

    Munich City Museum

    Extensive museum, occupying most of a city block; absorbing but signage is only in German. The oldest part of the building is an armory of 1500, the newest is the former Uhlfelder department store (all bombed in wartime, but the collections had been taken to safety), and it's growing still. The permanent exhibitions are "Typically Munich!" (how the city acquired its identity), Migration, National Socialism (the movement was launched here), Puppets and Fairground, and Music. "Collections" (whose highlights may figure in exhibitions) include photography, applied arts, graphics, textiles and music. Temporary exhibitions are generally on site for a year or so. There's also a film museum and theatre with daily screenings. Check ahead online for gallery closures, and search the online catalogue.

    Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €7, conc €3.50, under 18s free

19. SeeNorth

    Olympiaturm

    Olympic Tower

    This 291 m tower was built in 1968 and looks it: the centrepiece for the 1972 Olympic complex. The revolving restaurant (see below) is at 182 m and the observation deck is at 190 m. Until 2021 it housed a rock and roll museum but this has closed. No reservations for the lift, but advised for the restaurant. There's special midnight opening on New Year's Eve.

    Daily 09:00-23:00·Adult €11, conc €7

20. SeeMaxvorstadt

    Palaeontological Museum

    Lots of fossils including Archaeopteryx, Triceratops and Saber-toothed Cat. The museum itself is an interesting building, on three floors but an hour is plenty to see it all.

    Mon-Thu 08:00-16:00, Fri 08:00-14:00·Free

21. SeeAltstadt

    Residenz

    Royal Palace and seat of government of the Wittelsbach dynasty, bombed in wartime but rebuilt. The two principal areas are the Treasury and the Museum (separate admission €9 each). The Treasury (Schatzkammer) has a huge collection of ecclesiastical and secular bling, such as the royal crowns, orb and sceptre. In the Museum, the Antiquarium is the barrel-vaulted banqueting hall. The Papal Rooms accommodated Pius VI on his visit to Munich and are Baroque. The Ancestral Gallery, Porcelain Cabinet and Ornate Rooms are Rococo. The neo-classical Königsbau, added in the 19th century, houses the Charlotte Rooms, the royal apartments and the Halls of Battles. There's an additional charge for the Cuvilliés Theatre.

    Daily Apr-15 Oct 09:00-18:00, 16 Oct-Mar 10:00-16:00·Combi adult €14, conc €12

22. DrinkMaxvorstadt

    Salon Irkutsk

    The bar is a blend of a live club with an art gallery, with Russian snacks.

    Sun-Thu 17:00-01:00, Fri Sat 17:00-03:00

23. SeeAltstadt

    Schack Gallery

    An extensive private collection of 19th century Late Romantic art.

    Wed-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €4, conc or child €3

24. SeeNorth

    Schloss Nymphenburg

    What began as a modest 17th century pavilion grew and grew into a vast Baroque palace, bigger than Versailles, which was no accident. You view some 20 ornate rooms: one striking feature is the paintings of the many female friends of King Ludwig I. (See Sligo for one infamous paramour, the lurid Lola Montez.) Some areas are closed in winter, hence the reduced admission: the Royal Chapel, the Porcelain Museum and the Marstallmuseum (carriages and sleighs in the former royal stables). Museum of Man and Nature is also within the Schloss but separately ticketed, see below. The extensive gardens are free.

    Daily Apr-mid Oct 09:00-18:00; mid Oct-Mar 10:00-16:00·Apr-mid Oct adult €15, conc €13; mid Oct-Mar adult €12, conc €10

25. SeeNorth

    Schloss Schleißheim

    Humonguous complex of three palaces. The Old Palace at the west end was a mansion built up into a palace only to be promptly scrapped and rebuilt by 1623. It was bombed in World War II, rebuilt from 1970, and now houses religious art and an exhibition on the former Prussia now in Poland. The New Palace just east was built 1700-26 for Elector Max Emanuel, a sumptuous Baroque confection packed with art work: Großer Saal, Viktoriensaal and the Große Galerie are its highlights. The Lustheim Palace was built in the 1680s (between the Old and New construction) as a villa or hunting lodge: it's 1.3 km east down the landscaped vista, and big spenders can ride a gondola down the linking canal. A grand semi-circular enclosing colonnade soon fell to bits. Today the Lustheim displays Meissen ceramics. The parklands are equally vast. Last but not least, there's a 980-seat beer garden, Schlosswirtschaft Oberschleißheim, in the palace grounds.

    Tue-Sun Apr-Sept 09:00-18:00, Oct-Mar 10:00-16:00·Adult €10, conc €8, under-18 free, cash only

26. SeeAltstadt

    State Chancellery

    Staatskanzlei

    This fills the east side of Hofgarten, housing the Bavarian Minister (president of the Lande government) and his / her cabinet meetings. The central dome was built in 1879 to house the Royal Bavarian Army Museum. It was bombed out in World War II and only restored in the 1980s. The modern side wings were built 1989-93. In front of the building is a memorial to Munich citizens who died in wartime, and a statue of Duke Otto I, 12th century founder of the Bavarian royal dynasty. Admission to the Chancellery is only on business but their website gives an online tour.

27. SeeLudwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt

    Verkehrszentrum

    This branch of Deutsches Museum is about transport of every kind. The main themes are urban transport, travel, and mobility and technology. The building was the halls of Münchner Messe, the trade fairs, until they moved out to the eastern suburbs.

    Daily 09:00-17:00·Adult €8, conc €5 (child, senior or student)

28. SeeAltstadt Not mapped

    Alpine Museum

    A small museum displaying the history of alpine exploration in the Bavarian Alps. It remains closed in 2022.

    Closed

29. SeeAltstadt Not mapped

    Altes Rathaus & Spielzeugmuseum

    Old Town Hall & Toy Museum

    This was built in 1474 to replace an even older town hall, and was the city chambers until Neues Rathaus was built in the late 19th century. It was bombed during World War II but rebuilt. It's now mostly a ceremonial hall and events venue, but the tower contains a toy museum.

    Daily 10:00-17:30·Museum adult €6, child €2

30. SeeLudwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt Not mapped

    Children's Museum

    Kindermuseum

    It's perhaps a misnomer, it's more like a crafts & play space, but could save the family sanity one wet day.

    School term Thu Fri 14:00-17:00, Sat Sun 10:00-17:00; school holidays Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00·€5.50

31. SeeNorth Not mapped

    Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleißheim

    The palace grounds were used as an airfield in wartime, and this is now the aviation branch of Deutsches Museum.

    Daily 09:00-17:00·Adult €8

32. SeeAltstadt Not mapped

    Deutsches Theatermuseum

    This museum about German Theatre remains closed in 2022. Some exhibits are on temporary display elsewhere in the city.

    Closed

33. SeeAltstadt Not mapped

    Jewish Museum

    המוזיאון היהודי במינכן

    Small museum of Jewish life in the city - and death. It adjoins the Ohel Jakov synagogue and the Jewish community centre.

    Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €6, conc €3, under 18 free

34. SeeNorth Not mapped

    Museum of Man and Nature

    Museum Mensch und Natur

    Natural History museum on the north flank of the Schloss but separately managed and ticketed. Signage is only in German.

    Tue-Fri 09:00-17:00, Sat Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €3.50, conc €2.50, under 18s free

35. BuyNorth Not mapped

    Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory

    Offers beautifully handcrafted and very pricey porcelain. The factory was founded in the early 1700s to create porcelain for the Royal family. You can look around for as long as they think you might buy something, otherwise they might tactfully but firmly redirect you to the porcelain museum within the palace.

    Mon-Fri 10:00-18:30, Sat 10:00-16:00

36. SeeMaxvorstadt Not mapped

    State Collections of Antiques

    Antikensammlungen

    This began as an exhibition venue but is now effectively an annexe of Glyptothek, housing yet more of Ludwig I's vast collection. The focus here is on "minor arts" and it has huge numbers of Greek and Etruscan vases.

    Tue Thu-Sun 10:00-17:00, Wed 10:00-20:00·Same ticket as Glyptothek

37. SeeHaidhausen Not mapped

    Sudetendeutsches Museum

    The Sudeten Germans were settled for over 1000 years in Bohemia, making up a quarter of the population. This led to ethnic tensions and was the pretext for Hitler's invasions of the 1930s. Post-war they were expelled to Germany and Austria. This museum in a striking modern building tells their story, with signage also in Czech and English.

    Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €5, concession €3.50, child free, Sunday €1

38. SeeAltstadt Not mapped

    Valentin-Karlstadt Musäum

    Karl Valentin (Valentin Ludwig Fey, 1882-1948) was the Charlie Chaplin of Weimar Germany, appearing alongside a padded-up Liesl Karlstadt (Elisabeth Wellano, 1892-1960). Their typical guise was a pair of factory hands raging against their boss, and this quirky museum celebrates their style, which influenced many such as Brecht. The humour is mostly non-verbal but it will help if your German is good.

    Thu-Tue 11:00-18:00

39. DoHaidhausen Not mapped

    whiteBOX

    Contemporary art gallery hosting changing exhibitions. Some 30 artists have their ateliers here.

    Mon-Wed, Fri 16:00-18:00, Thu 16:00-20:00, Sat Sun 14:00-18:00

40. SeeMaxvorstadt Not mapped

    Die Neue Sammlung

    Museum of industrial design.

    Tue Wed Fri-Sun 10:00-18:00, Thu 10:00-20:00·Free

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Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Munich (CC BY-SA 4.0).