Best Art Museums in Berlin

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Berlin is a dynamic, vibrant city, and the unique art scene serves as a reflection. Because of this, Berlin is home to some of the best art museums, with many paying a tribute to the city’s culture and history while others highlight innovative art movements from all over the world.

So if you love historical masterpieces, modern art, and interactive exhibits, get ready to explore art museums in Berlin!

Berlin Museum Pass or Berlin Welcome Card?

Depending on the number of art museums you’d like to visit, a Berlin Museum Pass or a Berlin Welcome Card could save you money and hassle over buying individual tickets to each museum.

Berlin Museum Pass

The Berlin Museum Pass gives you free entry to over 30 exhibitions and museums for 3 consecutive days. It includes the Museum Island and a number of museums which you can find here.

The last time we were in Berlin we bought a Museum Pass for Aaron. The pass paid for itself in 2 days, so it was a good fit for him on that visit.

For a majority of the museums included in the Berlin Museum Pass, you’ll need to book a timed-entry ticket in advance, which you can easily do online at the time you purchase the Museum Pass or later on each museum’s individual website. I found it easiest to book each timed-entry ticket when I purchased the museum pass.

If you have 2-3 days to visit several museums, save money on entrance tickets by buying the Berlin Museum Pass here!

Berlin Welcome Card

The Berlin Welcome Card is Berlin’s official tourist ticket that gives you free access to public transportation, discounts to tourist attractions, and free entry to many museums. You can choose from different packages and durations depending on what you need. For more information on the Berlin Welcome card click here.

• Berlin Welcome Card Basic: Includes public transport in zone AB and discounts to various tourist attractions
• Berlin Welcome Card All Inclusive: Includes public transport (but can be optional), discounts and free entrance to various tourist attractions, and 1 day hop-on hop-off bus tour
• Berlin Welcome Card Museum Island: Includes public transport, discounts to various tourist attractions, and free entry to one museum on Museum Island per day

I recommend making a list of the museums you want to visit, whether they require a scheduled timed-entry ticket, opening hours, and the price. Then compare buying individual tickets to getting a Berlin Welcome Card or a Museum Pass to see which will work best for you.

Free Museum Sundays

Will you be in Berlin on the first Sunday of the month? If so, hold off on buying any tickets because there’s a good chance you can visit the museums of your choice for free! Some museums still require a ticket to get in but it won’t cost you anything to get that ticket.

We were able to get our tickets at the door the day we went to 3 museums. But if you’re there during peak times of year, see if you can get free tickets in advance.

Best Art Museums to Visit in Berlin

Gemälde Galerie

The Gemäldegalerie is where the main collection of paintings from the Berlin State Museums (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) is displayed. As such it is one of the most important collections of European paintings, particularly from the Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands from the 13th to 18th century. Work from world-renowned artists can be found here including Caravaggio, Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Jan van Eyck, Botticelli, and many more.

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn/S-bahn: Potsdamer Platz
• Museum Pass: Free Entry
• Berlin Welcome Card: Free entry with All Inclusive
• Book individual tickets online: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Official Website

Akademie der Künste

The Akademie der Künste is an international artists community that hosts temporary exhibitions, talks, concerts, and events frequently. The academy highlights the following disciplines: art and architecture, music and literature, performing arts, film and media art. There are two locations: one in a beautiful building in the center of the city near the Brandenburg Gate where most exhibits are held, and another one in Hanseatenweg.

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn/S-bahn: Brandenburger Tor
• Museum Pass: Not included
• Berlin Welcome Card: Not included
• Book individual tickets online: Akademie der Künste Official Website

Alte Nationalgalerie

The Alte Nationalgalerie features significant masterpieces from 19th century painting in Germany. It houses over 3,000 paintings and sculptures covering different art movements like realism and impressionism. It is regarded as a comprehensive collection of art of the era between the French Revolution and the First World War. Highlights include works from Casper David Friedrich, Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, and more.

• Public transportation stop:  U-bahn: Friedrichstraße / S-bahn: Friedrichstraße or Hackescher Markt
• Museum Pass: Free entry
• Berlin Welcome Card: Free entry with All Inclusive and Museum Island 
• Book individual tickets online(timed-entry reservation needed): Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Official Website

Neue Nationalgalerie

Neue Nationalgalerie’s striking modern museum building opened again recently in 2021 after extensive renovations. The light-filled upper level terrace provides one of the best places for special exhibitions featuring large-scale sculptures. Meanwhile, the lower level houses themed shows and the museum’s permanent collection which features 20th century artists likePablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and more.

Book your skip the line ticket here!

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn/S-bahn: Potsdamer Platz
• Museum Pass: Free entry
• Berlin Welcome Card: Not included
• Book individual tickets online (time slot reservation needed): Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Official Website

Berggruen Museum

The Berggruen Museum is home to one of the most impressive modern art collections. The center of the collection is over 100 exhibits of Pablo Picasso and over 60 paintings by Paul Klee. Another famous artist featured is Henri Mattise, with over 20 works. The collection, which is continuously growing, was opened in 1996 and is situated right across the Charlottenburg Palace.

Note: As of December 2022, Berggruen Museum is closed until further notice.

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn: Sophie-Charlotte-Platz, Richard-Wagner-Platz / S-bahn: Westend
• Museum Pass: Not included
• Berlin Welcome Card: Not included
• Book individual tickets online: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Official Website

Berlinische Galerie

Berlinische Galerie is another important museum with a vast collection of modern art classics. Built in a former glass warehouse,  the museum’s permanent collection showcases art from classical modernism, expressionism, Dadaism and a special focus on avant-garde European art. Works encompass all sorts of media from photography, painting, installation, architecture, and digital art. The museum is also an important cultural center for concerts, lectures and talks.

Book your skip the line ticket here!

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn: Hallesches Tor, Kochstraße or Moritzplatz
• Museum Pass: Free entry
• Berlin Welcome Card: 37.5% discount with Basic and All Inclusive
• Book individual tickets online: Berlinische Galerie Official Website

Bode Museum

The Bode Museum is housed in a beautiful Baroque building and is divided into two collections: the Sculpture Collection and the Museum of Byzantine Art. The collection of ancient sculpture is one of the largest in the world. Its sculptures date back to the Middle Ages to the 18th centuries. The other collection highlights sacred Byzantine art, a well-preserved Byzantine coin and medals collection. It also holds a collection of classical antiquities from the ancient world like sarcophagi from Rome, ornamental sculptures from the Eastern Roman Empire, ivory carvings, and other religious objects. 

• Public transportation stop:  U-bahn: Friedrichstraße / S-bahn: Friedrichstraße or Hackescher Markt
• Museum Pass: Free entry
• Berlin Welcome Card: Free entry with All Inclusive and Museum Island 
• Book individual tickets online: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Official Website

Georg Kolbe Museum

Georg Kolbe was one of the most successful German sculptors of the early 20th century. His former home and studio at the edge of Berlin’s Grunewald forest is now home to the present day Georg Kolbe Museum. In here, visitors will find permanent exhibitions of classical modernism and contemporary art with a special focus on sculptures. The home also features access to the sculptor’s studio with its idyllic garden, dancers’ fountain, and a café.

• Public transportation stop: S-bahn: Heerstraße
• Museum Pass: Free entry
• Berlin Welcome Card: Not included
• Book individual tickets online: Georg Kolbe Museum Official Website

Hamburger Bahnhof Museum of Contemporary Art (Museum für Gegenwart)

Located in a former train station, Hamburger Bahnhof is a vibrant center of the German capital’s contemporary art scene. The train station used to be a railway museum until the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation agreed to operate the museum as part of the Nationalgalerie. Aside from paintings, you’ll see everything from sculptures, photography, object art, and video and film art. It’s also home to must-see artworks from iconic artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Joseph Beuys. 

Book your skip the line ticket here!

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn/S-bahn: Hauptbahnhof
• Museum Pass: Free entry
• Berlin Welcome Card: Free entry with All Inclusive
• Book individual tickets online: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Official Website

Humboldt Forum

Humboldt Forum is one of the newest museums in Berlin having opened to the public in 2021. The new cultural center combined two institutions, the Ethnological Museum of Berlin and the Museum of Asian Art, into one. It provides a fascinating look into art and cultural history from all over the world including Africa, America, Asia, and Oceania. The museum also has a research laboratory that hosts workshops and events featuring contemporary artists that discuss global problems and challenges.

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn: Museumsinsel or Rotes Rathaus / S-bahn: Alexanderplatz or Friedrichstraße
• Museum Pass: Free entry to special exhibitions
• Berlin Welcome Card: Not included
• Book individual tickets online (timed-entry reservation needed): Humboldt Forum Official Website

Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts)

The exhibitions at Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) are the perfect intersection of art, fashion, and design. It houses world-famous displays of European arts and crafts such as relics made of gold and silver, jewelry, porcelain, furniture, tapestry, costumes, and embroidered textiles. These items cover different periods and styles from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau and give a unique glimpse of the everyday items used back then.

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn/S-bahn: Potsdamer Platz
• Museum Pass: Free entry
• Berlin Welcome Card: 25% discount with Basic and All Inclusive
• Book individual tickets online: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Official Website

KW Institute

The KW Institute provides a cool and trendy exhibition space for regularly rotating exhibitions championing pieces with political and social themes. The institution strives to constantly push boundaries and experiment with new developments in contemporary art. It’s one of the best art galleries to visit to learn about innovative artistic practices and discover up and coming, emerging artists from the heart of Berlin.

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn: Rosenthaler Platz, Weinmeisterstraße or Oranienburger Tor / S-bahn: Hackescher Markt or Oranienburger Straße
• Museum Pass: Not included
• Berlin Welcome Card:  25% discount with Basic and All Inclusive
• Book individual tickets online: KW Institute for Contemporary Art Official Website

Sammlung Boros

Sammlung Boros is a private collection of contemporary art by international artists from 1990 to the present. The collection is on public display in a unique and impressive converted bunker near the Deutsches Theater. A guided tour takes you through different facets of the bunker where you can see everything from contemporary art sculptures, room installations, light and performance works, and video and photography. 

• Public transportation stop: U-bahn: U Oranienburg Tor or Friedrichstraße  / S-bahn: Friedrichstraße
• Museum Pass: Not included
• Berlin Welcome Card: Not included
• Book individual tickets online (timed-entry reservation needed): Sammlung Boros Official Website

Other Must-See Museums in Berlin

You can also find many other famous museums in Berlin dedicated to history, technology, archaeology, and more:

• Berlin’s Museum Island (Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Pergamon Museum)
• DDR Museum
• Everyday Life in the GDR Museum (free!)
• German Historical Museum 
• German Museum of Technology
• Jewish Museum Berlin 
• Topography of Terror (free!)

For more information, read our guide to the best museums in Berlin.