Museum Island Berlin: which museums to visit and which ticket to buy

Museum Island (Museumsinsel), on the northern tip of the Spree island in the heart of Mitte, brings together five major museums built between 1830 and 1930 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. In October 2026, four of them are open: the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Bode-Museum. The Pergamonmuseum, closed for renovation, is due to reopen on 4 June 2027. All the museums on the island are closed on Mondays. A ticket for one museum costs €14 (€16 for the Alte Nationalgalerie). From two museums upwards, the €24 Museumsinsel ticket, valid for one day in every museum on the island, works out cheaper. Admission is free for under-18s. Allow half a day for two museums and a full day for three.

Highlights

The Bode-Museum and the tip of the island

At the northern end of the island, the dome of the Bode-Museum, opened in 1904, rises above the Spree. It houses the sculpture collection, the Museum of Byzantine Art and the coin cabinet. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00; the entrance is via the Monbijou bridge.

The Altes Museum and the Lustgarten

The island's first museum, built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and opened in 1830, the Altes Museum displays Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities around a rotunda inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. It keeps the same hours as the Bode-Museum. Its colonnade looks out over the Lustgarten lawn and [Berlin Cathedral](/fr/attractions/cathedrale-de-berlin).

The Alte Nationalgalerie

This temple on a high base shows 19th-century painting and sculpture: Caspar David Friedrich, Adolph Menzel, Max Liebermann and the French Impressionists. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. The second floor (French Impressionists, Liebermann) is closed from 29 September to 21 October 2026 while an exhibition is dismantled; the museum is fully open again from 22 October.

The Neues Museum and Nefertiti

The bust of Nefertiti, ancient Egypt and prehistory, in Friedrich August Stüler's building restored by David Chipperfield. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00; all the details are in our guide to the [Neues Museum](/fr/attractions/neues-museum-berlin).

The Pergamonmuseum, closed until June 2027

Under renovation since 2013, the museum is due to reopen on 4 June 2027 with the Pergamon Altar, the Hellenistic architecture and the Museum of Islamic Art. The south wing, home to the collections of the Museum of the Ancient Near East, will stay closed until around 2037. In the meantime, the "Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama" building, Am Kupfergraben 2, shows works from Pergamon around a giant panorama of the ancient city (€12, included in the Museumsinsel ticket).

The James-Simon-Galerie

This visitor centre with a white colonnade, designed by David Chipperfield and opened in 2019, houses ticket desks, cloakroom, café-restaurant, bookshop and a temporary exhibition hall. It is also the entrance to the Neues Museum. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.

Which ticket to buy

Single-museum ticket: €14 (concessions €7), €16 for the Alte Nationalgalerie (concessions €8). Museumsinsel ticket (Bereichskarte Museumsinsel): €24 (concessions €12), every museum and exhibition on the island for one day, Panorama included. Museumspass Berlin: €32 (concessions €16), more than 30 museums across the city on three consecutive days, permanent exhibitions only, Panorama not included. Under-18s get in free but must pick up a free ticket at the desk or online.

Closing days

All the museums on the island are closed on Mondays. On public holidays they generally open as on Sundays. The Neues Museum will be closed from 15 to 17 March 2027 for maintenance work.

Nearby

Neues Museum Berlin: seeing the bust of Nefertiti, opening hours and tickets The Neues Museum, Bodestraße 1-3 on Museum Island, is home to the bust of Nefertiti,... 2 min à pied

Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom): visit, dome walk and tickets Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), Am Lustgarten on Museum Island, is the largest... 5 min à pied

DDR Museum Berlin: everyday life in East Germany The DDR Museum tells the story of everyday life in the German Democratic Republic... 5 min à pied

Hackesche Höfe Berlin: Art Nouveau courtyards, shops and cafés in Mitte The Hackesche Höfe are a group of eight interconnected courtyards between Rosenthaler... 6 min à pied