Allied Museum (AlliiertenMuseum): the Berlin Airlift and the Cold War in Berlin

Updated on October 5, 2026

The AlliiertenMuseum, at Clayallee 135 in Dahlem, in south-west Berlin, tells the story of the Western forces (United States, France, United Kingdom) in Berlin and Germany from 1945 to 1994: the city divided into sectors, the blockade of 1948-1949 and the airlift, the building of the Wall, the Cold War, and the troops' departure. The museum is housed in the former Outpost cinema of the American forces, and admission is free. It is the best place in Berlin to understand what the Allies were really doing here, far from the busier sights of the centre, and it combines well with a day in Dahlem.

Highlights

The airlift "Rosinenbomber"

In a hangar, a Royal Air Force Hastings TG 503 transport plane recalls the "raisin bombers", the aircraft that supplied West Berlin during the Soviet blockade of 1948-1949. You can walk around the aircraft and read the story of the flights.

The Checkpoint Charlie guardhouse

The original post of the Cold War's most famous crossing point is kept here. The one seen today on Friedrichstraße is a reconstruction. Around it, the permanent exhibition tells of the division of the city, the occupation and the crises of the Cold War.

The section of Wall and the watchtower

In the garden, a segment of the Berlin Wall and a border watchtower show what the border strip looked like. The museum also displays a section of the spy tunnel dug by American and British services in the 1950s to tap Soviet cables.

Practical info

Tips

Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. The museum is free; a donation is welcome. The texts are in German and English; check the museum's website before you come for public holidays.

How to get there

U-Bahn U3 to Oskar-Helene-Heim, then a few minutes on foot to Clayallee 135; bus 115 or X83 to the AlliiertenMuseum stop, in front of the entrance. From the centre, allow about 35 to 45 minutes. Free car park and spaces along Clayallee. A day in Dahlem is described in our guide to Dahlem and Grunewald; see also Tempelhofer Feld, where the airlift planes took off and landed, and the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße.