Spreepark: Berlin's abandoned amusement park, tours and how to get there

Updated on October 5, 2026

The Spreepark is the former East German amusement park, hidden in the Plänterwald forest on the Spree next to Treptower Park. Abandoned in 2001, it lay derelict for fifteen years before being turned into a park for art, culture and nature. At the end of 2026 it is not yet open to the public: building work continues, and the reopening, with its 45-metre Ferris wheel, is announced for spring 2027. You can already discover it on guided tours and by walking the riverbank to the Eierhäuschen. Information checked in October 2026 on visitBerlin, the Spreepark website and the Art Space website. The history of the place is that of an amusement park like no other. The Kulturpark Plänterwald opened in 1969 and was, according to the Spreepark website, the only permanent amusement park in the GDR; it appears in the 1979 DEFA film "Spuk unterm Riesenrad". After the fall of the Wall it became the Spreepark, run by a private operator until it closed in 2001. Since 2016 a major redevelopment project has been carried out together with local residents.

Highlights

The park from above

This 2017 aerial view shows what visitors will find: the Ferris wheel among the trees, paths, a water basin and a large forest all around. The site lies in the Plänterwald, a forest on the south bank of the Spree, south-east of Treptower Park.

The Ferris wheel

At 45 metres, it is the symbol of the park and can be seen from far away. After twenty years standing still, it has been restored: according to visitBerlin it is due to turn again in spring 2027, after safety inspections and the fitting of new gondolas. Other relics of the old park, such as the English village and the open-air stage, are being restored. This 2013 photo shows the wheel when it was still abandoned.

The construction-site tours

Free guided tours of the site are offered from April 2026: they start at the site entrance at the corner of Kiehnwerderallee and Dammweg (Kiehnwerderallee 1-3) and end at the Eierhäuschen. Dates are published in the Spreepark calendar and often go fast: book as soon as possible and check the slots before you come.

The Eierhäuschen and the Spreepark Art Space

This former riverside inn, mentioned as early as the 19th century by Theodor Fontane, reopened in 2023 as the first stage of the project. It houses a restaurant, artist residencies, and exhibition and event spaces. The Spreepark Art Space offers a guided tour every month. A solar boat of the Stern und Kreis company stops at the landing stage near the Eierhäuschen on its "Grüne Spreefahrt" route.

Practical info

Tips

Don't come expecting to walk freely into the park: unauthorised access to the building site is forbidden, and the old "urban exploration" stories are no longer relevant. Go through a guided tour or the Eierhäuschen. When the park reopens, admission will be charged; prices and hours were not yet published in October 2026. Check the Spreepark website before you come. Combine it with neighbouring Treptower Park, where the Insel der Jugend and the Soviet memorial are also worth a visit.

How to get there

Kiehnwerderallee 1-3, 12437 Berlin (site entrance). S-Bahn Plänterwald, then on foot towards the Spree; you can also walk or cycle from Treptower Park along the riverbank. The Spreepark lies in the borough described in our guide to Treptow and Köpenick. For tickets, see getting around Berlin.

Opening hours

Best: A spring or summer afternoon

Park not open to the public in October 2026 (reopening announced for spring 2027); guided tours of the site and the Eierhäuschen according to the Spreepark and Art Space calendars.