From the Residenz to the Bier- und Oktoberfestmuseum: Munich's city centre is a paradise for museum lovers. An overview.
The Residenz palace on Residenzstrasse is the former home and ruling seat of the Wittelsbach family that once ruled over Bavaria. Its highlights include the Grottenhof (Grotto Courtyard), the Renaissance Antiquarium Hall, the Baroque Imperial Hall, the ornate Rococo-period Rich Rooms, and King Ludwig I’s neoclassical State Apartment. The Cuvilliés Theatre hosted the première of Mozart’s opera Idomeneo in 1781. The palace’s treasury is home to around 1,500 pieces, including royal regalia belonging to the Bavarian royal family.
Kunsthalle München on Theatinerstrasse is one of Germany’s leading exhibition venues. It hosts three major exhibitions each year. Its exhibitions range from pre-history and ancient to the modern day. It showcases art and culture from across the globe and covers painting, sculpture, graphic design, photography, arts and crafts, and design.
The historical buildings located at Jakobsplatz are home to the Münchner Stadtmuseum (Munich City Museum). “Typically Munich” is a permanent exhibition that uses select items to bring Munich’s history to life. The museum also features permanent exhibitions on music, puppet theatres and fairground attractions, the history of National Socialism in Munich, special collections on fashion, graphic design and photography and the film museum with its own cinema programme.
Paying important testament to reconciliation and integration in the city are the main synagogue “Ohel Jakob”, which opened in 2006, the Jewish civic centre and the Jüdische Museum (Jewish Museum), which sheds light on Jewish culture and history in Munich.
Adults wishing to relive their childhood should stop by the Spielzeugmuseum (Toy Museum) in the tower at the Alte Rathaus (Old Town Hall) on Marienplatz.
Stuffed animals displayed in their natural environments and the mysterious Wolpertinger (a mythical creature similar to a jackalope) draw the crowds to the Jagd- und Fischereimuseum (Hunting and Fishing Museum) in the pedestrian zone on Neuhauser Strasse.
At Isartor gate, the Bier- und Oktoberfest Museum (Beer and Oktoberfest Museum) invites you to explore one of Munich’s oldest buildings (dating back to the 14th century), while immersing yourself in the world of beer, brewery, beer barons and Oktoberfest.
At the end of 2017, Germany’s first ever Museum of Urban Art (MUCA) opened in a former municipal substation right in the heart of the old town. It showcases street art that is worthy of a museum.
Take a tour with an official city tour guide of Munich and visit the Residenz Palace - one of the largest city palaces in Germany. Read more
The Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum (Valentin-Karlstadt Museum) at Isartor gate takes a unusual, unique approach to its exhibits. Dedicated to the Munich-based comedian Karl Valentin, this museum’s pieces are overflowing with the comic’s humour and whimsical creativity. A perfect example of this is his winter toothpick.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Oskar von Miller founded the Deutsche Museum (German Museum), one of the world’s most important natural history and science museums. He set up his museum on an island in the Isar River, an area now known as Museumsinsel (Museum Island).
The Alpine Museum is located on the neighbouring Praterinsel island. In this museum, you get to experience the Alps right in the heart of Munich, exploring the worlds of science, history, tourism, sport and art.
On Maximilianstrasse you can visit the Museum Fünf Kontinente (Five Continents Museum). Visitors to this museum take a journey around the entire world: Exhibits from Africa, North and South America, India, East Asia and Oceania are on display here.
For further information about visiting Munich's museums, please see www.museen-in-muenchen.de.
