AlliiertenMuseum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The AlliiertenMuseum stands on Clayallee in the heart of the former American sector, surrounded by former US garrison facilities such as the headquarters, the Truman Plaza shopping center, and the AFN military radio station. In September 1994, shortly before the Western Allies withdrew, a first exhibition opened in the former US movie theater, the Outpost Theater. The sponsoring association was founded in 1996; its members are the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Berlin, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Deutsches Historisches Museum, and the Institut für Zeitgeschichte. The museum opened its permanent exhibition in 1998.

The grounds include two buildings of the US forces: the listed Outpost Theater, opened in 1953, and the Nicholson Memorial Library, named after a US officer of the Military Liaison Mission who was shot dead in East Germany in 1985. The outdoor area displays large objects such as a British Hastings Airlift plane, a car from the French military train, the last guardhouse from Checkpoint Charlie, and segments of the Berlin Wall.

The permanent exhibition “Wie aus Feinden Freunde wurden” (How Enemies Became Friends) traces the story from the arrival of the Western Allies in 1945 through the Airlift and the Cold War to the departure of the troops in 1994. A long-planned move into a hangar at the former Tempelhof Airport was abandoned in 2025 due to sharply rising costs; instead, the Zehlendorf site is to be retained and the Outpost renovated. While the work is underway, the theater building is closed and a condensed version of the permanent exhibition is on view in the library.

Highlights

• Royal Air Force Handley Page Hastings Airlift plane
• Last guardhouse from Checkpoint Charlie
• Car from the French military train
• Section of the Western Allies' spy tunnel
• Segments of the Berlin Wall
• Free admission to the museum

Permanent exhibitions

• Wie aus Feinden Freunde wurden – History of the Western Allies in Berlin from the end of the war and the Airlift to the withdrawal of troops in 1994 – shown in condensed form in the Nicholson Memorial Library while the Outpost is being renovated.
• Großobjekte auf dem Freigelände – The Hastings Airlift plane, a French military train car, the Checkpoint Charlie guardhouse, and Wall segments in the open air; viewing the interiors costs €1.

Founded

1996

Operated by

AlliiertenMuseum e. V.

Director

Jürgen Lillteicher

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum is free; a fee of €1 is charged only for entering the interiors of the large objects in the outdoor area.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The Outpost Theater and the Nicholson Memorial Library are wheelchair-accessible, although not all display cases are easy to see from a wheelchair. Wheelchair-accessible restroom available. Tactile tours and tours in sign language; website information in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) and sign language.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Bookable family guided tour (90 min., up to 25 people), quiz booklet for children (€3, German only), and the children's birthday party “Top Secret!” as a treasure hunt (150 min., up to 10 children). A children's tour in the multimedia guide has been announced.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit