Germany's national history museum – while the Zeughaus is being renovated, the DHM presents changing exhibitions on German history in the Pei Building.
November 14, 2025 – January 17, 2027
Across five rooms, the exhibition traces how ideas of nature changed over 800 years of German history and were put to political use – from Hildegard of Bingen to the anti-nuclear movement.
May 8, 2026 – October 31, 2027
Around 200 pieces, some never shown before, tell of the eventful history of the collection in the Zeughaus and of places, borders and migration movements in German history.
October 16, 2026 – April 11, 2027
The exhibition in the basement of the Pei Building examines the history of comparisons between colonial and Nazi violence from 1900 to 1960 and shows the possibilities and limits of such comparisons.
The Deutsches Historisches Museum was founded in West Berlin on October 28, 1987, on the occasion of Berlin's 750th anniversary. A new building in the Spreebogen near the Reichstag was originally planned. After reunification, the federal government instead transferred the Zeughaus on Unter den Linden to the museum in 1990, together with the collections of the GDR's Museum für Deutsche Geschichte.
Built between 1695 and 1730, the Baroque Zeughaus initially served as an arsenal, in the late 19th century as a Prussian hall of fame and army museum, during the Nazi era as an army museum and from 1952 as the GDR's central history museum. After an extensive renovation, the modern exhibition building by architect I. M. Pei was added to the historic building in 2003. From 2006 to 2021, the Zeughaus housed a large permanent exhibition on German history from the Middle Ages to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Since 2021, the Zeughaus has been cleared and closed: the climate control, security systems, lighting and IT need to be replaced, and at the same time a new permanent exhibition is being created on around 9,000 square meters, with its own area for children and families. A reopening date has not yet been set. In the meantime, the museum is showing changing exhibitions in the Pei Building, often designed to be inclusive.
The collection comprises around one million objects – from weapons, uniforms and paintings to prints, posters and photography as well as everyday objects. Since 2008, the museum has been run by the Stiftung Deutsches Historisches Museum.
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3.50School students and apprentices over 18, federal volunteer service participants, university students, unemployed people, holders of the Berlin-Pass and people with severe disabilities (disability degree/GdB of 50 or more) and those of equivalent status (proof required in each case) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · According to the museum, free admission "up to age 18"; school classes and seminar groups free with advance booking (€1 tour fee per person). |
| Seniors | –No senior discount. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3.50companion free · Reduced with a disability degree (GdB) of 50 or more; companion free with the "B" marker. |
| Students & apprentices | €3.50University students as well as school students and apprentices over 18 with proof. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €6 per personGroup ticket for 15 or more people €6 (combination ticket €9) per person, available on site only. Groups of 10 or more should register with visitor services at least one week in advance (fuehrung@dhm.de). Group guided tour €75 (max. 25 people) or €30 (max. 10 people) plus admission; tours by external guides currently not possible. |
| Families | €18Family ticket for up to 2 adults and 3 children including a family tour, on site only; with the combination ticket for all exhibitions €22. |
Free admission: Free admission on October 3, November 9 and December 3, 2026
A single ticket is valid for one exhibition in the Pei Building; combination ticket for all exhibitions €10, reduced €5; add-on ticket for one more exhibition €3 (reduced €1.50). Audio guide €3 (families €6), public guided tour €3 plus admission, telephone tour €5. Museum Pass Berlin valid; Berlin WelcomeCard: single ticket €5.50, combination ticket €7.50 (free with the all-inclusive version). No annual pass, and SMB annual passes are not valid; members of the Museumsverein (museum association) free.
The Pei Building is step-free, with all exhibition levels reachable by elevator (with announcements and tactile controls); wheelchair-accessible restrooms with baby changing facilities in the basement. Wheelchairs, rollators, folding stools and strollers available on loan at the information desks. No permanently installed induction systems, but neck-loop inductive receivers are available where audio guides are handed out. Inclusive communication stations with tactile objects, Braille, Easy Language (Leichte Sprache), German Sign Language (DGS) videos and a tactile floor guidance system; audio tour with audio description. Monthly public tours with DGS interpretation, with object descriptions for blind people and in plain language. The two public accessible parking spaces in front of the Palais am Festungsgraben are currently unusable due to construction work. Certified "Reisen für Alle – Barrierefreiheit geprüft" (valid until December 2028).
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
| Family ticket | €18 · Family ticket for up to 2 adults and 3 children including a family tour, on site only; with the combination ticket for all exhibitions €22. |
Guided tours for children and families every Sunday at 14:00 and during the Berlin school holidays; the family ticket (€18, on site only) covers admission and a tour for two adults and up to three children. For exploring on your own, there is an audio tour for children. Strollers available on loan at the information desks; baby changing facilities in the accessible restroom in the basement of the Pei Building. Children aged 12 and over may visit the exhibitions on their own.
U Museumsinsel · 200 m
U5 Museumsinsel (approx. 200 m); S-Bahn Hackescher Markt or Friedrichstraße; U-Bahn Unter den Linden, Friedrichstraße or Hausvogteiplatz (each approx. 800–900 m); bus 100, 300 (N5 at night) to Staatsoper (approx. 260 m) or Museumsinsel.
Parking available
No dedicated visitor parking. The museum refers visitors to the underground parking beneath Bebelplatz and the parking garage in the City Quartier Dom Aquarée; a few spaces at the Palais am Festungsgraben. Public parking opposite the Pei Building (approx. 100 m); the two accessible parking spaces there are currently unusable due to construction work.
Entrance via the Pei Building, Hinter dem Gießhaus 3. Bike racks on Hinter dem Gießhaus near the entrance, bike-share stations within walking distance.
Get directionsMuseum café closed due to the Zeughaus renovation; free water dispenser in the basement of the Pei Building. Museum shop run by the Walther König bookshop in the Pei Building (daily 10:00–18:00). Free coat check and lockers in the basement, limited availability.
Commercial rental of the Pei Building foyer for receptions and of the Pei Building auditorium with 57 seats (for evening events only on Thursdays). The Zeughaus courtyard and the cinema hall are unavailable due to the renovation. Maximum capacity of the foyer not stated. Contact: nawrot@dhm.de.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Allowed for private purposes in the foyers and changing exhibitions, except for marked objects; no flash, no tripod. Editorial and commercial photography only with written permission. |
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