Deutsches Sport & Olympia Museum

About the museum

The idea of a national sports museum arose around the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. In 1982, the non-profit association Deutsches Sportmuseum was founded; it built up a sports history collection and raised money for a museum building of its own. With support from the City of Cologne, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the federal government, it was able to acquire a listed customs and warehouse building from 1896 in the Rheinauhafen and have it converted into a museum.

The museum opened on November 25, 1999, as a joint project of German sport. It is operated by a foundation established in 1998, whose board is made up of representatives of savings banks, the City of Cologne, and the association; the building and collection belong to the association. The Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (German Olympic Sports Confederation) supports the museum as an affiliated institution.

Across about 2,700 m², the permanent exhibition presents some 2,000 objects spanning ancient Greece to the present day. Besides triumphs and records, it also covers darker sides such as doping and the political exploitation of sport. Numerous activity stations – from a boxing ring to a goal wall – and two playing fields on the roof overlooking the Rhine invite visitors to join in. The building is also a popular event venue, and an oral history project collects athletes' memories.

Highlights

• Boxing gloves hand-signed by Muhammad Ali
• Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 race car
• The original goal wall from ZDF's “Sportstudio” TV show
• Bicycle in a wind tunnel and a boxing ring as hands-on stations
• Two rooftop sports fields overlooking the Rhine (included in admission)

Permanent exhibitions

• Dauerausstellung: 2.500 Jahre Sportgeschichte – A tour from the ancient Olympic Games to today's elite and recreational sport with some 2,000 objects, themed rooms on the Olympics, soccer, and politics, and many activity stations.

Founded

1999

Operated by

Stiftung Deutsches Sport & Olympia Museum

Director

Andreas Höfer

Admission & discounts

Free admission for members of the Deutscher Museumsbund and ICOM. Cologne's KölnTag (free museum day) does not apply here, as this is not a municipal museum. Tickets on site or in the online shop.

Accessibility

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

Entrance and first floor partly accessible via ramps; the permanent exhibition on the upper floor and the rooftop sports fields can be reached by elevator. Accessible restroom on the first floor. Free at the ticket desk: loaner wheelchair, illuminated reading magnifiers, noise-canceling headphones. Accessible elevator access from the Rheinauhafen underground parking (area 1.03). Website with Easy Language content and a read-aloud function.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Many active stations (including goal-wall shooting, a boxing ring, a bike in a wind tunnel) and two sports fields on the roof; balls are available free at the ticket desk. Public family tours, holiday programs and children's birthday parties (ages 6–12). Children under 16 only when accompanied by an adult.

Getting there & parking

On foot from the cathedral/main station, about 20 minutes along the Rhine upstream to the swing bridge at the Malakoffturm.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Three self-service stations with snacks and drinks; Sat/Sun approx. 11:00–18:00 mobile Café Glück Auf on the Rhine side, covered terrace. Lockers behind the ticket desk (€1 deposit). Free Wi-Fi. Online shop with publications and gift vouchers.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 350 guests.

Champions Hall (450 m², up to 350 people), Salon (130 m²), Kurt-Brumme-Galerie (85 m²), plus foyer areas, terrace, and roof; for conferences, corporate parties, lectures, press conferences, hybrid events, and film shoots. Exclusive caterer: lemonpie Eventcatering.

Plan your visit