Archive, library, and dance museum in Cologne's Mediapark, with changing exhibitions on the history and present of stage dance.
May 17, 2026 – February 28, 2027
Photographs and a film installation by Rosa Frank, plus films, texts, and objects from the estate of choreographer Raimund Hoghe, tied to the question of how dance inscribes itself into an archive.
The archive has its roots in the collection of dance educator Kurt Peters, who began gathering documents on dance history in Hamburg after World War II – partly to replace a dance archive destroyed in 1943. In 1965 he moved his holdings to Cologne.
In 1985 the collection was purchased and opened to the public together with the City of Cologne's cultural office. Today the SK Stiftung Kultur and the City of Cologne jointly run the Deutsches Tanzarchiv as a research center of European standing. Frank-Manuel Peter directed it from 1986 to 2025; Susanne Foellmer has been at the helm since April 2026. A dedicated dance museum complements the archival work and makes the holdings accessible to a broad audience through exhibitions.
The building at Im Mediapark 7 houses the archive, a reference library with a video collection, and the dance museum. The holdings include hundreds of estates and pre-mortem bequests, including those of Mary Wigman, Harald Kreutzberg, and Kurt Jooss, along with photographs, posters, programs, costumes, artworks, and films. The dance museum draws on them for changing exhibitions, accompanied by guided tours, danced tours, performances, and educational programs for schools and families.
| Adults | €5.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3School students, university students, people in military or voluntary service, retirees, the unemployed, and people with severe disabilities, holders of the Köln-Pass, KölnCard, and KulturCard |
| Children & teens | –On family guided tours, children up to age 12 get in free; no separate rule for children is given otherwise. |
| Seniors | €3Reduced admission for retirees. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3Reduced admission for people with severe disabilities on presentation of proof. |
| Students & apprentices | €3 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €1.50 per personSchool and ballet classes of 10 or more: €1.50 per person; for externally led tours, regular admission applies. |
| Families | –Family guided tour €5.50 / reduced €3, children up to age 12 free. |
| Guided tour incl. admission | €6.50reduced €4 |
| Event (incl. exhibition visit) | €6.50reduced €4 |
| Combination ticket with Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur (second floor) | €9reduced €6 |
Free admission: Free admission every first Thursday of the month (Long Thursday)
Members of the Freunde der Tanzkunst am Deutschen Tanzarchiv Köln (friends' association) get free admission. Use of the archive and library is free.
According to the museum, the exhibition rooms are fully accessible for people with physical disabilities and wheelchair users.
Great for kids & families
Family tours for parents, grandparents and children as well as movement activities for children aged 8 and up; inquiries to the education team.
Christophstraße/Mediapark
S-Bahn S6, S11, S12, S19 to Hansaring; tram 12 or 15 to Christophstraße/Mediapark.
Parking available
Central underground garage of the Mediapark (entrance Am Kümpchenshof or Erftstraße, signposted "PZ").
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
No rental options found on the website.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours, danced tours, family guided tours, and TanzSpaziergänge (dance walks) for each exhibition; the workshop "Time To Move!" is also available as a mobile offer at schools. Inquiries to the archive and museum education department (Mon–Thu 9:00–16:30, Fri 9:00–14:00). Museum phone line only during opening hours: +49 221 888 95-444. |
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