Dom- und Diözesanmuseum (Mainz)
Sacred art from more than a thousand years around the cloister of Mainz Cathedral – with the cathedral treasury, works by the Naumburg Master and Romanesque vaulted halls.
About the museum
In October 1924, the cathedral chapter decided to establish a museum of its own for the art treasures of Mainz Cathedral and the diocese. By June 1925 a first display collection was already on view in the large chapter hall on the south side of the cathedral cloister. Since then the museum has belonged to the Diocese of Mainz and is one of the largest church-run museums in Germany.
After World War II, the museum gradually expanded into the rooms around the cloister: first the late Gothic upper story of the cloister, built around 1400, was added; then, in the late 20th century, the Romanesque vaulted halls, where sculptures by the Naumburg Master from the former west choir screen are shown, and the Nikolauskapelle (St. Nicholas Chapel) as a treasury. Today a total of around 3,000 square meters of exhibition space is available.
The collection comprises some 30,000 objects from Roman times to the 20th century, with a clear focus on the Middle Ages: stone and wood sculpture, panel painting, manuscripts, textiles such as the Byzantine silk chasuble of Archbishop Willigis, tapestries, furniture and the cathedral treasury with goldsmiths' work spanning about a thousand years. Most of the old treasury was melted down in 1803; the present holdings have been assembled since then through donations and acquisitions.
For its centenary in 2024/25, the museum presented a series of special exhibitions. Since 2025 it has been directed by Anja Lempges; besides smaller cabinet exhibitions, it offers an extensive program of guided tours, family activities and events in the museum and the cathedral.
Highlights
- Sculptures by the Naumburg Master from the former west choir screen (c. 1240)
- Cathedral treasury in the Gothic Nikolauskapelle
- Silk chasuble of Archbishop Willigis (c. 1000)
- Two-story late Gothic cloister and Romanesque vaulted halls
- Revolving tabernacle by Abraham Roentgen (1758)
Permanent exhibitions
- Naumburger Meister in den Gewölbehallen – The Romanesque vaulted halls display sculpture from the cathedral's early period, above all the works of the Naumburg Master from the demolished west choir screen.
- Der Mainzer Domschatz – The Nikolauskapelle displays liturgical goldsmiths' work, reliquaries and vestments from around a thousand years, including pieces that escaped the melting down of 1803.
- Founded
- 1924
- Operated by
- Bistum Mainz
- Director
- Anja Lempges
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Seniors 60 and over, children ages 9 to 17, school students, university students, people doing military or civilian service, unemployed people, and groups of 10 or more |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 8 · Children up to and including age 8 free; ages 9 to 17 reduced. |
| Seniors | €3Reduced admission from age 60. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with a disability degree (GdB) of 50 or more, including one companion. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Art history students in Mainz and Frankfurt get free admission. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €3 per personReduced admission for groups of 10 or more. Group tours (60 min., max. 20 people): museum €60, special exhibition €70, each plus €3 admission per person; cathedral tour €85 (up to 10 people) or €95 (10–25 people), optionally including the treasury. |
| Families | €10Family ticket. |
Free admission on your name day, with the MainzCard, and for members of ICOM, the Deutscher Museumsbund and the Verband Deutscher Kunsthistoriker. Separate prices apply to events and courses.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to the museum, only partially accessible; it recommends inquiring before your visit about the accessibility of individual departments and exhibition rooms.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 8 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €10 · Family ticket. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Kids’ birthday parties
Children's tours and children's birthday parties by arrangement; programs for daycare groups and school classes.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Höfchen/Listmann
Bus 55–57 and 62–65 from the main station (stop in front of the Rhein-Apotheke) to Höfchen/Listmann; alternatively S-Bahn to Mainz Römisches Theater, from there approx. 10 minutes on foot.
By car
Parking available
No parking lot of its own; parking garages Am Brandt, Rathaus and Malakoff-Park nearby, a few outdoor parking spaces on Grebenstraße.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Entrance in the cathedral cloister: through the cathedral (Marktportal, then the south exit) or from Liebfrauenplatz past the east choir. Group tours of the museum and the cathedral by arrangement, also in other languages and outside opening hours. Programs for daycare groups and school classes. On October 31, 2026, "Lange Nacht der Heiligen" (Long Night of the Saints, 18:00–23:00, separate admission). |
