September 11, 2026 – February 7, 2027
Geteiltes Leben. Kunst und Migration in Berlin
Works by artists with migration and exile backgrounds in East and West Berlin since the 1970s, complemented by archival material and interviews.
Ephraim-Palais
Rococo palace in the Nikolaiviertel where the Berlin Museum presents the permanent exhibition "BerlinZEIT" on the city's history, along with special exhibitions.
Opening hoursAdmission from €7 Wheelchair accessible
Current exhibitions
May 22, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Tapetenwechsel. Migration und Mobiliar seit 1960
The show explores how immigrants lived and furnished their homes in Berlin – from dormitories and makeshift arrangements to a home of their own.
About the museum
The palace traces back to the Jewish court jeweler and mint master Veitel Heine Ephraim, who in 1762 acquired a lot at the corner of Poststraße and Mühlendamm that had once housed Berlin's first pharmacy. By 1766, master builder Friedrich Wilhelm Diterichs had joined two houses with an oval staircase to create a magnificent Rococo corner building that soon came to be regarded as the most beautiful corner in the city. From 1843 the house belonged to the City of Berlin, and in the 1890s Hermann Blankenstein extended it along the Mühlendamm.
In 1936/37 the palace was dismantled to widen the Mühlendamm; major parts of the facade were then stored for decades in the Wedding district. After West Berlin plans to rebuild it in Kreuzberg fell through, the parts were transferred to East Berlin in 1983. As part of the reconstruction of the Nikolaiviertel for the city's 750th anniversary, the building was rebuilt by 1987 using the original parts, a few meters from its original location.
Since then, the palace has served as an exhibition venue of the Stadtmuseum Berlin, which now operates under the Berlin Museum brand, showing changing exhibitions on the city's history and culture. Because the Märkisches Museum is being renovated, the large permanent exhibition "BerlinZEIT" on Berlin history has been on view here since 2023. The building is also home to the Ephraim Veitel Stiftung, a foundation that supports Jewish life in Germany.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition "BerlinZEIT": eight centuries of Berlin history
- Oval Rococo staircase from the 18th century
- 1987 reconstruction with original facade elements
- Changing special exhibitions on the fourth floor
- Free "Object of the Month" in the foyer
- Combination ticket with the Nikolaikirche and Knoblauchhaus
Permanent exhibitions
- BerlinZEIT. Die Stadt macht Geschichte! – Chronological walk through the city's history from its founding to the present on two floors, with media and hands-on stations.
- Founded
- 1987
- Operated by
- Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin (Berlin Museum)
- Director
- Sophie Plagemann
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | freeFree admission with proof for groups including university students, apprentices, volunteer service participants, holders of the Berlin-Ticket S, volunteer card (Ehrenamtskarte), or Berlin family pass (Berliner Familienpass), recipients of Bürgergeld or ALG I unemployment benefits, refugees, people with severe disabilities (GdB 50) and their companion, ICOM and Museumsbund members, and press |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 receive free admission. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission with a disability rating (GdB) of 50 or more, also for the recognized companion. |
| Students & apprentices | freeUniversity students and apprentices receive free admission with proof. |
| Groups | –Guided tours for groups can be booked online; prices not listed on the museum's website. |
| Families | –No family ticket; admission is free for under-18s. |
| Nikolaiviertel combination ticket (Nikolaikirche, Ephraim-Palais, Knoblauchhaus, two consecutive days) | €15 |
Single ticket valid as a day ticket. Here, "reduced" means free admission. Online advance sales open no earlier than 14 days before the visit; online tickets cannot be canceled.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
Step-free entrance (2 cm threshold), double door without automatic opener – staff will assist. Elevator to all floors, usable only when accompanied by staff. Accessible restroom with baby changing table on the first floor. Induction hearing loop and cane holders at the counter; seating and stools in the exhibition. Tactile objects, tactile tours for blind and visually impaired visitors, and tours in German Sign Language; information in Easy Read German online. Two accessible parking spaces on Rathausstraße (approx. 500 m). "Barrierefreiheit geprüft" (accessibility verified) certificate from Reisen für Alle (2025, valid until 2028).
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
- Kids’ birthday parties: not available
Free activity booklet for children at the ticket desk; hands-on, touch, scent, and video stations in BerlinZEIT. Linocut printing workshops in the museum lab for children as young as 3, plus family tours, holiday courses, and "Elternzeit Kultur" (culture time for parents) and "Enkelkinderzeit Kultur" (culture time for grandparents and grandchildren). The Stadtmuseum offers children's birthday parties only at its other venues. Baby changing table in the accessible restroom on the first floor.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Rotes Rathaus (Bus 200) · 450 m
Bus 200 Rotes Rathaus (approx. 450 m); U5 Rotes Rathaus (approx. 500 m); U2 Klosterstraße (approx. 600 m); tram M1, M4, M5, M6, 12 Spandauer Straße/Marienkirche (approx. 650 m); S3, S5, S7, S9 Alexanderplatz (approx. 800 m).
By car
The museum only mentions two public accessible parking spaces on Rathausstraße, approx. 500 m away.
- Accessible parking
Amenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Coat check
Museum shop with books, city maps, and souvenirs. No café of its own, but numerous cafés and restaurants in the Nikolaiviertel.
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 |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free audio guide (German/English) in the foyer. Public guided tours (e.g., "In 60 Minuten durch die BerlinZEIT" – Through BerlinZEIT in 60 Minutes), family tours, and bookable tours and workshops for groups, daycare centers, and school classes. |
