The largest museum of cultural history in the German-speaking world: around 25,000 exhibits from the Stone Age to the present in a former Carthusian monastery in Nuremberg.
October 15, 2026 – April 11, 2027
The major annual exhibition shows works from 1950 to 2020 that explore the human body as a motif and as a precondition for experiencing art; interventions in the permanent exhibition complement the show.
July 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027
Illuminated fragments from manuscripts of the 9th to 15th centuries, from one of the most important collections of its kind, are presented in the permanent exhibition; the delicate leaves will be swapped out in early November 2026.
July 1, 2026 – November 1, 2026
16 advertising posters by the Swiss graphic designer, who among other things helped shape the purple Milka cow, are on display in the 20th/21st-century department.
The museum was founded in 1852 on the initiative of the Franconian baron Hans von und zu Aufseß. After the failure of political unification in 1848, it was intended to document the shared culture of the German-speaking world; at the time, the name “germanisch” referred to this linguistic and cultural area. Aufseß initially saw the institution above all as a comprehensive index of historical sources; only gradually did collecting original objects take center stage.
From 1857, the museum occupied the former Carthusian monastery on the edge of Nuremberg's old town, whose Gothic church remains the heart of the complex to this day. Over time, gallery and exhibition buildings were added; after the destruction of World War II, new buildings by Sep Ruf shaped the ensemble. Between 1988 and 1996, the large extension on Kartäusergasse was built to plans by Jan Störmer, with Dani Karavan's “Straße der Menschenrechte” (Way of Human Rights) stretching out in front of it. Since 1999, the museum has also run the Kaiserburg-Museum at Nuremberg Castle as a branch.
Today the GNM is a foundation under public law, supported by the federal government, the Free State of Bavaria and the City of Nuremberg, and, as a research museum, a member of the Leibniz Association. Of around 1.3 million objects, about 25,000 are on display – from hand axes and the Bronze Age golden hat to medieval treasury art, works by Albrecht Dürer and 20th-century design. The Behaim Globe, the oldest surviving depiction of the Earth as a sphere, has been listed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register since 2023. Parts of the buildings are currently undergoing extensive renovation.
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6Children and young people aged 7 to 17, school students, university students, people with severe disabilities, unemployed people, closed groups of 10 or more, and holders of the Bayerische Ehrenamtskarte (Bavarian volunteer card) |
| Children & teens | €6free up to age 6 · Children up to age 6 free, ages 7–17 reduced. School students in class groups and youth groups €1. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €6companion free · Reduced price for people with severe disabilities; companion free with the “B” marker in the ID. |
| Students & apprentices | €6Reduced price for school and university students. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €6 per personClosed groups of 10 or more pay the reduced price. Group tours via the Kunst- und Kulturpädagogisches Zentrum (KPZ), tel. +49 911 1331-238. |
| Families | €14Small group/family ticket for 2 to 6 people: 1–2 adults with 1–4 people under 18. |
Free admission: Free admission on Wednesdays from 17:30.
€9 with a same-day VGN public transport ticket or VGN season ticket. €2 (families €4) with the Nürnberg-, Erlangen-, Bamberg-, Fürth-, Ansbach-, Schwabach- or Bayreuth-Pass. Free admission for, among others, members and patrons of the GNM and holders of ICOM, Museumsbund, UNESCO and art historians' association cards. A valid admission ticket is required for guided tours (except Wednesdays from 17:30). Media guide €3. Kaiserburg-Museum branch: combined Kaiserburg ticket €9 (concession €8).
Almost all areas can be reached via ramps and elevators, though not always by the most direct route; ticket desk, restrooms, café and shop are wheelchair-accessible. Loan wheelchairs at the ticket desk. The media guide offers four low-barrier tours (approx. 1 hour, no stairs) for wheelchair users, people with hearing impairments (with sign language videos), people with visual impairments and in plain language; also tactile models and a tablet with a large screen to borrow. Tours for people with disabilities at a special rate via the KPZ, as well as a program for people with dementia. The Opernhaus and Lorenzkirche subway stops are accessible.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €14 · Small group/family ticket for 2 to 6 people: 1–2 adults with 1–4 people under 18. |
Family tours on Sundays (recommended for ages 6 and up), plus a children's studio, activity days and a children's club for 8- to 11-year-olds. Children's media guide with six audio tours for ages 6 to 12 (€10 per family) and a creative booklet. Children's birthday parties with a tour and creative activity via the KPZ.
Opernhaus (U2/U3) oder Lorenzkirche (U1)
U1 to Lorenzkirche or U2/U3 to Opernhaus (both accessible); approx. 10 minutes on foot from the main train station, around 15 minutes from the airport on the U2.
Parking available
No on-site parking; several municipal parking garages nearby, with the Sterntor parking garage recommended on weekends. Coach parking on Grasersgasse right next to the museum.
Café Arte with lunch dishes and cakes (Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, Wed until 20:30, reservations tel. +49 911 1331-286), in summer also in the Kleiner Klosterhof (small cloister courtyard); accessible without a museum ticket. Museum shop by CEDON. Bags larger than A4 go to the cloakroom or lockers.
Up to 600 guests.
Aufseß-Saal (approx. 650 m², up to 510 people in theater seating, 500 for a standing reception), foyer (up to 120 people), Kunstbalkon (art balcony; up to 90 people), Carthusian church (up to 220 people standing, special conditions) and Kleiner Klosterhof (up to 600 people for a standing reception, special conditions). In-house caterer arte e vivere, other service partners; cultural program with guided tours can be booked. Price list and room dimensions available as a PDF.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN, FR, ES, IT, ZH, TR, RU) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Allowed free of charge in the collections without flash or tripod; prohibited in special exhibitions. A tripod or commercial shoots require permission from the press department. |
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