September 4, 2026 – November 29, 2026
Aus der Mitte Europas. Tschechische Buchkunst von 1900 bis zur Gegenwart
An overview of just over a hundred years of Czech book design, created with loans from the Museum of Decorative Arts (UPM) in Prague.
Klingspor-Museum
Museum of international book art and lettering of the 20th and 21st centuries in the Büsingpalais in Offenbach am Main.
Opening hoursAdmission from €4 Wheelchair accessible
Current exhibitions
December 12, 2026 – March 28, 2027
71. Internationale Kinderbuchausstellung. Die Nacht
The traditional winter exhibition presents international picture books, this time on the theme of night, with workshops for daycare centers and schools.
About the museum
The core of the museum is the collection of the Offenbach type foundry owner Karl Klingspor. In 1892 he took over the Rudhard type foundry, which traded as Gebr. Klingspor from 1904 and, with designers such as Peter Behrens and Rudolf Koch, released influential typefaces. By the time of his death in 1950, Klingspor had assembled around 3,000 bibliophile prints and examples of contemporary book art and lettering.
The Klingspor Museum was founded in 1953 on the basis of this estate and also took in the archives of Rudolf Koch and Rudo Spemann. It is housed in the south wing of the Büsingpalais on Herrnstraße; in 2011 the building was renovated and given new upper stories that replaced the makeshift flat roof.
With around 85,000 objects today, the municipal museum holds one of the most important collections of book art and lettering: artists' books, private press prints, type specimen books, calligraphy, posters and typography, all the way to woven lettering tapestries. A public specialist library with a reading room completes the offering. A long-standing tradition is the Internationale Kinderbuchausstellung (International Children's Book Exhibition), shown every year around the turn of the year.
The museum's directors have included Hans Adolf Halbey, Christian Scheffler and Stefan Soltek; Dorothee Ader has been director since December 2021.
Highlights
- Estate of type foundry owner Karl Klingspor and works by Rudolf Koch
- Around 85,000 objects on book art, typography and calligraphy
- Artists' books and private press prints of the 20th and 21st centuries
- Annual International Children's Book Exhibition
- Public specialist library with reading room
Permanent exhibitions
- Klingspor permanent – Permanent display of lettering and book art from the museum's own holdings.
- Founded
- 1953
- Operated by
- Stadt Offenbach am Main
- Director
- Dorothee Ader
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2.50People with severe disabilities, trainees, people in the Federal Volunteer Service (BFD), university students, unemployed people |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 free. |
| Seniors | €3 |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2.50 |
| Students & apprentices | €2.50 |
| Groups | –Groups by appointment, also outside opening hours. |
| Combination ticket with the Haus der Stadtgeschichte | €5 |
Free admission: Free admission for everyone on Fridays.
Members of the friends' association free. Cash only at the museum entrance.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: not available
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A small lift bridges the six steps from the entrance to the foyer; the entrance door does not open automatically, so please call ahead (+49 69 8065-2164). Elevator to all floors, platform lift into the large exhibition hall; restrooms and cloakroom in the basement accessible by elevator. Tactile floor guidance system.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
Open workshops and holiday programmes for children; every winter an international children’s book exhibition where visitors can browse the books. Programmes for nurseries and schools are listed in the “Mach was” booklet.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Offenbach Marktplatz · 3-min walk
S1, S2, S8, S9 to Offenbach-Marktplatz (exit Herrnstraße/Büsingpalais, approx. 3 min.); bus 102, 103, 104, 105, 108, 551, 41 to Rathaus/Berliner Straße.
By car
Parking available
Underground car park of the Sheraton Hotel (Berliner Straße 111) and public parking on Herrnstraße and along the Main riverbank; disabled parking spaces on Herrnstraße and Kirchgasse.
- Accessible parking
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
- Coat check
Children's workshops and holiday programs; shop items can be ordered online.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Workshops for daycare centers and schools by appointment (art education, Tue–Thu, +49 69 8065-2954). |
