Museum in Merseburg Castle on the history of the royal palatinate, bishop's seat and ducal residence, with a hall of mirrors and special collections.
September 3, 2026 – November 1, 2026
The exhibition presents pioneering timber construction projects from central Germany; organised together with the chambers of architects of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia and the flex.institut of HTWK Leipzig.
The museum goes back to the collection of the Verein für Heimatkunde (local history society), founded in 1906, which was first housed in a ducal fish house, later in the Old Town Hall and in the Ständehaus. In 1950 it was reopened as the Kulturhistorisches Museum Merseburg. Since 1966 it has been based, as a district museum, in the east wing of the castle, which had been largely rebuilt after wartime destruction.
In 1997 the permanent exhibition was redesigned. The historic site itself, with its former royal palatinate, bishop's castle and ducal residence, became the theme: a late medieval court room, a sequence of cellar vaults and historic rooms in the north wing are part of the tour. The castle's inventory itself went to Dresden after the ducal line died out in 1738.
On display are finds from the Old Stone Age to Slavic settlement, the history of the palatinate and the bishopric, the period under Saxon and Prussian rule, and town history up to the 21st century. In addition there are cabinet exhibitions on glass bead work and on the painter Hans Rothe, as well as the Baroque hall of mirrors, the former treasury of the dukes.
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4School pupils, trainees and students aged 18 and over, federal volunteers, recipients of Bürgergeld, SGB XII and housing benefit, severely disabled people with a degree of disability of 50 % or more, groups of 15 or more people (in each case upon presentation of ID) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 years free; hall of mirrors €2.50 |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4companion free · Severely disabled people with a degree of disability of 50 % or more |
| Students & apprentices | €4Students aged 18 and over upon presentation of ID; free as part of university courses |
| Groups (15+ people) | €4 per personfrom 15 people |
| Museum and hall of mirrors (adults) | €8.50 |
| Museum and hall of mirrors (reduced) | €6.50 |
| Hall of mirrors (children and young people under 18) | €2.50 |
| Annual pass (regular) | €15reduced €10 |
| Combination ticket museum and Merseburg Cathedral (adults) | €13reduced €8, school pupils €3, groups of 15 or more €12 |
| Public guided tour incl. museum admission (adults) | €8.50reduced €6.50, school pupils €2.50 |
Free admission also for members of the Museumsverband Sachsen-Anhalt, the Deutscher Museumsbund, ICOM and the Förderkreis Museum Schloss Merseburg (upon presentation of ID) as well as school classes. Tickets on site only, no online tickets.
Three steps at the museum entrance; the exhibition floors can only be reached via a narrow spiral staircase, no lift. The ground floor can be visited with two companions who help with carrying. The hall of mirrors can only be reached via the staircase in the corner tower.
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
Museum education projects for children's groups and school classes can be booked year-round (usually 2 hours, from age 4), for example Stone Age, writing workshop, coats of arms and papermaking. The exhibition has reading and play stations as well as media and audio stations.
Merseburg-Zentrum / Lindenstraße
Tram line 5 (Halle – Bad Dürrenberg) to Merseburg-Zentrum or Lindenstraße; bus to Lindenstraße, Hälterstraße or Merseburg railway station.
Paid parking
Paid castle car park on Hälterstraße (Hälterstraße 9) below the cathedral-castle ensemble; parking is prohibited on Domplatz and at the Dompropstei.
Tickets are available at the Dom- und Schloss-Information on Domplatz (to the left of the cathedral's main portal); the museum entrance is in the castle courtyard (Davidspforte).
Get directionsNo museum café; several cafés near the castle. Cathedral and museum shop next to the ticket desk. Free lockers for backpacks at the museum entrance. Wi-Fi in the ticket shop and at the entrance. Visitor toilets next to the Dom- und Schloss-Information.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Non-commercial photography and video recording without flash or tripod is permitted free of charge; exceptions may apply for special exhibitions. |
| Good to know | Allow at least one hour. Free audio guide via the app "Hearonymus" (keyword "Merseburg"), headphones available on site. Group tours for 5 to 25 people by arrangement on +49 3461 40-2000: 1 hour €45, 1.5 hours €52.50, 2 hours €60 plus €4 reduced admission per person, in foreign languages €60/67.50/75. Dogs are not allowed in the exhibition. The cabinet exhibition on igniters and lighters is closed until further notice due to renovation work. |
