Art museum from 1969 on Rostock's Schwanenteich pond, with a collection of East German and Scandinavian art, an open storage gallery and changing exhibitions.
August 14, 2026 – November 22, 2026
Retrospective of around 80 works by the Ahrenshoop painter, from portraits to watercolors of the Fischland landscape; many works on paper are on view for the first time.
September 27, 2026 – February 21, 2027
Major survey of more than 150 paintings, prints and tapestries tracing the artist's path as a painter in East Germany.
October 3, 2026 – November 29, 2026
Exhibition with art, personal stories and hands-on stations about farewell and grief, accompanied by more than 20 events.
October 3, 2026 – January 10, 2027
Expansive thread installations by the Berlin-based Japanese artist about relationships, memory and belonging in the White Cube.
December 13, 2026 – February 1, 2027
Exhibition for the Rostock Art Prize, awarded in the field of painting in 2026.
December 13, 2026 – January 17, 2027
Photographs by Peter Brune and his companions from the final years of East Germany on the island of Hiddensee.
August 6, 2026 – December 31, 2027
The open storage gallery displays more than 200 sculptures from the collection, with a focus on the human figure; free admission.
The Kunsthalle Rostock was conceived in 1964 as a cultural showcase project of the GDR (East Germany) and opened in 1969 on the Schwanenteich pond in the Reutershagen district. The modern single-story building originally served mainly the Ostseebiennale, an exhibition series featuring art from the countries bordering the Baltic Sea, Norway and Iceland.
From 1964, founding director Horst Zimmermann built up a collection of its own, so the venue evolved into a museum. By 1990 the holdings had grown to around 500 paintings, 200 sculptures and some 7,000 works on paper; the focus is on East German art, Scandinavian art and regional artists, including prints by Otto Dix and Käthe Kollwitz and sculptures by Fritz Cremer and Werner Stötzer. In the decades up to German reunification, an average of around 110,000 people visited each year.
After 1990, the Kunsthalle was for a time run by a friends' association; Jörg-Uwe Neumann has headed the museum since 2009. An open storage gallery was added in 2018, making parts of the collection permanently accessible, and the main building was extensively renovated in 2023. Since 2024, the Kunsthalle has been operated as a nonprofit company with support from the Hanseatic and university city of Rostock.
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4People with severe disabilities, university students and trainees up to age 25, school students age 16 and over, volunteer service participants, holders of the GästeCard/Kurkarte (visitor's card), WarnowPass and ArtCard |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 16 · Children up to age 16 free |
| Seniors | €6Special price of €6 on Thursdays only |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Reduced admission |
| Students & apprentices | –Reduced up to age 25; students of the University of Rostock, the HMT Rostock and Hochschule Wismar (Warnemünde) free |
| Annual pass | €45Valid for 12 months from date of purchase |
Admission prices depend on the current exhibition (currently €6/€4 to €10/€8). The open storage gallery "Plastik- und Skulpturendepot" is free. With a Kurkarte (visitor's card) from Rostock/Warnemünde, €2 off the regular price. Free for members of the friends' association, EhrenamtsCard (volunteer card) holders and press.
According to the museum, the Kunsthalle and open storage gallery are largely accessible, with all rooms reachable via elevators and platform lifts. Rollators and museum stools at the ticket desk. Some accompanying programs in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache).
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 16 |
|---|
Children's art club for ages 2 to 4 once a month on Sundays; holiday workshops for children with registration; programs for daycare and school groups.
Kunsthalle · 100 m
Tram 1, 2, and 5 to "Kunsthalle" (approx. 100 m, on the opposite side of Hamburger Straße); bus 25 and 39 to "Reutershagen" (approx. 10 min. walk).
Parking available
Parking right at the Kunsthalle.
Café im Gräsergarten (Tue–Fri 12:00–17:00, Sat/Sun 11:00–17:30) with a view of the Schwanenteich.
Up to 35 guests.
Family celebrations, small corporate receptions and press conferences in the café for up to 35 people; inquiries to cafe@kunsthallerostock.de.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
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| Good to know | Guided tours, workshops and accompanying events for the exhibitions, some requiring registration. |
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