Marmorpalais

About the museum

King Frederick William II had the Marmorpalais (Marble Palace) built from 1787 on the shore of the Heiliger See in the Neuer Garten (New Garden) as a private summer palace. Carl von Gontard supplied the plans, while Carl Gotthard Langhans shaped the interiors. Clad in Silesian marble, the building is considered the first and only Prussian royal palace in the early Neoclassical style. Construction of two single-story side wings began in 1797, but the king died in the palace that same year, before they were completed.

In the 19th century, Prince Wilhelm, later Emperor Wilhelm I, and his wife Augusta lived here at times; under Frederick William IV the interior fitting-out of the wings was completed in the 1840s. Following the property settlement with the House of Hohenzollern, the palace opened as a palace museum in August 1932.

The building was damaged in World War II, after which the Red Army used it as an officers' club. From 1961 to 1972 it housed the GDR's Army Museum. From 1988, and increasingly after reunification, the palace was restored; since 2006 all of its roughly 40 interior rooms have been accessible again, and the facade was completed in 2009.

Today the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten (Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation) presents the largely original rooms with marble fireplaces, ancient sculptures, inlaid floors made of local woods, silk wall coverings and an important collection of English Wedgwood ceramics. In the south wing, a newly designed multimedia exhibition provides information about the palace and its era.

Highlights

• Vestibule of marble in various colors
• Grotto Hall right at the water's edge
• Concert hall and Oriental Cabinet in the style of a Turkish tent
• Collection of English Wedgwood ceramics and two longcase clocks from the estate of Madame de Pompadour
• Kitchen building in the form of an ancient temple ruin sinking into the lake
• Setting in the Neuer Garten with views across the Havel landscape

Permanent exhibitions

• Neue Ausstellung im Südflügel – Multimedia introduction to the history of the palace with a film, media stations on Frederick William II and an audio station on Wilhelmine Enke, later Countess Lichtenau. Topics include the French Revolution, women's roles around 1800 and the third partition of Poland (German, English, Polish).
• Historische Schlossräume – Guided tour through the largely original early Neoclassical rooms, from the marble vestibule and the Grotto Hall to the concert hall.

Founded

1932

Operated by

Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG)

Admission & discounts

The sanssouci+ ticket (€22, reduced €17) is valid for one day at all SPSG palaces in Potsdam, including the Marmorpalais, and can be booked online; single tickets at the palace ticket desk. Combined ticket Marmorpalais/Belvedere Pfingstberg €12 (reduced €10), on sale April 1 – October 31. Annual palace pass €80 (reduced €60). Free admission for groups including recipients of state welfare benefits and their children under 18, refugees with a residence permit for asylum seekers or a temporary suspension of deportation (Duldung), and members of the press.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Classified by the SPSG as “partially wheelchair-accessible”: a platform lift leads to the entrance, and wheelchair users can visit only the ground floor. A loaner wheelchair is available in the palace, and accessible toilets are provided. Strollers are not allowed in the exhibition rooms for conservation reasons. Assistance dogs welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly: not available

Family tours with the palace dragon “Johann Ludwig von Fauch” for children aged 6 and up. Strollers are not allowed in the exhibition rooms for conservation reasons.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Lockers

No food service in the palace; nearby are the Meierei im Neuen Garten (brewery and restaurant on the Jungfernsee) and Café Midi. A limited number of lockers for luggage up to 30 × 45 × 90 cm; luggage may not be left in the entrance area.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 200 guests.

The outdoor areas are available for rent: the palace courtyard (approx. 800 m², up to 200 people, for standing receptions, concerts, readings and lectures; €1,500) and the lake terrace on the Heiliger See (approx. 560 m², up to 200 people, for standing receptions and non-religious wedding ceremonies; €1,000). Caterers can be freely chosen in consultation with the SPSG; additional costs for event liability insurance and supervisory staff. Open fire is not allowed. Inquiries: eventlocations@spsg.de.

Plan your visit