Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon

About the museum

The Salon traces its roots to the Kunstkammer (cabinet of art and curiosities) that Elector August set up in Dresden's Residenzschloss around 1560. Alongside works of art, he collected measuring devices, clocks, and scientific instruments there, many of them made in the workshops of Nuremberg and Augsburg. In 1724 these holdings were split off as a separate collection, and in 1728 they moved into a pavilion of the Zwinger, where they remain to this day. The museum has been called the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon since 1746 and is one of the oldest collections of historical instruments in the world.

For a long time the Salon was also a place of practical science: an observatory operated here supplied the official time for Dresden and Saxony until 1928. In the 19th century the collection shaped the city's technical culture; watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who founded Saxon precision watchmaking in Glashütte in 1845, is said to have been inspired by its instruments.

Following a comprehensive renovation from 2007 to 2013, the museum now presents its treasures across some 1,100 square meters. Of roughly 3,000 objects, about 500 are on view in climate-controlled display cases with double anti-reflective glass, arranged in four sections: "Kosmos des Fürsten" (The Prince's Cosmos), "Universum der Globen" (Universe of Globes), "Instrumente der Aufklärung" (Instruments of the Enlightenment), and "Lauf der Zeit" (The Course of Time). Animations help visitors understand fine engravings and intricate mechanisms.

Highlights

• Planetary clock (1563–1568) made for Elector August
• Large burning mirrors by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus
• Globes from seven centuries in the Globe Hall
• Automaton "Trommelnder Bär" (Drumming Bear, c. 1625)
• Early calculating machine after Blaise Pascal (c. 1650)

Permanent exhibitions

• Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon – Dauerausstellung – Clocks, globes, telescopes, automata, and measuring instruments in four thematic sections show how people have measured the world and determined time since the Renaissance.
• Der Planeten wundersamer Lauf – This presentation focuses on Elector August's planetary clock, built between 1563 and 1568, and explains its mechanism with animated films and tactile models.

Founded

1724

Operated by

Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

Director

Dr. Peter Plaßmeyer

Admission & discounts

Single ticket for the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon €6; alternatively, the Zwinger house ticket covers all four museums in the Zwinger. Free admission on your birthday.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Main entrance has steps; step-free access via the elevator to the left of the staircase (door width 80 cm). The entrance door is heavy – staff will help. All levels are step-free; elevator buttons are tactile, with floor announcements. Wheelchair-accessible restroom in the basement (reachable only by elevator). No dedicated parking; two accessible parking spaces at the Bärengarten entrance, more on Chiaverigasse opposite Theaterplatz. One loaner wheelchair and 22 museum stools. Guided tours for blind and visually impaired visitors, with sign language interpretation, and in Leichte Sprache (Easy German); brochure in Easy German. The audio guide is not accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties: not available

As part of "Sonntags ins Museum" (free admission from 15:00, rotating among SKD museums), family afternoons with demonstrations of historical experiments; dedicated programs for daycare and after-school groups, with daycare groups admitted by appointment from 9:30. No children's birthday parties. Strollers are generally allowed but may be refused when the museum is very busy; nursing and changing facilities in every museum. Children may not be carried in back carriers or on shoulders; food, drinks, and larger diaper bags are not allowed in the exhibitions.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Free coat check and lockers (€1/€2 coin deposit); bags larger than 20 × 15 × 10 cm must be checked. Free Wi-Fi "MUSEUM_SKD". Dining in the neighboring Semperbau (Alte Meister Café & Restaurant).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 98 guests.

Rentals through MSU Museen erleben GmbH: the Grottensaal in the museum foyer (250 m²; concerts up to 98, standing receptions up to 90 people), Tue–Sun from 18:30 and all day on Mondays; can be combined with guided tours of the exhibition.

Plan your visit