Military history from the late Middle Ages to the present in Dresden's Arsenal with Daniel Libeskind's striking wedge – a museum about war, violence and society.
March 13, 2026 – March 9, 2027
The exhibition examines how the Nazi regime used the media to present weapons such as the V1 and V2 as "miracle weapons" and traces this rhetoric into today's debates.
October 9, 2026 – August 31, 2027
More than 200 paintings, prints and sculptures by around 100 artists, including Bernhard Heisig and Werner Tübke, show the tension between state commissions and artistic independence in the art of the NVA (East German army).
The museum is housed in the former main arsenal building in Dresden's Albertstadt district, built between 1873 and 1877. From 1897 the building displayed weapons collections, later as the Royal Saxon Army Museum. After the end of the war in 1945, most of the holdings were confiscated by the Red Army.
In 1961 the German Army Museum of the GDR opened in Potsdam; in 1972 it moved to Dresden and took over the Arsenal as the Army Museum of the GDR. After reunification, the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) took over the museum and has run it since 1990/91 as the Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr; it is the lead museum in the Bundeswehr's network of museums and collections and reports to the Zentrum für Militärgeschichte und Sozialwissenschaften (Center for Military History and Social Sciences) in Potsdam.
After several years of conversion by the architect Daniel Libeskind, the museum reopened on October 14, 2011. Since then, a wedge-shaped new structure of steel and glass has cut through the Neoclassical old building, recalling the destruction of Dresden in February 1945; the "Dresden-Blick" viewing platform offers a view across the city.
Covering around 10,000 square meters, the permanent exhibition combines a chronological tour of German military history in a European context with a thematic course in the Libeskind building that examines the causes and consequences of violence – with topics such as war and memory, animals in the military and suffering in war. More than 10,000 exhibits are on display from a collection of over 700,000 objects. The museum also has a branch at the Berlin-Gatow airfield.
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Students, trainees, pupils aged 18 and over, recipients of Bürgergeld/ALG II (basic income support), people with a severe disability ID (degree of disability 50 or higher) and others |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and teens under 18 free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3companion free · Reduced with severe disability ID (degree of disability 50 or higher); companion free if noted on the ID. |
| Students & apprentices | €3 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4 per personFrom 10 people, registration required; reduced groups €2, group combination ticket €6 (reduced €3). School groups free. |
| Families | €7Two adults with at least one child under 18; family combination ticket €10. |
| Special exhibition | €5Reduced €3, groups €4. |
| Combination ticket for permanent and special exhibition | €7Reduced €4. |
| Annual pass | €15Reduced €10. |
Free admission: Free admission for everyone on Mondays from 18:00 and on other opening days from 17:00.
Free admission also for members of the Bundeswehr and NATO armed forces, members of ICOM and the Museumsbund, and members of the friends' association. No online tickets; tickets are sold at the museum ticket desk.
All floors and exhibitions are accessible. Accessible restrooms on the first floor and the third floor. Five accessible parking spaces at the museum. Wheelchairs and rollators available free of charge at the cloakroom. Seating in the exhibitions. Tours in plain language can be booked. Assistance dogs allowed with proof.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €7 · Two adults with at least one child under 18; family combination ticket €10. |
Family tour with "FLOHrian" (ages 5 and up, 60 min., daily except Wed during school holidays, followed by a building activity), holiday workshops, two free museum quiz booklets (ages 6 and up), reading corner for ages 3 and up, live speakers to answer questions. Children up to age 7 only when accompanied by an adult. Strollers allowed, buggies can be borrowed at the cloakroom, baby changing facilities on the first floor and third floor.
Stauffenbergallee / Militärhistorisches Museum
Tram 7 and 8, bus 64 to "Stauffenbergallee / Militärhistorisches Museum"
Free parking
Free parking lot on the museum grounds with 45 car spaces, 5 accessible spaces and 6 bus spaces.
By car via the A4, Dresden-Hellerau exit.
Get directionsNo café – vending machines with snacks and cold and hot drinks in the foyer; eating and drinking only in the foyer and the outdoor area. Books and gift vouchers at the museum ticket desk. Free cloakroom and lockers; bags larger than 30 × 45 × 15 cm must be checked. Dogs only on a leash in the outdoor area.
The official website provides no information on venue rental.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Private photography allowed without flash or tripod; commercial photography and filming only with prior written permission |
| Good to know | Public overview tour Sat/Sun at 15:00 (60 min., no registration), further public themed tours of 38–60 min.; 90-minute overview tours for groups in German, English, French and Russian (registration: mhmbesucherservice@bundeswehr.org). Free multimedia guide at the ticket desk; QR codes lead to audio stations. Programs for school classes. |
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