Münchner Stadtmuseum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The Münchner Stadtmuseum opened in 1888 as the Historisches Museum der Stadt München on the second floor of the late Gothic Zeughaus (armory) on St.-Jakobs-Platz. It was the first museum devoted exclusively to the city, and over the decades it grew into a complex of six buildings around two inner courtyards between St.-Jakobs-Platz, Rosental, and Oberanger. Today it is considered Germany's largest municipal museum.

In addition to city history, the collections cover applied art, photography, graphic art and paintings, fashion and textiles, musical instruments, puppet theater and fairground culture, and advertising art; the Filmmuseum München is also part of the museum. For the city's 850th anniversary in 2008, the Zeughaus was renovated and the permanent exhibition "Typisch München!" opened, centered on Erasmus Grasser's Morris dancers.

After lengthy planning, the city council approved a general renovation based on designs by the firm Auer Weber. The exhibition program ended on January 7, 2024, after which the complex was cleared. Plans include a new main entrance on Rindermarkt, a covered inner courtyard as a foyer with an inserted exhibition cube, and full accessibility throughout; reopening is scheduled for mid-2031.

During the closure, the museum has been showing the free, accessible temporary exhibition "What the City" in the first-floor hall of the Zeughaus since May 2025; it serves as a testing ground for the future new concept.

Highlights

• Morris dancers by Erasmus Grasser (1480) – not on display during the renovation
• Temporary exhibition "What the City" in the late Gothic Zeughaus, with free admission
• Collections on puppet theater and fairground culture, musical instruments, fashion, and photography
• Cinema of the Filmmuseum München in the Marstall building, operating until 2027 for now

Founded

1888

Operated by

Landeshauptstadt München (Kulturreferat)

Director

Markus Speidel

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

The temporary exhibition is freely accessible without a ticket desk or ticket checks. Participates in the combination ticket of the municipal museums (50% discount at the other museums); München Card and City Pass are accepted.

Accessibility

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

The temporary exhibition is at ground level and threshold-free via the new entrance on St.-Jakobs-Platz with an automatic door opener, tactile floor guidance system, and several tactile stations. Free web app with videos in German Sign Language and an audio track for blind visitors; wall texts in Einfache Sprache (plain German), subtitled videos. Accessible restroom (Euro key) in the basement of the Filmmuseum, reachable by elevator. Loan wheelchair and folding stools. Cinema auditorium with induction loop and two wheelchair spaces. Public accessible parking spaces at St.-Jakobs-Platz 12, Rosental 5, and Hackenstraße 1.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

The temporary exhibition "What the City" offers hands-on and media stations, some of them designed to be explored by touch. A fold-down baby changing table is located in the women's restroom on the first floor of the Filmmuseum.

Getting there & parking

From the Sendlinger Tor subway station, walk about 350 m along Sendlinger Straße, then another 50 m or so to the entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop: not available
• Coat check: not available

Café "Nash" in the former Stadtcafé (under new management since May 2025). No coat check in the temporary exhibition. The museum shop in the building is closed (servus.heimat continues in the Ruffinihaus, Sendlinger Straße 1).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit