Lübeck’s gallery of 19th-century and classic modern art in a Neoclassical town palace – from Caspar David Friedrich to Edvard Munch.
Through November 22, 2026
To mark the 100th anniversary of the pageant celebrating 700 years of Lübeck’s status as a Free Imperial City, the museum is showing Mahlau’s colored design scroll, more than 16 meters long, for the first time in years, complemented by photos and film.
The Behnhaus on Königstraße is a Neoclassical town palace built around 1800 for merchant Peter Hinrich Tesdorpf on cellar walls dating from the late 13th century; the living quarters in the wing were designed by Danish architect Joseph Christian Lillie. The house is named after the Behn family, who lived here from 1823 to 1920. After the death of the last resident, the city acquired the building with the help of benefactors to house a Lübeck picture gallery.
From 1921, museum director Carl Georg Heise displayed 19th-century painting and also built up a collection of contemporary art centered on works by Edvard Munch – in the early 20th century, the Norwegian had worked several times for the Lübeck collector Max Linde. The collection officially opened in 1923. The modern holdings were almost entirely lost during the Nazi era and were gradually rebuilt after the war. In 1981, the neighboring house was added; Heinrich Dräger funded its conversion into museum space, and since then it has been connected to the Behnhaus as the Drägerhaus.
The collection spans from Romanticism with Caspar David Friedrich, Carl Gustav Carus, and the Lübeck Nazarene Friedrich Overbeck, through the Impressionism of Liebermann, Corinth, and Gotthardt Kuehl, to Kirchner, Macke, Beckmann, and Munch. After more than three years of renovation, during which the medieval cellar was made accessible and an elevator was installed, among other things, the Behnhaus reopened in early November 2025. The Drägerhaus has been closed since January 2025 and is being renovated in a second construction phase.
| Adults | €9 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to 18 free |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · People with a severe disability (degree of disability 50 or higher) free |
| Students & apprentices | freeSchool students, university students, trainees, and Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) participants free |
| Groups (12+ people) | €8 per personAdult groups of 12 or more €8 per person; short visit as part of a city tour €4.50 per person. Guided group tours for adults €75 (60 min.) or €100 (90 min.), school classes €50 or €80, each plus admission; registration required. |
| Families | –No family ticket; children and young people free |
| Lübeck Day Pass (day ticket for all Lübeck museums) | €14Unlimited visits on the booked day, non-transferable |
| Lübeck Day Pass (2 days) | €18Booked day and the following day |
| Lübeck Day Pass plus | €18Also includes St. Mary’s Church (Marienkirche) and the tower of St. Petri |
| Lübeck Day Pass plus (2 days) | €22 |
| Annual pass for Lübeck museums | €40All exhibitions of the Lübeck museums, excluding events; non-transferable |
| Public guided tour | €4Plus admission; Sundays at 11:00 |
| Adult group – short visit as part of a city tour | €4.50Per person |
Prices valid since April 1, 2026. Free admission also for holders of the LübeckCard and the Ehrenamtskarte (volunteer card), as well as members of the Verein der Freunde der Museen der Hansestadt Lübeck, the Museumsverband Schleswig-Holstein und Hamburg, the Deutscher Museumsbund, and ICOM. The Lübeck Day Pass is sold online; single tickets are available at the ticket desk.
Elevator to all public floors, including the restrooms in the basement; mobile ramp for small steps and the entrance. The door handle and bell at the entrance are mounted high; advance notice by email or phone is recommended. No loan wheelchairs, but folding stools are available. No guidance systems, Braille texts, or hearing loops; information in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) only on the website.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Sunday family programs of the Lübeck museums (the “Familienzeit” series) as well as bookable hands-on tours. No strollers available to borrow; if bringing a stroller, advance notice is recommended so that ramps can be put in place. Elevator to all floors.
Koberg
Bus 10, 11, 21, and 39 from Hauptbahnhof/ZOB (main train station/central bus station) to the Koberg stop.
Paid parking
Paid parking on Kanalstraße (free on Sundays); from there via Glockengießerstraße to Königstraße.
Museum shop and ticket desk in the former counting house.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Public guided tour every Sunday at 11:00 (€4 plus admission, limited places), 30-minute lunchtime tour on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 12:30 (admission only), and after-work tours of the special exhibition. Group tours and hands-on tours via the Lübeck museums’ booking form. |
Cookies help you use this website. We only load the map and statistics with your consent.
