District museum in Villa Oppenheim, a Gründerzeit villa near Charlottenburg Palace, with city history and an art collection; free admission.
October 25, 2026 – April 18, 2027
The exhibition presents the sculptor and architect Marlene Poelzig (1894–1985) through the Kino Capitol am Zoo, the Haus des Rundfunks and her house and studio in Westend.
The Museum Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf was founded in 1987 and is devoted to the urban history of the district and to Berlin's cultural history. Since January 2012 it has been based in Villa Oppenheim in the old town of Charlottenburg. The neo-Renaissance villa was built in 1881/82 to designs by Christian Heidecke for Margarete Oppenheim, née Mendelssohn, and her husband Otto Georg Oppenheim, who called it "Sorgenfrei" (carefree) and used it as a summer residence.
In 1911 the family sold the property to the City of Charlottenburg, which transformed the garden into the public Schustehruspark and linked parts of the villa with a new school building. From 1987 to 2009 the house housed the Charlottenburg Arts Office with its gallery; afterwards it was home to the Galerie für Gegenwartskunst (Gallery for Contemporary Art).
Today the museum shows three permanent exhibitions: "WESTEN!" tells the story of the district, united in 2001, as a second center alongside the historic center, with Ku'damm display cases, films, a media station and a district pantheon. "SammlerStücke" presents the city's art collection with works of the Berlin Secession and the Raussendorff Foundation. "Sorgenfrei" in the foyer recalls the villa and its residents. In addition there are special exhibitions, an archive and a library.
Admission is free.
Admission free. Booked tours cost extra (see visit notes).
Certified in the "Reisen für Alle" (Travel for All) program. At the main entrance a stairlift is available (operated by the attendants); inside the house an elevator leads to the exhibition rooms on the second floor and to the archive on the third floor. Touch tours of the art collection and city history, as well as tours in Leichte Sprache (easy language), are possible.
Great for kids & families
History workshop for children aged 8 to 12 (90 minutes), art workshops for kindergartens and primary schools, holiday programs, and a digital rally via the Actionbound app for families with children aged 10 and up. Audio guide radio play for children and young people.
U2 to Sophie-Charlotte-Platz or U7 to Richard-Wagner-Platz; buses 109 (Haubachstraße), 309 (Seelingstraße) and M45 (Richard-Wagner-Platz).
The museum stands in a protected green space; driving up to the building and parking directly in front of it is not possible.
Address: Schloßstraße 55 / Otto-Grüneberg-Weg.
Get directionsLimited cloakroom; please leave backpacks, bags and items larger than 30 × 20 × 10 cm out of the exhibitions where possible. The cargo bike "Oppi" can be booked free of charge via fLotte and borrowed at the museum.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Bookable tours for adults, families and school groups in German and English (overview of the villa approx. 90 minutes): 60 minutes €50 (German) or €60 (English), 90 minutes €75 or €85. Booking via vermittlung-museum@charlottenburg-wilmersdorf.de or 030 9029 24108. An audio guide in the form of a radio play for children and young people accompanies "WESTEN!" and "Sorgenfrei". |
