University museum at Hohentübingen Castle with Ice Age art from a UNESCO World Heritage site, an ancient Egyptian offering chamber, classical antiquities, and a historic castle laboratory.
April 17, 2026 – November 29, 2026
Exhibition in the castle laboratory on how sediments from caves in the Swabian Jura – such as Hohle Fels – reveal information about prehistoric people, animals, and climate through pollen, bone fragments, and ancient DNA.
July 24, 2026 – November 15, 2026
Furniture, everyday items, photos, and collection pieces from the estate of plant pathologist Evamarie Sander, the first female professor in Tübingen's Faculty of Science, paired with the question of what remains of a life.
The University of Tübingen owns some 70 scientific collections, some of which have been open to the public since the 19th century. To manage, research, and exhibit these holdings jointly, the university founded the Museum der Universität Tübingen (MUT) as a central institution in October 2006. It is regarded as a model for the organization of university collections in Germany.
Its main location is Hohentübingen Castle above the old town. On the site of a castle of the Counts of Tübingen, first mentioned in the 11th century, Duke Ulrich of Württemberg had a four-winged fortress and palace complex built starting in 1507. After the state restored the castle, the museum "Alte Kulturen" (Ancient Cultures) opened there in 1997; today it is part of the MUT.
On about 2,000 square meters, it displays thousands of objects from seven archaeological and cultural studies collections, spanning some 40,000 years: from animal figurines carved from mammoth ivory from the Vogelherd Cave, which belong to the World Heritage Site "Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura," to pile-dwelling finds from the Federsee and Celtic objects, all the way to Egypt, the Ancient Near East, and classical antiquity. The Ethnological Collection is housed in the Pentagonal Tower.
Since 2015, the former castle kitchen has been open as the castle laboratory, where Friedrich Miescher discovered nucleic acid in 1869. In 2018 the restored Bohnenberger Observatory was added, along with access to the Great Barrel in the castle cellar, considered the oldest surviving giant wine barrel in the world.
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Children, school students, university students, retirees, people with a severe disability |
| Children & teens | €3Children pay the reduced price; the museum does not specify an age limit for free admission. Free with the KinderCard (KreisBonusCard Junior). |
| Seniors | €3Reduced for retirees. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3Reduced for people with a severe disability; no information on companions. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Students of the University of Tübingen get free admission. |
| Groups | –Group guided tours (up to 20 people, booking required): €70 for 1 hour or €100 for 1.5 hours, plus admission. |
| Families | €12 |
| Public guided tour (Sat 15:00 castle tour, Sun 15:00 highlights tour) | €3Plus admission, no registration required. |
| Barrel tour (November 1 – March 15) | €3Plus admission; tickets via www.fassticket.de. |
Free admission for, among others, new residents with the City of Tübingen voucher booklet, KinderCard holders, ICOM members, refugees, and with the "Gutscheinbuch Kreis Tübingen" voucher book. School classes from the district of Tübingen receive a subsidy toward admission and travel costs through the MUSEUMS.GUT.SCHEIN program of the Kreissparkasse Tübingen.
According to the museum, all exhibition levels can be reached via a stairlift and a ramp. Accessible parking spaces in the castle courtyard. Assistance for wheelchair users should be requested about two weeks in advance at +49 7071 29-77579.
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | €12 |
|---|
Children's audio tour in the free MUT app; bookable children's tour “Auf der Suche nach dem Schlossgespenst” (ages 5 and up, about 60 min.); annual family day with a hands-on program.
Bus to Neckarhalde (line 20), Haagtor (lines 9, 11, 12), Neckarbrücke, or Nonnenhaus (numerous lines); on foot from the train station via Neckarbrücke, the old town, and Burgsteige.
Parking available
No parking directly at the palace; parking garages Altstadt-König (Herrenberger Straße 2) and Altstadt-Mitte (Am Stadtgraben 13). Accessible parking spaces in the palace courtyard.
Museum shop with publications, replicas, and chilled drinks; also an online shop.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN, ZH) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Allowed for private purposes without flash. |
| Good to know | Free MUT app with a highlights tour (German, English, Chinese) for offline use. Public guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 15:00 without registration; group and school tours as well as courses by booking. Backpacks, large bags, and umbrellas must go into lockers in the entrance area; water in plastic bottles may be taken along. |
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