Natural history museum next to Lübeck Cathedral with a sperm whale skeleton, fossil whales from Groß Pampau and the habitats of the Wakenitz, Trave and Baltic Sea.
October 2, 2026 – May 30, 2027
More than 400 tourmaline crystals and over 1,000 backlit thin sections reveal the colorful growth structures of these minerals, which look black on the outside; plus hands-on and media stations.
The museum's core is the collection of the Lübeck physician and naturalist Johann Julius Walbaum, which his heirs donated in 1800 to the Gesellschaft zur Beförderung gemeinnütziger Tätigkeit (society for the promotion of charitable activity) – giving the museum the longest history of all Lübeck's museums. The natural history collection moved several times during the 19th century, was called the Naturhistorisches Museum from 1884, and in 1893 received rooms in the newly built Museum am Dom, made possible by a bequest from the merchant Georg Ludwig Blohm. In 1934 the museum passed to the city.
During the 1942 air raid on Lübeck, the Museum am Dom was destroyed and most of the collections were lost. With rescued remnants and newly assembled holdings, a temporary museum was first set up on Königstraße, until in 1961 a new building for the museum and the city archives was completed on the old site – according to the museum, the first natural history museum rebuilt after the war.
In 1993 the fossil baleen whales from Groß Pampau and the geological history of Schleswig-Holstein were given a new presentation, and in 1998 the museum received its current name and a new concept. In 2008 an interactive exhibition on the region's waters followed; the glass annex on the Domhof displays the skeleton of a sperm whale that stranded off Rømø in 1997. The museum is certified as an educational institution for sustainability. A comprehensive renovation, redesign and expansion is currently being prepared, and visitors can take part in the planning.
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to age 18 free |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free for people with a severe disability (degree of disability 50 or higher) |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree for school students, university students, apprentices and FSJ volunteers (voluntary social year) |
| Groups (12+ people) | €6 per personAdult groups of 12 or more €6 per person; short visit as part of a city tour €3.50 per person. Guided group tours for adults €75 (60 min.) or €100 (90 min.) plus admission, school classes €50/€80/€100 (60/90/120 min.); surcharges for hands-on tours and workshops. |
| 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 |
| Adult group – short visit as part of a city tour | €3.50Per 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 Museumsverband Schleswig-Holstein und Hamburg, the Deutscher Museumsbund and ICOM. The Lübeck Day Pass is sold online.
No elevator of its own; with advance notice (tel. 0451 122 4122), staff will accompany wheelchair users to further exhibition areas via the passenger elevator of the neighboring city archives. No accessible restrooms and no loan wheelchairs, but folding stools are available. Tours for blind visitors with objects to touch, hear and smell; some exhibits may be touched. Tours in sign language only if the group provides its own interpreter. The café can be reached at ground level from the Domhof.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Holiday programs, workshops and Sunday family activities ("Familienzeit" series); children's and youth advisory board. Café with high chairs. No elevator in the museum and no strollers to borrow; if coming with a stroller, please register in advance at 0451 122 4122.
Fegefeuer
Bus 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 15 and 16 from Hauptbahnhof/ZOB (main station/central bus station) to the Fegefeuer stop; about a 20-minute walk from the main station.
Paid parking
Paid parking directly in front of the museum on Musterbahn (free on Sundays); Parkhaus Mitte parking garage (Schmiedestraße, about a 5-minute walk) and Haerder-Center nearby.
The passage by the cathedral towers from the Zeughaus to the museum is closed indefinitely due to construction work; the route via Mühlendammstraße is open.
Get directionsCafé and bakery "KONVENT am Dom – by J.J. Walbaum" in the museum, with outdoor seating in the Domhof next to the sperm whale skeleton. Museum shop with books, minerals, fossils and children's items.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours, workshops and environmental education programs for schools and groups; museum education bookings at +49 451 122 2296. Also lectures, holiday programs and nature excursions with NABU (nature conservation association). |
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