Municipal art museum in Kleve's neoclassical Kurhaus (spa building) with art from the Middle Ages to the present, Mataré's estate, Beuys's studio, and temporary exhibitions.
June 14, 2026 – October 18, 2026
Comprehensive survey of the Dresden painter, who died in 2019, organized by the stages of his career in Dresden, Berlin, and Düsseldorf. His paintings revolve around perception in the age of digital screens and image editing.
October 17, 2026 – January 31, 2027
Site-specific exhibition by the winner of the Werner Deutsch Preis für Junge Kunst (Werner Deutsch Prize for Young Art), linking biology, mythology, and society; slime mold is a central point of reference.
November 15, 2026 – April 18, 2027
Retrospective of the photographer, in cooperation with Kunstmuseum Luzern; she expands analog photography with techniques such as multiple exposure and screen printing. She is developing the presentation specifically for the museum together with Li Tavor.
Museum Kurhaus Kleve occupies the buildings of the former spa of Bad Cleve. The three-part complex – the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Bad (1845/46), the spa hotel, and the promenade hall (Wandelhalle, 1872/73) – lies amid the Baroque gardens laid out in the 17th century on the orders of Governor Johann Moritz von Nassau-Siegen. After the spa closed with the First World War, the building stood empty for long periods or served as housing and a furniture warehouse; from 1957 to 1964 the young Joseph Beuys had his studio on the first floor of the west wing.
The impetus for its conversion came in the 1970s with the restoration of the historic gardens and the prospect of acquiring Ewald Mataré's artistic estate for the town. The town of Kleve bought the ensemble and had it converted into a museum in the 1990s to designs by Dutch designer Walter Nikkels. Founding director Guido de Werd opened the museum in 1997; the previous municipal museum in Haus Koekkoek continued as an independent foundation.
As early as 2004, the German section of the art critics' association AICA named the Kurhaus its very first "Museum of the Year," followed in 2011 by an award for its Carl Andre exhibition. From 2008 to 2012 the west wing was restored and expanded with an inner courtyard and the Katharina-von-Kleve-Saal; Harald Kunde has directed the museum since it reopened in 2012.
The collection ranges from leaves of books of hours and late Gothic carvings by Lower Rhine masters to Baroque portraits and on to the present day. Its focal points are Ewald Mataré's complete estate, early works by Joseph Beuys, and Arte Povera, Land Art, and contemporary photography.
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5People with disabilities, Federal Volunteer Service participants, university students, social welfare recipients, holders of the Jugendleiter-Card (youth leader card) and the Ehrenamtskarte NRW (volunteer card) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and teens up to 18 free; school classes free |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5 |
| Students & apprentices | €5 |
| Groups (15+ people) | €8 per personGroups of 15 or more; groups eligible for reduced rates €5 per person. Guided tours by reservation only, fees charged separately. |
| Families | –No family ticket; children and teens free |
| Combined ticket with B.C. Koekkoek-Haus | €14Valid for one week; school and university students aged 18 and over €7, groups of 15 or more €12 per person |
| Combined ticket with Tiergarten Kleve (zoo) | €14.90One admission to each, to be redeemed within one year |
| Four-museum combined ticket (Museum Goch, Schloss Moyland, Koekkoek-Haus, Museum Kurhaus) | €19Valid for 365 days, one admission per museum |
Free admission: Every first Sunday of the month
Free admission also for members of Freundeskreis Museum Kurhaus und Koekkoek-Haus Kleve e.V. and for ICOM members.
All three parts of the building are wheelchair-accessible via elevators. Accessible entrance with doorbell and free accessible parking spaces at the west end of the building. Loaner wheelchair and folding stools available; two accessible restrooms, one each in the basement of the spa hotel and of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Bad. The café is accessible.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
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Bookable workshops (90 or 120 minutes) in the museum education space "WunderKammer", also for children's parties and birthday parties. Free admission under age 18.
Forstgarten
Bus 58 (toward Nijmegen) to the "Forstgarten" stop directly in front of the museum; approx. 20-minute walk from Kleve train station (RE 10 from Düsseldorf/Krefeld). Hourly bus from Nijmegen station to "Forstgarten." Connected to the Europa-Radbahn cycle highway.
Parking available
Parking at Forstgarten and Wasserburgallee, a few hundred meters from the museum; accessible parking spaces at the west end of the building.
Café Moritz (run by the friends' association, also accessible without museum admission) is currently operating as a pop-up café in the lounge on the first floor because of renovation of the roof terrace: Sat 14:00–16:45, Sun 12:00–16:45, every first Friday of the month 14:00–16:45. Minerva bookstore. Coat check and lockers in the basement.
Up to 250 guests.
Wandelhalle, Pinakothek, and Säulengalerie for up to 250 people standing or 200 seated each (€400 per hall), the three historic spa rooms for approx. 100 people (€400), smaller rooms €250; Steinway grand piano available as an add-on. Civil weddings in the spa rooms of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Bad for up to 32 people (room rental €300, dates Mon–Fri through the Kleve registry office).
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Public guided tours during special exhibitions on Sundays at 11:30 without registration. Tours of exhibitions and the collection can be booked in advance. School classes can book a guided tour outside opening hours after registering. Jackets, umbrellas and bags larger than 20 × 30 cm must be left in the coat check or lockers. |
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