SNSB natural history museum in the north wing of Schloss Nymphenburg: Earth’s history, evolution, humans, and the environment, with many hands-on stations.
May 21, 2026 – November 7, 2027
Fossils from the Upper Freshwater Molasse and landscape paintings by Mauricio Antón bring Bavaria back to life as it was a good ten million years ago – with touchable replicas of the great ape “Udo.”
March 27, 2026 – January 10, 2027
Hands-on exhibition on the circular economy: stations on waste sorting, repairing, and circular product design.
Through April 4, 2027
Shows how animals shape their environment with ingenious structures and what humans can learn from them; also a preview of the planned Naturkundemuseum Bayern.
Before World War II, Munich had natural history exhibition halls in the Alte Akademie building on Neuhauser Straße; they were destroyed in a 1944 bombing raid, and large parts of the holdings were lost. For decades afterward, the city had no natural history museum.
From the late 1960s, the Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns (SNSB, Bavarian State Natural History Collections) planned a modern natural history education center. A new building based on a competition design fell through in the early 1980s because of the cost. Instead, from 1985 onward, rooms vacated by the Zoologische Staatssammlung in the north wing of Schloss Nymphenburg were converted. In 1990 the Museum Mensch und Natur opened there as the SNSB’s main exhibition venue – intended as a temporary solution and with only about 2,500 instead of the planned 10,000 square meters of space.
Guided by the motto “natural history as an experience,” the museum, with its dioramas, original fossils, and numerous interactive stations, became one of the most visited state museums in Bavaria. The permanent exhibition spans the formation of the Earth and of life, minerals, and the human brain, through to nutrition and environmental issues; the mounted specimen of the brown bear JJ1 (“Bruno”) is also well known. A large extension is planned on the neighboring site of former university institutes: the museum is to be transformed into the Naturkundemuseum Bayern (BIOTOPIA), which a “Future Lab” in the building already previews.
| Adults | €3.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2.50Students, people aged 65 and over, people with severe disabilities, groups of 15 or more paying visitors, volunteer service participants, and others in accordance with the state museums’ fare regulations |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 free; children under 12 only when accompanied by an adult. |
| Seniors | €2.50Reduced admission from age 65. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2.50companion free · Reduced with a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis); companion free if noted on the ID. |
| Students & apprentices | €2.50Students of biology, geosciences and environmental sciences, chemistry, and physics free; pupils over 18 at general and vocational schools free. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €2.50 per personReduced for 15 or more paying visitors; groups of 20 or more should register. School classes with teachers free. |
| Families | –No family ticket; children under 18 free. |
| Sunday admission (permanent exhibition) | €1For all visitors, no further discounts |
| Molassic Park incl. permanent exhibition | €7Reduced €5; on Sundays €4.50 or €3.50 reduced; until November 7, 2027 |
Tickets only at the ticket desk on the day; card payment not possible. Higher prices apply for the exhibition “Molassic Park” (including the permanent exhibition); the “Future Lab” is accessible at no extra charge.
All exhibition areas except the earthquake simulator are accessible; elevator 80 × 140 cm; accessible restroom on the first floor. Loaner wheelchair and folding chairs at the ticket desk. Tours in Leichte Sprache (easy-to-read German) and for blind and visually impaired visitors on request; website with texts in easy-to-read German and sign language videos. More information at kultur-barrierefrei-muenchen.de.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Free family tours on Fridays 15:00–16:00 without registration (mostly ages 6 and up, some ages 8 and up; regular admission only). Children's birthday parties with museum educators for ages 5 to 13 (2 hours, various themes from dinosaurs to fossils).
Schloss Nymphenburg
Tram 17 and buses 51 and 151 to “Schloss Nymphenburg.”
Parking available
Car parking at the northern palace roundabout (access via Nördliche Auffahrtsallee), bus parking at the southern roundabout (Südliche Auffahrtsallee).
CaféBar Limulus (Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat/Sun/public holidays 10:00–18:00, also in the garden in summer) with cake, snacks and hot meals. Museum shop run by the friends' association with minerals, fossils and books. Picnic area for groups.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography (including flash) allowed; tripods only with written permission |
| Good to know | Public guided tours as family tours on Fridays 15:00–16:00. Group tours (max. 20 people) approx. €70 Tue–Fri or €80 on weekends, book about 10 days in advance online or by phone. Groups without a tour, please register in advance. Backpacks are not allowed in the exhibition during group visits; eating and drinking are not permitted in the exhibition rooms. For the special exhibition "Jetzt geht’s rund" there is an AI audio guide in several languages (test phase). |
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