Around 800 instruments of European art music from the 16th to 21st centuries at the Kulturforum – from the Bach harpsichord to the Mighty Wurlitzer.
December 4, 2026 – December 30, 2027
The exhibition traces the history of music recording from Edison's phonograph via the record, cassette and Walkman to streaming, and asks what this has meant for musical culture.
The collection was founded in 1888 by Philipp Spitta and Joseph Joachim as a collection of old musical instruments at the Königliche akademische Hochschule für Musik (Royal Academic College of Music). Its core consisted of instruments from the former Prussian Kunstkammer and purchases from the Leipzig dealer Paul de Wit, including the famous Bach harpsichord. In 1902, the largest acquisition followed: the collection of the Ghent lawyer César Snoeck, comprising more than a thousand pieces.
Under Curt Sachs, who headed the museum from 1919, the first scholarly complete catalog was produced in 1922; Sachs shaped the study of musical instruments internationally. In 1933 the Nazis forced him out of office, and in 1935 the collection was transferred to the newly founded Staatliches Institut für deutsche Musikforschung (State Institute for German Music Research).
Of the more than 4,000 instruments held before the war, only around 700 survived World War II. After 1945, Alfred Berner rebuilt the collection into one of the most important of its kind. In 1984, as part of the Staatliches Institut für Musikforschung, the museum moved into its own building at the Kulturforum next to the Philharmonie, erected by Edgar Wisniewski to plans by Hans Scharoun.
Today the holdings comprise about 3,600 instruments, around 800 of which are on display. Concerts, guided tours with sound examples and demonstrations of the cinema organ bring many of the pieces to life.
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5School students, university students, people doing military/civilian service, job seekers receiving ALG I (unemployment benefit), people with severe disabilities (50% or higher) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and teens free until their 18th birthday. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5companion free · Reduced from 50%; a necessary companion registered on the ID card is admitted free. |
| Students & apprentices | €5Students attending registered courses free. |
| Groups | –Highlights tour (45 minutes) €55, for daycare groups, school classes, trainees and university students €35, plus admission in each case; tour with your own guide €35 (max. 30 people). Registered school groups free. |
| Families | –No family ticket; children and teens under 18 are free. |
| Public guided tour | €3Plus museum admission |
| Kulturforum day ticket (including special exhibitions) | €22Reduced €11 |
| Museumspass Berlin (3 days) | €32Reduced €16 |
| Jahreskarte Classic annual pass (SMB/SPK) | €59Reduced €25; valid at the museum but not sold there |
| Jahreskarte Classic Plus annual pass (SMB/SPK) | €118Reduced €50 |
| Jahreskarte Basic annual pass (with time slot only) | €25 |
No timed-entry tickets needed. Free admission for groups including recipients of social benefits, ICOM/Museumsbund members and the press. Concert series "Jazz im MIM" and "Jour Fixe" with free admission (donations requested); other events have their own prices.
Step-free entrance with automatic door opener; the elevator ends at the intermediate level (central walkway). Special tour for blind and visually impaired people with tactile objects (60 minutes, €55, max. 7 participants plus companions), tactile floor plan, accessible digital museum guide. Website with information in Leichte Sprache (Easy German).
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
"MIM-Kids" program with events for children and families, from trying out instruments to hands-on tours, concerts and children's festivals; coloring and puzzle book for kids. Programs for daycare groups and school classes.
S+U Potsdamer Platz
S-Bahn/U-Bahn Potsdamer Platz; bus M29 (Potsdamer Brücke), M48, M85, 200 (Varian-Fry-Straße)
Parking available
The museum refers visitors to parking at the Kulturforum and Potsdamer Platz; parking at the Kulturforum is usually free on Sundays.
From Hauptbahnhof (main station), take bus M85 to Varian-Fry-Straße.
Get directionsSIM-Café (Wed 13:00–17:00, Thu/Fri 10:00–20:00, Sat/Sun and public holidays 10:00–17:00), also open to those not visiting the museum.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Public guided tours with sound examples, some with a demonstration of the Mighty Wurlitzer. Group tours by appointment (tel. 030 25481-139), free cancellation up to 48 hours in advance. Digital museum guide; tour sheets at the ticket desk or to download. Highlights tour for groups 45 minutes, tours with your own guide 60 minutes; public evening tours up to 90 minutes. |
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