Around 2,000 award-winning design products in the Zollverein Colliery boiler house, converted by Norman Foster – many exhibits can be tried out.
September 11, 2026 – November 1, 2026
A retrospective of the Basel graphic design agency Schaffner Conzelmann, with posters, typography, illustration, packaging and corporate identities spanning five decades.
The museum's roots go back to the postwar years: in 1954, at the initiative of Krupp press chief Carl Hundhausen, the Verein Industrieform was founded to promote well-designed industrial products. In October 1955 it opened a permanent showcase of exemplary products at Villa Hügel, with the exhibits chosen by an expert jury – a process that later gave rise to the Red Dot Design Award.
The show moved several times: in 1961 it relocated to the vacant Alte Synagoge, where a fire destroyed the exhibition in 1979, then to the Amerikahaus, and in 1988 to the former city library. In 1990 the institution was renamed Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen; two years later, the "red dot" was awarded as a distinction for the first time.
In 1997 the design center became the first tenant of the boiler house of the decommissioned Zollverein Colliery, which British architect Norman Foster had previously converted for museum use. Since then, the exhibits have been displayed across more than 4,000 square meters and five levels, among the steam boilers, pipes and steel staircases of the industrial building erected in 1928/29. The museum thus became a pioneer of Zollverein's transformation from a mining site into a center for culture and design.
On show are the current winners of the Red Dot Award: Product Design; the exhibition is completely replaced every year in early summer. It is complemented by changing special exhibitions on graphic and communication design.
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5School students, university students, apprentices, people with severe disabilities (with proof) |
| Children & teens | –No separate children's rate listed; school students pay the reduced price. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5Reduced admission with proof. |
| Students & apprentices | €5 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €8 per personFrom 10 people, registration required; school classes €5 per person. Guided tours extra (1 hour €90, 1.5 hours €135). |
| Families | €202 adults with 2 children. |
| Ticket Plus (with a donation for museum education) | €12€2 goes toward school workshops and education programs. |
| Combo discount with the Ruhr Museum (same day) | €7Reduced admission to the Red Dot Design Museum when visiting the Ruhr Museum on the same day. |
| Themed tour "Die Küche" (The Kitchen) with the Ruhr Museum | €20Approx. 2 hours, including admission to both museums, children €10; next date Sun, November 29, 2026, 13:30. |
Free admission with, among others, the RUHR.TOPCARD, Ruhrkultur.Card and WelcomeCard Ruhr (once each), an ICOM card, and for members of the Deutscher Museumsbund and the Verband Deutscher Kunsthistoriker; reduced admission with the KulturCard of the Theatergemeinde Essen and the ARTCARD.
Entrance ramp (6% gradient), elevator from the first floor up to the fifth floor, accessible restroom on the first floor. Free loaner wheelchair by reservation. Escort service for visitors with visual impairments if booked by phone 48 hours in advance. Accessible parking spaces in parking lot A2. Some gallery walkways with glass railings may be uncomfortable for people with a fear of heights.
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | €20 · 2 adults with 2 children. |
|---|
Many products may be touched and tried out. Design rally with a postcard set for all age groups (€8 plus admission) at the ticket desk; children's workshop "Design im Blick" for ages 8 to 12. Child-friendly restroom with a baby changing table. Family events such as "Türen auf mit der Maus!" (October 3, 2026).
Zollverein
Tram 107 to the Zollverein stop.
Free parking
Free parking lot A2 (access Bullmannaue), closest to the museum; accessible parking spaces there as well. EV charging stations at parking lot A1.
Small drink and snack sales in the reception area (coffee, ice cream, cake on weekends), not a traditional café; more dining options at the Zollverein World Heritage Site. Museum shop with design products and publications. Large bags must be locked away. Dogs not allowed (except assistance dogs).
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 30 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Permitted for private use; publication and commercial photography only with permission from the press office. |
| Good to know | Free public guided tours on Sundays at 14:00 and 14:30 (30 min each, in German, max. 20 people; registration recommended, admission must be paid). Booked tours also available in English, Dutch, French and Arabic. School classes and groups of 10 or more by advance registration only. Workshops for schools and universities. |
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