Schlossmuseum Pillnitz

About the museum

The Schlossmuseum is housed in the New Palace of Pillnitz Palace. After the Renaissance palace was destroyed by fire in 1818, a Neoclassical new building was erected on its site according to plans by Christian Friedrich Schuricht, designed to blend into the existing complex. It was the summer residence of the Saxon royal family and has been looked after by the Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen since 1990.

The museum tour includes the domed hall (Kuppelsaal), consecrated in 1823, which served as a banqueting and dining hall and is the only Neoclassical domed building in Dresden; its wall paintings are by Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein. Vogel von Vogelstein also designed the Catholic Court Chapel in the north wing, built between 1823 and 1829, which has a fresco cycle of the Virgin Mary. The chapel is still used for church services today.

The Royal Court Kitchen was used for other purposes after the royal house abdicated in 1918, and its room structure and furnishings were largely lost. Between 2000 and 2003 it was reconstructed based on written sources, pictures and structural traces, and equipped with historical cookware and copper kitchen utensils. The permanent exhibition "Vom Spielschloss zur Sommerresidenz" tells the story of the complex and court life in Pillnitz. The second museum in the palace, the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Decorative Arts Museum) of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden in the Berg- und Wasserpalais, has been closed indefinitely since 2025.

Highlights

• Neoclassical domed hall, the only domed building of its kind in Dresden
• Catholic court chapel with a Marian cycle
• Reconstructed Royal Court Kitchen
• Permanent exhibition "Vom Spielschloss zur Sommerresidenz"
• Location in the palace park, directly on the Elbe

Permanent exhibition

• Vom Spielschloss zur Sommerresidenz – The permanent exhibition leads through the domed hall, the Royal Court Kitchen and the Catholic chapel and tells the story of the complex and of court life.

Operated by

Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen gGmbH (Schlösserland Sachsen)

Director

Josefine Frank

Admission & discounts

The ticket covers the entire palace and park grounds. No park admission is charged outside the season. Zeitkarten (time passes) of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden are not valid at Schloss & Park Pillnitz.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Wheelchair and rollator users reach the museum by a wheelchair lift operated by staff at the Lustgarten entrance. Only a staircase leads to the Court Kitchen area, and some threshold strips are up to 5 cm high. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at the visitor center "Alte Wache". There are no tactile floor guidance systems. Guided tours are available for blind and visually impaired visitors, in easy-to-read German (Leichte Sprache), for people with mobility impairments and for people with dementia.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

Family tours and holiday programs, e.g. costume tours with baking at the hearth of the Royal Court Kitchen. Children's birthday parties (from age 5) cost €160–180 for up to 10 children and 2 accompanying adults. Longer staircases lead into the Schlossmuseum; strollers stay in the entrance area. Changing facilities are in the toilets of the Schlossmuseum and other toilets in the park; there are no separate nursing rooms.

Getting there & parking

Car ferry between Kleinzschachwitz and Pillnitz; A4 exits Dresden-Hellerau or Dresden-Altstadt, A17 exit Pirna. The palace lies directly on the Elbe cycle path.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Lockers

No food service on site. Nearby are the restaurant of the Schlosshotel Pillnitz, "Einkehr am Palmenhaus", Wipplers Backwirtschaft and the Pillnitzer Elbblick. Souvenirs and books are available at the visitor center "Alte Wache". Lockers are located in the side wing of the New Palace.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Available for rent are the Pillnitzer Elbpavillon (indoors, up to 12 people) and the Familiengarten (outdoors, up to 80 people). Civil wedding ceremonies are not possible.

Plan your visit