Schweriner Schloss

About the museum

As early as the 10th century, a castle of the Slavic Obotrites stood on the island between Lake Schwerin (Schweriner See) and the Burgsee. Over the course of the Middle Ages, the site became the residence of the dukes of Mecklenburg; under Duke Johann Albrecht I, Renaissance buildings with distinctive terracotta decoration were added in the 16th century. Ambitious remodeling plans in the 17th century came to nothing because of the Thirty Years' War, and in 1763 the court moved its seat to Ludwigslust.

The grand ducal family did not return to Schwerin until 1837. Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II had the palace thoroughly remodeled from 1843 to 1857, with Georg Adolph Demmler, Hermann Willebrand, Gottfried Semper and Friedrich August Stüler all involved. The result was a many-towered residence in the historicist style, combining local traditions with forms of the French Renaissance. In 1913, a fire destroyed parts of the interiors in the wing facing the Burgsee.

A museum was set up in the palace as early as 1921. After World War II, the building served various purposes; from the mid-1970s, restored rooms on the state floor (Festetage) were reopened to visitors. Since 1990, the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Landtag) has met here.

Today the Staatliche Schlösser, Gärten und Kunstsammlungen Mecklenburg-Vorpommern run the palace museum, with the living quarters and state rooms of the grand ducal family and paintings, furniture, porcelain and decorative arts, mostly from the 19th century. Since July 27, 2024, the palace, as the centerpiece of the Schwerin Residence Ensemble, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Highlights

• Throne Room on the state floor
• Ancestral portrait gallery of the princes of Mecklenburg
• Many-towered historicist palace architecture on an island in Lake Schwerin
• Palace Garden and Burggarten – open year-round
• Petermännchen, the legendary ghost of Schwerin Palace
• Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Schwerin Residence Ensemble since 2024

Permanent exhibitions

• Schlossmuseum – Wohn- und Festräume der Großherzöge – A tour across three floors, from the former children's rooms and the Grand Duchess's living quarters to the state floor with the Throne Room and ancestral gallery, furnished with paintings, furniture, porcelain and decorative arts, mostly from the 19th century.

Founded

1921

Operated by

Staatliche Schlösser, Gärten und Kunstsammlungen Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (SSGK M-V)

Director

Pirko Zinnow (Direktorin der SSGK M-V)

Admission & discounts

Audio guides (German, English, children's audio guide) free of charge. Public guided tours €5, reduced €4, plus admission, no registration required (tickets at the ticket desk). Annual pass €75, reduced €60. Free admission for groups including members of the friends' associations of the SSGK M-V, the Deutscher Museumsbund, ICOM and press.

Accessibility

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

The palace museum is partially accessible: step-free entrance; the first and second floors (children's rooms, Beletage) can be reached by elevator. The third floor (state floor with the Throne Room) is only accessible via five steps with a stair lift, not suitable for heavy power wheelchairs. Accessible restroom on the first upper floor (reachable by elevator); cloakroom with lockers at different heights. Dogs and other animals are not allowed in the palace; no exception for assistance dogs is mentioned – please ask in advance at +49 385 58841572.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's birthday parties for ages 5 to 12 (max. 10 children, approx. 2 hrs), puppet shows and other children's events according to the calendar; themed tours for after-school care groups during school holidays. Free for children and young people under 18; audio guides free.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Schweriner Schloss Restaurant in the palace (Lennéstraße 1, tel. +49 385 5252915). Palace shop on the ground floor with books, glass, ceramics, toys and regional products. Monthly museum day for seniors.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 40 guests.

Civil wedding ceremonies in the historic library on the state floor from October to June, on one set Friday per month, with up to 40 seats; reservations via the Schwerin registry office (Standesamt). No other rentals in the palace are listed (the state parliament uses large parts of the building).

Plan your visit