Stadtmuseum Münster

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The city of Münster founded its Stadtmuseum (city museum) in 1979; three years later, the first special exhibition opened. Since 1989, the museum has been housed on Salzstraße in a new building constructed behind the preserved facade of a department store from 1912/13. Alongside the foyer and museum shop, the first floor also contains retail stores – an unusual combination of museum and shopping.

The permanent collection on the second and third floors tells the city's story chronologically in 33 galleries: from the founding of a monastery by Liudger through medieval Münster, the Anabaptist rule of 1534/35 and the Peace of Westphalia to the destruction of World War II and the rebuilding afterward. Numerous city and architectural models serve as the common thread, complemented by paintings, prints, decorative arts and everyday objects.

Photography is a focus of the collection, with several thousand negatives and prints, shown among other places in the annual series "Münster vor 50 Jahren" (Münster 50 Years Ago). Since 1998, the Zwinger on the Promenade has been part of the museum as a satellite site: an artillery tower from the early 16th century that later served as a prison and, during the Nazi era, as a Gestapo detention and execution site. Rebecca Horn's installation "Das gegenläufige Konzert" turns it into a memorial today.

Highlights

• City and architectural models as a guide through 1,200 years of city history
• Galleries on the Anabaptist rule of 1534/35 and the Peace of Westphalia
• Annual photo exhibition "Münster vor 50 Jahren"
• The Zwinger tower with Rebecca Horn's installation "Das gegenläufige Konzert"
• Multimedia guide with the children's tour "Mimi & Mitri"

Permanent exhibitions

• Stadtgeschichte seit 793 – The permanent collection leads through 33 galleries from the city's founding to the 20th century, using city models and original objects.

Founded

1979

Operated by

Stadt Münster

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum is free. Concessions for guided tours and the Zwinger: school students, university students, unemployed people, holders of the Münster-Pass or the volunteer card (Ehrenamtskarte), and people with a severe disability (degree of disability 50 or higher); free for children under 14 accompanied by a parent or guardian and for companions ("B" marker).

Accessibility

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

Wheelchair-accessible facility; assistance dogs allowed. Induction loops for the multimedia guide are available to borrow. Once a month (Tuesdays from 16:00; 2026: October 20, November 17, December 15) there is a "Stille Stunde" (quiet hour) for people with sensory processing differences, with a retreat area and a quiet-hour route (app/brochure). 4 accessible parking spaces in the Alter Steinweg parking garage. The Zwinger is not accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Birthday parties for ages 4 to 14 (2 hours, up to 12 children) with programs such as treasure hunt, knight life, or printing workshop. The multimedia guide includes children's tours with Mimi & Mitri and a scavenger hunt.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Museum shop in the foyer (catalogs, books about Münster, design objects). Lockers with a €1 or €2 deposit coin. Free Wi-Fi "MS Public." Creative activities and drawing courses.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit