March 10, 2026 – September 5, 2027
Über die Welt hinaus. Der Blaue Reiter
New presentation of the Blue Rider collection, showing the circle around Kandinsky and Münter as a transnational network of exchange.
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau München
Municipal art museum in Franz von Lenbach's villa, home to the world's largest collection of the Blue Rider (Blauer Reiter), Joseph Beuys and contemporary art.
Opening hoursAdmission from €10 Wheelchair accessible Restaurant
Limited operations (expected until 2026). The Lenbachhaus is open as usual; the Kunstbau in the Königsplatz subway station remains closed in 2026 for an energy-efficiency renovation.
Current exhibitions
October 14, 2025 – January 31, 2027
Shifting the Silence. Die Stille verschieben
Contemporary art from the collection, inspired by Etel Adnan's last book, exploring how art can be put into words.
Through January 31, 2028
Was zu verschwinden droht, wird Bild. Mensch – Natur – Kunst
19th-century art seen anew in light of transience and a nature altered by humans.
October 27, 2026 – April 25, 2027
Maria Jarema. Revolutionäre Kommissarin der Abstraktion
Survey of the Polish sculptor, painter and co-founder of the Kraków Group, who also worked for the stage and dance.
October 12, 2027 – April 23, 2028
Die „Blauen Reiterreiterinnen“
First comprehensive exhibition on the women artists in the circle of the Blue Rider and their contribution to the avant-garde.
About the museum
Between 1887 and 1890 the portrait painter Franz von Lenbach had Gabriel von Seidl build him a villa with a studio wing in the style of the Tuscan Renaissance near Königsplatz, surrounded by a garden by Max Kolb. In 1924 his widow Lolo von Lenbach sold the property to the city of Munich and left it the furnishings and numerous works by her husband. After Hans Grässel extended it into a three-wing complex, the Städtische Galerie (Municipal Gallery) opened on May 1, 1929.
During the Nazi era the museum was brought into line with the party; today it examines unlawful acquisitions from those years through provenance research. Bombing raids in 1944/45 destroyed large parts of the building and its original furnishings, and the first postwar exhibition took place in 1947.
The breakthrough to a museum of world standing came in 1957 with Gabriele Münter's gift on her 80th birthday: numerous works by Kandinsky up to 1914, her own paintings and works by other artists of the Blue Rider. Further donations, for example in honor of the collector Bernhard Koehler, added Franz Marc and August Macke. The controversial purchase of Joseph Beuys's environment “zeige deine Wunde” (show your wound) in 1979 opened the collection to contemporary art.
In 1994 the Kunstbau was added, an exhibition hall in the mezzanine of the Königsplatz subway station. From 2009 to 2013 the Lenbachhaus was renovated to plans by Foster + Partners and extended with a new building featuring a shimmering gold facade. Today the collection comprises around 35,000 works from the 19th century through New Objectivity to the present.
Highlights
- World's largest collection of the Blue Rider, with Kandinsky, Münter, Marc, Macke and Werefkin
- Franz Marc's “Blaues Pferd I” (Blue Horse I)
- Joseph Beuys's environments “zeige deine Wunde” and “vor dem Aufbruch aus Lager I”
- Franz von Lenbach's historic living quarters and stately rooms
- New building by Foster + Partners and freely accessible garden
- Free admission every first Thursday of the month from 18:00
Permanent exhibitions
- Joseph Beuys. Plastiken und Environments – Lenbach's former studio wing shows Beuys's sculptures from 1948 to 1968 as well as the environments “zeige deine Wunde” and “vor dem Aufbruch aus Lager I.”
- Historische Räume der Villa Franz von Lenbach – The surviving living and reception rooms of the “prince of painters” offer insight into how he staged himself as an artist.
- Founded
- 1929
- Operated by
- Landeshauptstadt München
- Director
- Matthias Mühling
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6University students, school students aged 18 and over, trainees, pensioners, wheelchair users and people with severe disabilities, people doing voluntary service, ALG I (unemployment benefit) recipients, members of BBK, IGBK, VDK and VDR |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 free |
| Seniors | €6Reduced rate for pensioners and recipients of civil-service pensions |
| Visitors with disabilities | €6companion free · Reduced for wheelchair users and people with severe disabilities; necessary companion free |
| Students & apprentices | €6Students of art history, the Akademie der Bildenden Künste, art and cultural education and museology are free |
| Groups | –No group discount. Guided group tours (max. 15 people): 60 min €130 on weekdays / €150 Sat, Sun and public holidays; 90 min €165 / €185; foreign language +€20; each plus admission and a €5 booking fee. Inquire at least 10 days in advance. |
| Families | –No family ticket; children and young people under 18 are free |
| Annual pass | €25Reduced €15; valid for 12 months from the chosen start date for the Lenbachhaus and Kunstbau |
| Reduced with the München Card | €8 |
| Reduced with the MuSeenKarte Expressionismus | €8.50 |
Free admission: Every first Thursday of the month from 18:00 to 22:00 (extra+)
Audio guide included in admission. No €1 Sunday. Discounts cannot be combined. Tickets from other municipal museums (Stadtmuseum, Villa Stuck, Jüdisches Museum, Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum) entitle you to a reduced rate until the second following opening day. Free admission with, among others, the München-Pass, München City Pass and Bayerische Ehrenamtskarte (Bavarian volunteer card), for ICOM/DMB members and for school classes.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
Accessible main entrance, elevator in the atrium (ground-floor rooms reached by elevator operated by attendants), guidance system and orientation map at the ticket desk. Accessible restroom and cloakroom in the basement. Two public accessible parking spaces on Luisenstraße. Loaner wheelchairs and rollators; no folding stools. Regular tours in German Sign Language (DGS) with the Museum Signers, DGS videos in the media guide; tours in Easy Language on request.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Stroller-friendly
Tours, workshops and project weeks for children, teens and families according to the calendar, including programs for children as young as 1 to 3 and drop-in family activities. Children's audio guide, developed together with children and teens. Strollers are allowed.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Königsplatz
U2/U8 Königsplatz; U1/U7 Stiglmaierplatz; tram 27 Karolinenplatz; bus 100 (Museenlinie) Königsplatz; S-Bahn Hauptbahnhof (5-minute walk)
By car
Parking available
No parking of its own; only public parking in the area, including accessible parking spaces. Tour buses park at the Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB, central bus station).
- Accessible parking
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
- Coat check
- Lockers
Café & Restaurant ELLA with a terrace facing Königsplatz (Tue 10:00–18:00, Wed/Fri 10:00–20:00, Thu 10:00–23:00, Sat 9:00–20:00, Sun 9:00–19:00); discounted “Blue Rider menu” with a day ticket. Walther König bookshop. Free cloakroom, lockers with a deposit.
Events & venue rental
As far as we know, the museum does not rent out spaces for external events.
According to the FAQ, the rooms and garden cannot be rented. Special openings with a guided tour outside opening hours (not on Thursdays, until midnight) can be requested via location-lenbachhaus@muenchen.de.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Allowed for private use, without flash and without a tripod; observe marked exceptions. Drawing with pencils and colored pencils is allowed. |
| Good to know | Audio and media guide (including DGS videos) free at the ticket desk. Groups of 5 or more must register; group tours only via the inquiry form, and a headset tour system is mandatory. Coats, umbrellas, large bags and backpacks must be left at the cloakroom. Online tickets recommended for weekends. |
