Museums in Bavaria
Germany’s largest state has more museums than any other – from Munich’s Pinakotheken and the Deutsches Museum to the royal castles in the Allgäu.
Bavaria Museum Guide
Our guide lists 417 museums in Bavaria across 232 towns and cities. You’ll find the widest choice in Munich (45), Nuremberg (27), and Augsburg (17).
Broken down by focus, the largest shares go to City & Regional Museums (18%), Art & Design (16%), and Science & Technology (15%) – all 12 categories are represented.
62 museums are free to visit. For the others with a published price, a regular adult ticket costs €6 at the median, and the middle half charge between €4 and €8.
137 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, 273 offer dedicated programs for families, and 136 have a café or restaurant. These figures come from our ongoing research – museums whose details we haven’t verified yet aren’t included in the counts.
Top 10 museums in Bavaria
The best-known museums in Bavaria
Schloss NeuschwansteinCastles & Palaces · Schwangau- Deutsches MuseumTechnology · Munich
Schloss NymphenburgCastles & Palaces · Munich
Alte PinakothekArt · Munich
Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
Schloss LinderhofCastles & Palaces · Ettal
GlyptothekArt · Munich
Neue PinakothekArt · Munich
Markgräfliches OpernhausCastles & Palaces · Bayreuth
BMW-MuseumTechnology · Munich
Museums in Bavaria with free admission
NS-DokumentationszentrumMemorial · Munich
Münchner StadtmuseumRegional · Munich
Paläontologisches Museum MünchenNature · Munich
Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer BildwerkeArchaeology · Munich
Röntgen-GedächtnisstättePeople · Würzburg
Geologisches Museum MünchenNature · Munich
KZ-Gedenkstätte DachauMemorial · Dachau
Martin von Wagner MuseumArt · Würzburg
Mineralogisches Museum WürzburgNature · Würzburg
Otto-König-von-Griechenland-MuseumPeople · Ottobrunn
Museums in Bavaria with programs for families
- Deutsches MuseumTechnology · Munich
- Schloss NymphenburgCastles & Palaces · Munich
- Alte PinakothekArt · Munich
- Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
- Schloss LinderhofCastles & Palaces · Ettal
- GlyptothekArt · Munich
- Markgräfliches OpernhausCastles & Palaces · Bayreuth
- BMW-MuseumTechnology · Munich
Germanisches NationalmuseumHistory · Nuremberg
Bayerisches NationalmuseumArt · Munich
Wheelchair-accessible museums in Bavaria
- Deutsches MuseumTechnology · Munich
- Alte PinakothekArt · Munich
- Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
- GlyptothekArt · Munich
- Markgräfliches OpernhausCastles & Palaces · Bayreuth
- BMW-MuseumTechnology · Munich
- Germanisches NationalmuseumHistory · Nuremberg
Haus der KunstArt · Munich
Pinakothek der ModerneArt · Munich
Museum BrandhorstArt · Munich
Museums in Bavaria with the highest published visitor numbers
- Deutsches MuseumTechnology · Munich
- Schloss NeuschwansteinCastles & Palaces · Schwangau
- KZ-Gedenkstätte DachauMemorial · Dachau
- BMW-MuseumTechnology · Munich
- Alte PinakothekArt · Munich
- Schloss LinderhofCastles & Palaces · Ettal
- Schloss NymphenburgCastles & Palaces · Munich
- Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
- Germanisches NationalmuseumHistory · Nuremberg
Dokumentationszentrum ReichsparteitagsgeländeMemorial · Nuremberg
Current special exhibitions at museums in Bavaria
- Nächtliche WeltenDeutsches Museum · Munich · until October 31, 2026
- Reitzeuge Kurfürst Max EmanuelsSchloss Nymphenburg · Munich
- „Das Schlaraffenland“ von Pieter Bruegel d. Ä. und seine ErwerbsgeschichteAlte Pinakothek · Munich · until January 31, 2027
- Menschenbilder. Porträt- und Genrefotografien aus der Sammlung Dietmar SiegertAlte Pinakothek · Munich · until January 31, 2027
- Liaisons françaises. Französische Malerei in Bayern von Claude Lorrain bis François BoucherAlte Pinakothek · Munich · until April 4, 2027
- Eva 1900. Skulpturen einer UmbruchszeitAlte Pinakothek · Munich · until November 7, 2027
- Umbruch – Rettung – Neubeginn. 200 Jahre Sammlung BoisseréeAlte Pinakothek · Munich · until January 30, 2028
- Konzept und freie Hand. Ölskizzen von Peter Paul RubensAlte Pinakothek · Munich · until January 16, 2028
- Von Turner bis van Gogh. Meisterwerke der Neuen Pinakothek in der Alten PinakothekAlte Pinakothek · Munich · until December 31, 2027
- Von Turner bis van Gogh. Meisterwerke der Neuen Pinakothek in der Alten PinakothekNeue Pinakothek · Munich · until December 31, 2027
By category
Cities with the most museums
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many museums are there in Bavaria?
Our directory currently lists 417 museums in Bavaria across 232 towns and cities.
What are the best-known museums in Bavaria?
Some of the best known are Schloss Neuschwanstein, Deutsches Museum, Schloss Nymphenburg, Alte Pinakothek, and Würzburger Residenz.
Which museums in Bavaria offer free admission?
62 museums are free to visit – for example NS-Dokumentationszentrum, Münchner Stadtmuseum, Paläontologisches Museum München, and Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke.
Which museums in Bavaria are open on Mondays?
Many museums are closed on Mondays, but according to their regular hours 76 are open, such as Schloss Neuschwanstein, Deutsches Museum, and Schloss Nymphenburg.
Which museums in Bavaria are wheelchair accessible?
137 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, including Deutsches Museum, Alte Pinakothek, and Würzburger Residenz. Others are partially accessible – you’ll find the details on each museum’s page.
How much does it cost to visit museums in Bavaria?
A regular adult ticket costs €6 at the median, with prices ranging from €1 to €26.50. Children, students and families usually pay less.
Other states: Baden-Württemberg · Berlin · Brandenburg · Bremen · Hamburg · Hesse · Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania · Lower Saxony · North Rhine-Westphalia · Rhineland-Palatinate · Saarland · Saxony · Saxony-Anhalt · Schleswig-Holstein · Thuringia