Ceramics museum in the Palais Nesselrode in Düsseldorf's Carlstadt district, with objects spanning some 8,000 years and every continent.
vanaf 2 december 2026
To mark the 100th birthday of benefactor Udo van Meeteren, the museum is showing the complete family collection of around 100 Meissen porcelain pieces, mainly figures from around 1750. End date not yet published.
The museum is named after Düsseldorf native Laurenz Heinrich Hetjens (1830–1906), who started out as a journeyman saddler, prospered as a technical director in Aachen, and later devoted himself entirely to collecting and researching Rhenish stoneware. In his will he left his collection and fortune to his hometown – on condition that a museum bearing his name be built promptly. The Hetjens-Museum opened in 1909 in an annex to the Kunstpalast on the Rhine.
After the city's collections were reorganized in connection with the GeSoLei exhibition of 1926, it became a museum specializing in ceramics, taking over the ceramic holdings of the dissolved Kunstgewerbemuseum (museum of applied arts). When space ran out, the museum moved in 1969 into the Baroque Palais Nesselrode on Schulstraße, which had been reconstructed after the war. An extension, shared with the Filmmuseum, was added in 1994.
Today the Hetjens presents the history of ceramics in twelve departments on four floors, from early vessels through ancient, pre-Columbian, and Islamic ceramics, faience, majolica, and porcelain to contemporary studio ceramics. The museum also has a pottery workshop and a conservation department, and it looks after the Sammlung Ernst Schneider at Schloss Jägerhof. A museum café is currently being built in the east wing of the palais.
| Volwassenen | € 5 |
|---|---|
| Met korting | € 2,50School students over 21, university students, apprentices, federal volunteer service participants, holders of the Ehrenamtskarte (volunteer card), groups of 10 or more |
| Kinderen & jongeren | gratisgratis t/m 21 jaar · Children and young people up to age 21 free. |
| Mensen met een beperking | gratisbegeleider gratis · Visitors from EU countries with a disability rating of 80% or more and a necessary companion (noted on their ID) free. |
| Studenten | € 2,50 |
| Groepen (vanaf 10 pers.) | € 2,50 p.p. |
Gratis toegang: Free admission on Sundays.
During construction (expected until early 2027), "pay what you want" applies instead of the regular admission of €5 (reduced €2.50). Free admission with, among others, the Düsselpass, Düsseldorf Welcome Card/Düsselcard, and Art:card, and for members of the friends' association, the DMB (German Museums Association), and ICOM.
According to the museum, the building is accessible (details from "Reisen für Alle"), but accessibility is only partly ensured during the café construction. Assistance dogs allowed.
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Toegang kinderen | gratis t/m 21 jaar |
|---|
Combined guided experiences with a workshop component for children's groups, and children's courses in the pottery workshop. Children's birthday parties (2 hrs, max. 10 children, for ages 5–7, 6–11, or 11 and up depending on the program) in the pottery workshop at Citadellstraße 3. Free admission up to age 21.
Maxplatz · 1 min. lopen
U71, U72, U73, U83 to Benrather Straße (approx. 5 min. on foot); U70, U75–U79 to Heinrich-Heine-Allee (approx. 6 min.); bus 726 to Maxplatz (approx. 1 min.).
Parkeerplaats aanwezig
Parkhaus Altstadt parking garage (access via the Rheinufertunnel) and Parkhaus Carlsplatz parking garage (access via Benrather Straße).
A museum café in the east wing is under construction. Museum shop in the entrance area (catalogs, ceramics literature). Lockers with a €1 or €2 deposit. Wi-Fi via the city hotspot.
Civil wedding ceremonies in the Bel Etage (couple plus up to 27 guests, Friday mornings from January to November, additional costs from €400), with a champagne reception in the inner courtyard. Due to the café construction, no events or weddings are currently being held.
Aanvragen & details| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 60 min. |
|---|---|
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Fotograferen | Photography for private purposes allowed, except for contemporary ceramics and Art Nouveau ceramics (marked on site). |
| Goed om te weten | Private guided tours, including for school classes, about 1 hour for up to 17 people: €80 plus €2.50 admission per person; other languages on request. Book with Ekaterina Bentz, +49 211 8994206. |
Alle 13 musea in Düsseldorf Alle musea in Noordrijn-Westfalen
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