State museum in three buildings: Oldenburg Palace with cultural history, the Augusteum with Old Masters and the Prinzenpalais with 19th- and 20th-century art.
10 oktober 2026 – 7 februari 2027
The exhibition in the palace spans five centuries of landscape depiction, from Tischbein and Heckel to contemporary video and installation art, and asks how changing images of nature are reflected in them.
28 november 2026 – 7 maart 2027
To mark the 275th birthday of the "Goethe Tischbein," the Augusteum shows paintings, drawings and watercolors, presenting him as a storytelling painter, teacher and court painter.
The museum came into being after the end of the monarchy: after the last Grand Duke abdicated in 1918, it was founded in November 1919 and opened in February 1923 in the former residential palace. Its core holdings were the grand-ducal picture gallery, the collections of the former Museum of Decorative Arts and the State Gallery of Modern Painting, founded in 1909. The first director, until 1951, was Walter Müller-Wulckow, who gave the museum a distinctive profile with modernist works; in 1937 it lost numerous pieces in the Nazi "Degenerate Art" campaign, including works by Barlach, Beckmann, Nolde and Schmidt-Rottluff.
The palace traces its origins to a medieval castle and was rebuilt in the Renaissance style from 1607 under Count Anton Günther, later expanded in the Baroque and Neoclassical styles. Today it presents the cultural history of the Oldenburg region from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, decorative arts and design, and the historic state rooms of the Grand Dukes.
Two further buildings stand within sight: the Augusteum was built in 1865–1867 by Ernst Klingenberg as a gallery in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo and, since its renovation in 2013–2015, has been home to the Galerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Gallery). The Neoclassical Prinzenpalais was built in 1821–1826 as a residence for the grandsons of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, later served as a military hospital, school and land registry office, among other uses, and since 2003 has housed the Galerie Neue Meister (New Masters Gallery) with 19th- and 20th-century art. In total, the collection comprises more than 30,000 objects; Anna Heinze has been the museum's director since 2025.
| Volwassenen | € 6 |
|---|---|
| Met korting | € 4Apprentices, university students up to age 28, unemployed people, social welfare recipients, people with severe disabilities, volunteers in the FSJ/BFD voluntary service programs, groups of 10 or more, holders of the Oldenburg Pass, Ehrenamtspass (volunteer pass) and Artcard, members of the Oldenburger Kunstverein, the BBK, the BDK and the Oldenburger Landesverein, visitors with a city tour ticket (ID required in each case) |
| Kinderen & jongeren | € 1,50gratis t/m 6 jaar · Children and teens aged 7–17 €1.50, with special exhibition €2; ages 0–6 free |
| Senioren | –No senior discount stated |
| Mensen met een beperking | € 4begeleider gratis · Reduced admission for people with severe disabilities (€6 with special exhibition) |
| Studenten | € 4University students up to age 28; €6 with special exhibition. Students in certain degree programs at the University of Oldenburg free |
| Groepen (vanaf 10 pers.) | € 4 p.p.Groups of 10 or more pay the reduced rate. Group tours €50 (Mon–Fri) or €55 (weekends/public holidays), in a foreign language plus €25, plus admission in each case; book via the online form. |
| Gezinnen | € 10Family day ticket for a maximum of two adults with their children under 18; €15 with special exhibition |
| Day ticket incl. special exhibition | € 9Reduced €6, children aged 7–17 €2 |
| Family day ticket incl. special exhibition | € 15 |
| Annual pass | € 30 |
| Public guided tour (surcharge) | € 4In addition to admission |
The day ticket is valid for all three buildings. Free admission for, among others, school classes with a teacher, companions of people with severe disabilities ("B" marker), ICOM members, members of the Deutscher Museumsbund and the Museumsverband Niedersachsen-Bremen, and members of the friends' associations. School class programs €50 per hour, daycare groups €40 (admission free in both cases). Price list valid from March 2024.
According to the museum, all three buildings are accessible: the palace via the inner courtyard, the Augusteum via the right side of the building, the Prinzenpalais via the parking lot on Huntestraße. The palace is certified under the "Reisen für Alle" scheme (accessible for people with walking impairments, partially accessible for wheelchair users); it has an elevator, a unisex accessible restroom, loaner wheelchairs and folding stools, as well as guided tours for people with walking impairments. Website information is also available in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache).
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Toegang kinderen | gratis t/m 6 jaar |
|---|---|
| Gezinsticket | € 10 · Family day ticket for a maximum of two adults with their children under 18; €15 with special exhibition |
Family workshops ("Familienzeit"), children's courses and holiday programs; children's birthday parties at the palace for ages 6 to 10 (max. 10 children); programs for daycare groups in the Schlossatelier and in the creative workshop at the Prinzenpalais. Children up to age 6 free.
Schlossplatz
Schlossplatz bus stop right by the palace; Oldenburg main station approx. 15 minutes on foot
The Hanna Stirnemann Lounge on the first floor of the palace is freely accessible.
Civil weddings in the palace's Marble Hall (approx. 20 seats and 10 standing places) on fixed dates, booked exclusively through the Oldenburg registry office. Wedding photos are not permitted outside of ceremonies. No other rentals listed.
Aanvragen & details| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 60 min. |
|---|---|
| Audiotour | ja (DE) |
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Goed om te weten | Public guided tours on Sundays 15:00–16:00: 1st Sunday palace, 2nd Sunday Augusteum, 3rd Sunday Prinzenpalais (meeting point at the ticket desk in each case); according to the website, on the 4th Sunday a tour spanning all buildings (15:00–16:30); admission plus €4. Audio guide and the app "App ins Schloss." Programs for school classes and daycare groups. |
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