🏛️ What to see in Dusseldorf museums: tickets, prices and hours

Düsseldorf has dozens of museums, and choosing is not easy. Kunstpalast, K20, and K21 stand by the Rhine; the Neanderthal Museum is outside the city, in Mettmann. Admission to Kunstpalast is free every first Thursday of the month, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (as of 09/2026, Kunstpalast visit page). Below are 16 museums: what to see in each, how much a ticket costs, and when the museum is closed. We verified prices and opening hours on September 15, 2026 on the museums' official websites.

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What to know before visiting Düsseldorf museums

💡 In short:

Monday is a day off almost everywhere: Kunstpalast, K20, K21, and the Neanderthal Museum are closed.
A combined ticket to K20 and K21 costs €20 and is valid for a whole year (as of 09/2026, Kunstsammlung NRW).
At Kunstpalast, admission to the collection is free every first Thursday of the month, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (as of 09/2026, Kunstpalast tickets).
Prices and opening hours: September 15, 2026, verified on the museums' official websites

Most museums are located in the Old Town and around the Hofgarten, so you can cover three or four of them on foot in a day. There is no single ticket for all Düsseldorf museums; you pay admission at each one separately. Buy tickets to K20 and K21 online: they are cheaper and valid for one year (as of 09/2026, tickets to K20 and K21).

Museum	What makes it special	Admission
Kunstpalast	old masters, glass, and sculpture by the Rhine	€17, reduced €13, free under 18 (as of 09/2026, Kunstpalast prices)
K20 and K21	classic modernism and contemporary art	combined ticket €20, one building €8-9 (as of 09/2026, Kunstsammlung NRW prices)
Neanderthal Museum	Neanderthal discovery site and ice-age trail	€13, children 6 to 16 €8.50 (as of 09/2026, Neanderthal Museum prices)
Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum	aquarium, terrarium, and open-air park	paid admission, tickets on the website (aquazoo-duesseldorf.de)

1. Goethe Museum

The Goethe Museum occupies the baroque Jägerhof Palace at the end of Hofgartenallee. The poet never lived in Düsseldorf, but the city opened a museum in his name in 1956 (as of 09/2026, Goethe-Museum). The exhibition spans eleven rooms, built around the private collection of the Kippenbergs.

Pink Baroque facade of Jägerhof Palace during the day

In the central hall, the tragedy "Faust" is presented through painting, music, theater, and film. Nearby you'll see manuscripts, first editions, and documents from the period. The palace itself dates back to the 18th century: it was built in baroque style with rococo elements, and Napoleon once stayed here.

Hours: Wed, Thu, Sat, and Sun from 12:00 to 18:00, Fridays until 21:00 (as of 09/2026, museum hours).
Admission: check the museum's official website.
Getting there: Jägerhof Palace at the northern edge of the Hofgarten, from the Hofgartenallee stop (see map).
Who it's for: anyone who wants to see "Faust" as part of an entire era.
The catch: the museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

2. Kunstpalast

Brick building of the Kunstpalast museum in Düsseldorf

Kunstpalast stands on Ehrenhof right by the Rhine. Its galleries house old Renaissance masters, paintings, graphic art, and sculpture. A separate part of the collection is glass: more than three thousand glass objects from the 17th to 19th centuries were brought here.

The museum occupies several buildings, and some sculptures are displayed on the lawns in the courtyard. Across the square, the NRW-Forum focuses on photography and avant-garde art. It also hosts temporary exhibitions of design, photography, and media art, with music playing in the galleries.

Cost: 17 €, reduced 13 €, free for children and teens under 18 (as of 09/2026, Kunstpalast prices).
Hours: Tue-Sun 11:00 to 18:00, Thursdays until 21:00; closed Mondays (as of 09/2026, Kunstpalast hours).
Free admission: every first Thursday of the month from 18:00 to 21:00, collection entry is free (as of 09/2026, Kunstpalast offers).
Getting there: Ehrenhof 4-5, from the main station take U70-U77 to Kulturzentrum Ehrenhof (see map).
Who it's for: for those who want to see both old masters and contemporary art in a single visit.

3. K20

K20 museum building in Düsseldorf with a dark stone facade

K20 opened on Grabbeplatz in 1986, prompted by the city's acquisition of 88 paintings by Paul Klee. The building was designed with the future in mind, so the collection quickly grew to include sculpture, installations, and photography.

Here you'll see 20th-century art: modernists, Fauvists, Surrealists, and Expressionists. A separate section is devoted to masters of the Blue Rider group. The postwar galleries feature works by Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and Joseph Beuys.

Cost: ticket with collection and exhibition 16 €, reduced 14 €; collection only 9 €, reduced 7 € (as of 09/2026, K20 ticket prices).
Combo ticket: K20 and K21 together 20 €, valid for one year (as of 09/2026, K20 and K21 combo ticket).
Hours: Tue-Sun and on public holidays 11:00 to 18:00, closed Mondays (as of 09/2026, K20 hours).
Free admission: every first Wednesday of the month, K20 and K21 stay open until 22:00, and from 18:00 entry is free (as of 09/2026, free admission on Wednesdays).
Getting there: Grabbeplatz 5, near the Old Town (see map).
Who it's for: for fans of classical modernism and big names.

4. K21

K21 museum building with its dome behind a pond in the park

K21 lives in the former Westphalian parliament building, the Ständehaus. After years of neglect, it was restored and opened as a museum in 2002. The glass roof turns the halls into a bright space that suits large-scale installations.

The collection focuses on art from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It features works by Nam June Paik, Marcel Broodthaers, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Ruff, and Thomas Schütte. Separate rooms are given over to large installations, and school groups take part in workshops where they create their own objects.

Cost: ticket with the collection and exhibition 14 €, reduced 12 €; collection only 8 €, reduced 6 € (as of 09/2026, K21 ticket prices).
Combo ticket: K20 and K21 together 20 €, the ticket is valid for a year (as of 09/2026, ticket for both venues).
Hours: Tue-Sun 11:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays (as of 09/2026, K21 hours).
Getting there: Ständehausstraße 1, to the Ständehaus stop or on foot from the Old Town (see map).
The catch: closed on Mondays along with K20.

5. Heine Museum

Facade of the Heine Museum in Düsseldorf

The Heine Museum opened in the house where the poet was born. It stands in the Old Town, and the core of the exhibition is based on materials from the city library. You will see manuscripts, autographs, photographs, and personal belongings of Heinrich Heine.

A separate section is dedicated to music: it houses the sheet music archive of Robert Schumann, who wrote songs based on the poet's verses. A literary center with evenings and readings operates at the museum.

Cost: check the museum's website.
Getting there: Heine's birthplace in the Old Town, not far from the Rhine (see map).
Who it's for: for those who love German poetry and Romanticism.

6. Stadtmuseum

Facade of the Düsseldorf City Museum with a banner

Stadtmuseum is the city's oldest museum. It occupies the Spee Palace by the water in the Old Town. The exhibition tells the history of Düsseldorf from the Bronze Age to the present day: archaeological finds, documents, paintings, and photographs.

A separate room is dedicated to the city's post-war reconstruction. A portrait gallery introduces famous citizens, and temporary exhibitions cover art, architecture, music, and fashion. Nearby, remnants of the fortress wall and a section of the defensive moat have been preserved.

Cost: check the museum's website.
Getting there: Spee Palace in the Old Town, by the water next to the fortress moat (see map).
Who it's for: for those who want to understand the city, not just its art.

7. Hetjens-Museum

Entrance to the Hetjens Museum with sign and banner

Hetjens-Museum grew out of the private collection of Laurenz Heinrich Hetjens, who collected ceramics from the early 20th century. The museum opened more than a century ago, and today it surpasses most collections of its kind in the number of exhibits.

It displays porcelain and ceramics from different eras, from antiquity to the present day. You will see Meissen and Delftware, objects from the Inca, Aztec and Maya cultures, as well as a huge ceramic dome brought from Pakistan. The geographic range of the objects covers Ancient Greece, Rome, China and Asia.

Cost: check the museum website.
Who it's for: anyone interested in crafts and decorative arts.

8. Neanderthal Museum

Neanderthal Museum building with a green facade

© Heiko Tomaszewski -- Darkstar1970 20:01, 19 August 2007 (UTC) · CC BY-SAPhoto: Heiko Tomaszewski -- Darkstar1970 20:01, 19 August 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), Wikimedia Commons

Neanderthal Museum stands where the remains of an ancient human were found in the 19th century. The museum is located in an ice age park near Mettmann, not in Düsseldorf itself. Inside the spiral-shaped building are stone tools, hunting implements, fossilized animal skeletons and wax figures of Neanderthals.

The ticket includes the permanent and temporary exhibitions, the discovery site with an observation tower and a free audio guide (as of 09/2026, Neanderthal Museum website). In the Stone Age workshop you can make tools yourself, but only by appointment. Trails through the nature reserve surround the museum, where you can see bison.

Cost: adult ticket 13 €, children aged 6 to 16 8.50 €, students 10 € (as of 09/2026, Neanderthal Museum prices).
Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays (as of 09/2026, museum opening hours).
Discount: if you travel by public transport, the ticket is 1 € cheaper (as of 09/2026, transport discount).
Getting there: Talstraße 300 in Mettmann, from Düsseldorf by suburban train and bus (see map).
The catch: the museum is outside the city, so the trip takes more time.
Who it's for: families with children and archaeology enthusiasts.

9. Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum

Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum building with a green lawn

Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum combines an aquarium, terrarium and museum on one site. Moray eels, sharks and rays swim in the clear water, while ponds, waterfalls and a Japanese garden are arranged around them. After renovation, an oceanarium was opened, showcasing marine life.

The halls are divided by climate zones, with conditions recreated for the tropics and other regions. Children are drawn to the interactive zones and ray feedings. The museum is accessible for visitors in wheelchairs and people with mobility impairments.

Cost: paid entry, tickets are cheaper online (as of 09/2026, Aquazoo tickets).
Hours: check the museum's visit page (as of 09/2026, Aquazoo hours).
Getting there: see the address and directions on the museum website.
Who it's for: families with kids who want to see animals up close.

10. Filmmuseum

Filmmuseum sits in the very heart of the Old Town, with about 2,200 sq m dedicated to its permanent exhibition (as of 09/2026, Filmmuseum page). The ground floor shows what is usually hidden from the viewer: costumes, posters, awards, and behind-the-scenes photos. Here you'll learn about the life of Marlene Dietrich and other stars.

The second-floor exhibition takes you from the first moving pictures to modern technology. The third floor is an improvised space with cameras and equipment, featuring shadow theater figures from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Black Box cinema screens silent films with live organ accompaniment.

Cost: check the museum website (as of 09/2026, Filmmuseum prices).
Hours: check the visit page (as of 09/2026, Filmmuseum hours).
Who it's for: anyone who loves film and wants to step onto a movie set.

11. Shipping Museum

Schlossturm tower with weather vane in Düsseldorf

The Shipping Museum is housed in the Schlossturm tower on the embankment. It's the only part of the Düsseldorf castle that remains: the tower was added in the 16th century and survived fires and war. The river shipping museum was set up here later, after residents and businesses raised money for restoration.

The exhibition spans several levels of the tower. It displays navigation instruments, river vessel fittings, and a model of the Rhine with its river port. Some of the finds were recovered from the riverbed, so the history of shipping runs from ancient times to the present day.

Cost: check the museum website.
Getting there: the Schlossturm tower on the Rhine embankment, next to the Old Town (see map).
Who it's for: anyone interested in rivers and ships.

12. Museum Insel Hombroich

Brick tower of Museum Insel Hombroich among trees

© The original uploader was Perlblau at German Wikipedia . · CC BY-SAPhoto: The original uploader was Perlblau at German Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/de/deed.en), Wikimedia Commons

Museum Insel Hombroich spreads across an island in the Erft river near Düsseldorf. It was founded by Karl-Heinrich Müller at the turn of the 21st century. More than ten exhibition pavilions were built on the island. A former NATO missile base sits nearby, on the adjacent Raketenstation site.

The pavilions showcase art from Africa and the Arab world, as well as works by 20th-century abstract artists. The surrounding park has lawns, streams, and sculptures, including a striking giant rhinoceros. Müller wanted to bring together nature, art, and modern style.

Cost: paid entry, tickets on the museum website.
Getting there: the island is on the Erft river, and the trip from Düsseldorf takes some time (see map).
The catch: the complex is outside the city, so you can't walk there from the center.
Who it's for: anyone who appreciates art and nature together.

13. Ehrenhof

Ehrenhof courtyard with fountain and buildings

Ehrenhof is a museum complex in central Düsseldorf. The stately buildings were constructed in the 1920s to house a major collection of Renaissance and Baroque art. The collection was assembled in the 18th century by the family of Elector Johann Wilhelm, and it became the foundation of the city gallery.

The complex includes Kunstpalast, NRW-Forum, and a concert hall. The Kunstpalast collection numbers tens of thousands of artworks from different eras, from antiquity to the present. Today Ehrenhof is one of the city's main destinations for art.

Cost: tickets are sold separately for each building in the complex; Kunstpalast prices are listed in the section above.
Getting there: the Ehrenhof grounds are by the Rhine, where Kunstpalast is also located (see map).
Who it's for: anyone who wants to see the historic core of the city's museums.

14. Mustard Museum

Tasting table with mustard jars in the museum

The mustard museum is set up inside a specialty shop, in a small space. The exhibits are production tools: devices, machines, and containers of various capacities. Raw materials used to make the spicy product are also shown here: mustard seeds, vegetables, and fruit.

A separate section is dedicated to the Löwensenf brand. Its mustard is made according to a special recipe, with beer, hot chili pepper, and exotic fruit added. The preparation process is shown on video, and several varieties can be tasted. The shop sells dozens of mustard varieties in glass jars.

Cost: check at the shop.
Hours: same as the shop's opening hours.
Who it's for: those looking for an unusual souvenir and a tasting.
The catch: the space is small, so the visit doesn't take much time.

15. Museum für Europäische Gartenkunst

Panorama of Benrath Palace with both side wings

Museum für Europäische Gartenkunst is located in the east wing of Benrath Palace. The exhibition covers the history of European garden art from prehistoric times to the present day. Inside you'll find paintings, graphic art, porcelain and ceramics, as well as rare books about gardens.

Around the building are parks in English and French styles. There is an orangery and a vegetable garden where various crops are grown. White statues, neat paths, and lawns make a stroll part of the visit.

Cost: check the Benrath Palace website.
Getting there: Benrath Palace is in the south of Düsseldorf, take the S-Bahn from the main station (see map).
Who it's for: those who love parks and landscape design.
The catch: the museum is on the outskirts of the city, so getting there takes time.

16. Theater museum

Pink Theater Museum building in the evening

The Theater museum is located in the Hofgarten, next to the Rhine Opera. It grew out of the private collection of actress Louise Dumont and director Gustav Lindemann, which they assembled over thirty years. After the war, the archive was handed over to the city, and later it became a museum.

It houses posters, programs, handwritten scripts, and costume sketches from the 18th to 20th centuries. A particular highlight is the photo archive of a theater photographer with thousands of images. The museum hosts lectures, meet-the-actor events, and performances on its chamber stage.

Cost: check on site.
Getting there: Hofgarten, next to the Rhine Opera (see map).
Who it's for: theater lovers and anyone interested in historical posters.

Düsseldorf museums on the map

All sixteen museums are marked on the map below. Save it to plan your route by neighborhood.

Museums of Düsseldorf

Places on the map

1Goethe Museum Jägerhof Palace, the Kippenberg couple's collection
2Kunstpalast Old masters, painting and three thousand glass items
3K20 Classical modernism, 88 paintings by Paul Klee
4K21 Turn-of-the-21st-century art in the Ständehaus building
5Heinrich Heine Institute The poet's birth house, manuscripts and Schumann's music archive
6Stadtmuseum The city's oldest museum in the Spee Palace
7Hetjens-Museum Ceramics and porcelain from various eras, the Laurenz Hetjens collection
8Neanderthal Museum Site of the Neanderthal find near Mettmann
9Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum Aquarium, terrarium and museum on one site
10Filmmuseum History of cinema in the Old Town, costumes and equipment
11Shipping Museum The Schlossturm tower, navigation instruments and a model of the Rhine
12Museum Insel Hombroich Island on the Erft river, high-tech pavilions and a park
13Löwensenf Mustard Museum Löwensenf brand exhibition at the shop
14Museum für Europäische Gartenkunst History of garden art in a wing of Schloss Benrath
15Theatre Museum Collection of Louise Dumont and Gustav Lindemann in the Hofgarten

Group your visits by area. Kunstpalast, K20, K21, Stadtmuseum, and the Goethe Museum are close together, along the Rhine and the Hofgarten. Neanderthal Museum and Museum Insel Hombroich are outside the city, so it's best to set aside a separate day for them.

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⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to visit Düsseldorf museums?

Kunstpalast is the most expensive: an adult ticket costs 17 €, a reduced ticket 13 € (as of 09/2026, Kunstpalast tickets and hours). At K20, a ticket with the collection and exhibition costs 16 €, at K21 it costs 14 € (as of 09/2026, Kunstsammlung NRW tickets). Children and teenagers under 18 get in free.

When are Düsseldorf museums closed?

Kunstpalast, K20, K21, and Neanderthal Museum are closed on Mondays (as of 09/2026, museum schedules). The Goethe Museum is also closed on Tuesdays (as of 09/2026, Goethe Museum opening hours). Check the hours on the museum's website before your visit: some venues change their schedule on public holidays.

What can you visit for free at Düsseldorf museums?

At Kunstpalast, admission to the collection is free every first Thursday of the month from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm (as of 09/2026, free admission to Kunstpalast). At K20 and K21, admission is free from 6:00 pm every first Wednesday of the month, and they stay open until 10:00 pm on that day (as of 09/2026, free Wednesdays at K20 and K21). Children and teenagers under 18 get in free at both venues.

How much time do you need for Düsseldorf museums?

Allow two or three hours for one large museum, and Kunstpalast or K20 with an exhibition can take half a day. You can cover three or four museums in the city center on foot in a day. Neanderthal Museum and Museum Insel Hombroich are outside the city, so plan a separate trip for them.

Which Düsseldorf museums are good with kids?

With kids, go to the Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum: it has an aquarium, terrarium, and interactive zones (as of 09/2026, Aquazoo page). The second option is the Neanderthal Museum: an ice-age trail, a Stone Age workshop, and Neanderthal figures (as of 09/2026, visit to the Neanderthal Museum). Both museums are also interesting for adults.

In short: what's worth booking

If you're in Düsseldorf for the first time, start with the Kunstpalast and K20: they're located next to each other by the Rhine, and K21 is right there too. With kids, go for the Aquazoo and the Neanderthal Museum. For the old town, set aside a separate day for Museum Insel Hombroich.

The choice is simple. For classical art, go to the Kunstpalast; for modernism, go to K20 and K21; for a family day out, head to the Neanderthal Museum.

Get museum tickets in advance: Düsseldorf museum tickets on Tiqets. Look for city tours on GetYourGuide.

Museums in Dusseldorf: 16 collections and what to see first