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10 Most Popular Museums to visit in Berlin

Germany’s capital city Berlin is dotted with reminders of the country’s turbulent 20^th century’s history and beautiful landmarks and monuments in equal measure. It has more than 170 museums to its name. These 10 most popular museums suggested for your visit have been selected for their specialty and charm, and you are sure to enjoy time spent at any or all of them. Spread out in the famous Museum Island and across the city, you are sure to find from this list something to keep you engaged and satisfied.

1. Jewish Museum

Fallen leaves- by Bukephalos- Wikimedia Commons

Berlin has the privilege of hosting Europe’s largest Jewish Museum. The Jewish Museum as you might expect is dedicated to Jewish art and history. This museum will take you through its German- Jewish complicated history from its permanent exhibition as well as periodical special exhibitions.

The permanent exhibition offers a look at life for the Jewish minority, as well as a look at Berlin and its development into a European metropolis, with the Jews, settled as merchants, entrepreneurs, scientists, and artists.

The three-building Jewish Museum is one of Germany’s most visited museums. One major attraction at the museum is Menashe Kadishman’s ‘Shalekhet’ or ‘ Fallen Leaves’, which showcases over 10,000 human faces carved out of steel. The faces represent lives lost during the Holocaust.

2. Neues Museum

Neues Museum- by Janericloebe- Wikimedia Commons

To date, the Neues Museum contains some of the actual exhibits that were shown before the war. This includes the Prehistorical and Early Historical installations- this museum is one of the few that partially survived the bombing of Berlin. The Egyptian collection at the Neues is something to write home about, as the papyrus gallery and infamous Queen Nefertiti’s bust are impressive.

Having been built inside a stunning neo-classical villa, the Neues Museum’s appearance is fresh and modern. The Neues museum carries with it some importance in the history of construction and technology. It embraced new techniques of construction that industrialization afforded it such as building using iron.

3. Puppentheater-Museum

Marionette puppets- by Jim McDougall- Wikimedia Commons

The Puppentheater Museum is sure to take you to a happy place with its exhibitions featuring a rich array of hand puppets, stick figures, marionettes, shadow figures, and cartoon characters drawn from diverse cultures in Europe, Asia, and Africa. A visit to this museum is quite the experience. Contrary to the impression a puppet theatre might create, this museum is not only for children or children at heart. Its shows can be custom-made according to the age and interests of its visitors.

This whimsical museum introduces you to the makings of puppet theatre- call it puppetry 101 if you like. It incorporates the various themes and techniques of puppet theatre as it elucidates the functions of puppet theatre, as well as the history of dolls and marionette puppets.

As you visit this museum, the cherry on the cake would be a live show if you are lucky to catch one.

4. Spy Museum

Spy museum- Wikimedia Commons

This museum transports you to the world of espionage. You just might encounter special equipment and technology off of your favorite James Bond movie, or something close. Berlin’s Spy Museum showcases at least 1,000 spy objects distributed through its 300 different exhibits. These include spy gear, training material, secret service tactics, and conspiracy theories.

With Germany’s history, the Spy Museum covers Berlin’s tactics during the Cold War. The museum takes it a notch higher through its real laser obstacle courses and interactive spy simulations- quite the adrenaline rush!

For bonus material, the museum takes visitors through espionage practices from all around the world.

5. Alte Nationalgalerie

Alte Nationalgalerie- by Manfred Brückels- Wikimedia Commons

Alte Nationalgalerie is one of the most famous and largest art galleries in Germany. It hosts over 2,000 paintings and sculptures whose coverage spans from German and internationally renowned artists. The museum’s collection is made up of Neoclassical, Impressionist, and early Modernist artwork.

Alte Nationalgalerie is surrounded by greatness, it is located in Berlin’s Museum Island, framed by other museums. Its architecture is also a sight to behold.

6. DDR Museum

Typical home setting- by FA2010 – Wikimedia Commons

The Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) museum is a must-visit for an understanding of life in East Germany. Its engagement and approach ensures that its visitors leave with a complete understanding and appreciation of life behind the Berlin wall.

The DDR exhibition is engaging and employs its visitors’ senses as it allows them to touch and feel some of its exhibits, making the DDR experience real and quite unique for a museum. To look forward to, at a visit to the museum, is a simulated drive in an original Trabant P601 car and interactive games made suitable to all age groups.

The DDR museum has been voted the most popular among foreign tourists and has twice been nominated for the prestigious European Museum of the Year awards.

7. Game Science Center

Exhibit at Game Science Center- by Cyrill Etter- Wikimedia Commons

While the geeks will be right at home at this museum, the Game Science Center’s playful and interactive look into the future makes it suitable for just about anyone. This museum offers a look into what the future holds for interaction with computers, and how innovative games can be controlled. The Center gives room for exploration and learning on how technology has shaped our world, and what it holds for the future.

As it might appear, the Game Science Center was originally created by game developers and is always kept fresh with a rotating collection of exhibits.

A day at the Game Science Center is loads of fun. You can get an opportunity to play with new prototypes and high-tech video games. Here you will interact more with computers than you ever have. The Game Science Center is a rare glimpse into the future of our exciting and amazing world! If traveling with children, a visit here will have them wide-eyed and curious about the world of technology.

8. Hanf Museum

Inside Hanf museum- by Orwendel – Wikimedia Commons

Also known as the hemp museum, this attraction is exclusively devoted to everything hemp- the history, agricultural production, commercial distribution, and legal aspects of hemp. This can only mean that the museum legally exists. With the recent developments surrounding medicinal uses of hemp, the Hanf Museum is worth a visit.

With is unusual and specialty focus, the Hanf museum is definitely the only one in Germany. Italy, Switzerland, and Amsterdam are the only other countries with similar establishments. The museum seeks to demystify information about the plant as there are many misconceptions and assumptions about it.

For your ‘troubles’ the onsite café has hemp tea for sale which you can enjoy after your visit.

9. Berlin Wall Memorial

Memorial on Western side of Berlin wall- by Orwendel – Wikimedia Commons

You should not leave Berlin without a visit to the Berlin wall as it holds very rich German history. The memorial contains the last piece of Berlin Wall that still stands, and preserved grounds behind it. With this, the German division and the complications from it are pretty clear.

The memorial grounds stir up imagination- while at the lookout platform, one can see watchtowers and plaques from sections of the actual original Berlin wall. There is a monument at the memorial in memory of the Divided City and Victims of Communist Tyranny as well as the Window of Remembrance. The Chapel of Reconciliation and excavated foundations of an apartment building that functioned as the border wall once upon a time are also part of the Memorial.

A visit to the Berlin Wall Memorial has a lot more to offer, in the quest to learn about Germany’s turbulent history.

10. Pergamon Museum

Front of Pergamon museum- Wikimedia Commons

To wind up the 10 most popular museums in Berlin list is the Pergamon Museum. This museum takes the cup as the most visited museum in Germany. The excavated ruins from Anatolia and Mshatta Facad, such as the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus, and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon are found here. All these are monumental buildings that you will have fun walking through.

The museum features exhibitions that are iconic such as the Islamic art museum, an antiquity collection, and the Middle East museum. A visit to the Pergamon Museum is no doubt a rich and fulfilling experience, definitely worth your while.

These 10 most popular museums to visit in Berlin showcase the rich and diverse history in the city and country. While you may want to pace yourself, Berlin doesn’t fall short in terms of things to explore in the museums.