Museum für Naturkunde

Discover the world of dinosaurs with the whole family: the permanent exhibition “Dinosaurs! The Age of the Giant Lizards” showcases, amongst many other dinosaurs, the much-loved Tristan – the original skeleton of the world-famous Tyrannosaurus rex.

The Dinosaurs

Discover a nest of dinosaur eggs and the skull of a young T-Rex. Find out why today’s birds are descended from these predatory dinosaurs. And stand in awe before the Brachiosaurus Brancai, standing over 13 metres tall – the world’s largest dinosaur skeleton.

Our Planet

The Museum of Natural History in Berlin offers you a fascinating insight into the workings of nature. Follow the evolution of life on our planet on a guided tour. And explore the diverse forms of life that evolution has produced: Marvel at prehistoric animals, taxidermied birds and the famous polar bear Knut. Or take a deep look back into the history of the universe’s origins. And there are many more fascinating exhibits to discover: take your time for a thorough exploration of the Natural History Museum.

All current exhibitions

• Permanent exhibition: World of Dinosaurs
• Permanent exhibition: System Earth
• Permanent exhibition: Cosmos & Solar System
• Permanent exhibition: Evolution in Action
• Permanent exhibition: Minerals
• Permanent exhibition: Birds & Native Animals
• Permanent exhibition: Highlights of Taxidermy & Wet Collection
• Temporary exhibition: digitize! – live science (until further notice)

History

The Museum of Natural History has a long tradition. As early as 1889, Emperor Wilhelm II opened the building on Invalidenstraße. With its imposing columns and large windows, this magnificent Wilhelminian-style building resembles a palace. This impression continues inside the building, where you first enter the central atrium. In this hall, restored to its historical appearance, you are immediately greeted by a dinosaur’s head, which invites you on a tour of the dinosaur exhibition. There, you can learn about the former rulers of our planet through multimedia and interactive displays: state-of-the-art virtual reality technology brings these imposing creatures to life right before your eyes.

But be sure to explore the other exhibition halls as well, each with its own distinct theme. The so-called ‘wet collections’ are particularly worth a visit. These are housed in the east wing, which was restored in 2010 – one of the world’s most modern collection buildings. A total of 276,000 jars containing 81,880 litres of alcohol preserve fish, spiders, crabs, amphibians and mammals across 12.6 km of shelving. Take your time here to admire the fascinating – and sometimes eerie – specimens behind glass. You can also get up close to animals in the exhibition ‘Highlights of Taxidermy’. Take, for example, Bobby the gorilla or Knut the polar bear. Thanks to the latest techniques and the artistic skills of the taxidermists, the specimens look just like the real thing.

Highlights

• System Earth – How does our planet work? From evolution to volcanism
• the primitive bird Archaeopteryx lithographica
• The world’s largest dinosaur skeleton: Brachiosaurus brancai
• Biodiversity wall featuring over 3,000 different species
• A wet collection of specimens from all animal groups behind glass, which ranks among the most advanced research collections in the world

Nearby museums

The Museum of Natural History is part of the MuseumsMeileMitte, a consortium of four renowned museums in the heart of Berlin, all within walking distance of one another.

For science enthusiasts, there is another museum highlight just round the corner: the Museum of the History of Medicine. This is situated on the grounds of Berlin’s Charité University Hospital. Simply cross Invalidenstraße – from here, it’s just a few steps to your destination. Just a short distance from the Museum of Natural History is the building at Chaussee 36 – named after Chausseestraße, which runs past it. Just a few hundred metres east of the Museum of Natural History is Berlin’s museum of contemporary art, the Hamburger Bahnhof. This museum impresses with its outstanding collection of contemporary art and its high-calibre exhibitions.

Your visit

The Natural History Museum is centrally located in Berlin Mitte. You can reach it easily via Underground line 6 or tram lines M5, M8, M10 or M12. Both the Underground and the trams stop at the respective station bearing the same name. To reach the S-Bahn, walk towards the Hauptbahnhof, which is served by the S5 and S7 lines. Alternatively, the U5 also runs there. If you’re travelling by car, you should use the multi-storey car park directly at the Hauptbahnhof. Entry to the Natural History Museum is free if you hold a Museum Pass . This entitles you to free entry to numerous Berlin museums on three consecutive days.

With the Berlin WelcomeCard , you’ll receive a 38 per cent discount for adults and a 60 per cent discount for children aged between 6 and 16.
The museum is well-suited to groups of children and young people. Guided tours on various topics are offered for all age groups in German and English. Furthermore, the museum features the Carl Zeiss Microscopy Centre, an area where, for example, schoolchildren can learn about and try out how a microscope works. Museum educators also lead tours through the exhibition after closing time. The regular torchlight tours are particularly popular. These allow you to set off on an adventurous exploration of the building after closing time, guided only by the light of your torch.

Buy your online ticket conveniently and securely and discover the highlights of the Natural History Museum: validdirectly as a smartphone voucher – no need to print out a ticket.

Tickets

Opening hours