Altes Museum

The Altes Museum introduces you to the world of classical antiquity. Experience the full richness of this fascinating period in human history. Admire the exquisite works of art created by the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans: from small artefacts and vases to jewellery and sculptures.

Highlights of the Altes Museum:

• An unforgettable first impression: the light-filled rotunda with ancient statues beneath magnificent coffered ceilings
• exquisite ancient statues such as the‘Seated Goddess from Taranto’or the so-called ‘Berlin Goddess’, seen here on the left
• Fisherman from Aphrodisias
• Clay tablet from Capua, bearing the second-longest Etruscan text
• Etruscan art such as the house-shaped urn from Chiusi
• Portrait busts of Caesar and Cleopatra
• The Hildesheim Silver Treasure
• Contents of a warrior’s grave from Tarquinia

A journey into the world of antiquity

On the main floor, the exhibition then takes you primarily through Greek sculpture from the late 7th to the 1st century BC, but also features vases and small artefacts. Particularly extraordinary is the treasure chamber filled with gold and silver jewellery beneath a blue canopy. In a second ‘Blue Chamber’, you will discover the fine art of ancient coinage: the significant collection of over 1,300 coins spans from the 7th century BC to the 3rd century AD.

On its upper floor , the museum houses the largest collection of Etruscan art outside Italy – which you will be able to view in its entirety once the museum has been refurbished. There you can also see the famous Hildesheim Silver Treasure.

An architectural gem in the Lustgarten

The Altes Museum remains as impressive as ever thanks to its stately setting: take a stroll through Berlin’s Lustgarten. As you make your way through this park towards the monumental building, you’ll be overwhelmed by the sight of the Altes Museum.

Eighteen colossal Ionic columns on the façade give you a foretaste of what lies ahead. The imposing grand staircase then takes you on a journey into antiquity. Even the entrance rotunda, modelled on the Pantheon , with its sculptural decorations, gives you the feeling of entering a temple of culture.

The unique history

A new educational ideal: King Frederick William III of Prussia as a patron of cultural education

At the start of the 19th century, the middle classes in Prussia were becoming more self-assured. Consequently, they wished for the royal cultural collections to be made accessible to the people. This wish was also in line with the educational ideal of the scholar Wilhelm von Humboldt: Every person should be able to develop their full potential, amongst other things by studying the cultures of antiquity. Frederick William III shared Humboldt’s view and commissioned the construction of the museum in 1825. He appointed the famous urban planner and architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel as the architect. Schinkel designed the floor plan of the Altes Museum in the classical style, drawing inspiration from ancient Greece. The museum finally opened its doors in 1830 .

Although the museum suffered severe damage during the Second World War, it reopened as early as 1966.

Since 1990, it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘ ’, as one of the five museums on Museum Island.

Nearby attractions

Museum Island is one of the most important institutions in Berlin’s diverse museum landscape. The Neues Museum is also located here. The building houses the Egyptian Museum with its papyrus collection, the Museum of Prehistory and Early History with its marvellous gold helmet, as well as parts of the Collection of Classical Antiquities. One of the highlights is the world-famous bust of Queen Nefertiti. The Pergamon Museum, situated to the north of it, is unfortunately currently closed for renovation work. A visit to the Alte Nationalgalerie is also highly recommended. This gallery is dedicated to art from the 19th century up to the First World War. There, the picture gallery awaits you with masterpieces by famous painters such as Caspar David Friedrich, Paul Cézanne and Claude Monet.

Practical information for your visit

The Altes Museum is centrally located in Berlin Mitte. The nearest car park is situated directly on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, opposite the Cathedral. It is particularly convenient to get there by public transport:

The U5 underground line goes directly to Museum Island

Alternatively, you can take one of the S-Bahn lines – S5, S7 or S75 – to Hackescher Markt station. From there, it’s about a 600-metre walk to the Altes Museum. Alternatively, you can take buses 100 or 200 , which depart from Alexanderplatz or the Brandenburg Gate , for example. Get off at the Lustgarten stop.

Make use of the Berlin WelcomeCard Museum Island. This allows you to visit all the museums on Museum Island free of charge for three consecutive days (special exhibitions are excluded). If you have the Museum Pass, you can even visit 50 other museums in Berlin free of charge. Admission to the Berlin State Museums is generally free for children and young people up to the age of 18. Groups and school classes can book themed guided tours in advance.

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