Goethe House

The Goethe House (Goethe-Haus) in Frankfurt am Main is the family home where Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's most celebrated writer, was born and grew up. Furnished with period pieces, paintings and household objects, the elegant townhouse on Grosser Hirschgraben brings 18th-century Frankfurt to life. Next door, the German Romantic Museum completes the visit. For anyone interested in German literature or history, it is one of the essential things to do in Frankfurt.

Where it is and how to get there

The house sits in the city center, between the Hauptwache square and Römerberg. Take the S-Bahn or subway to Hauptwache, or subway lines U4 and U5 to Dom/Römer; streetcars 11, 12 and 14 stop at Karmeliterkloster. From Frankfurt Airport, S-Bahn lines S8 and S9 run directly to Hauptwache, making this an easy stop even on a layover. The Deutschlandticket is valid on all of these lines. Nearby parking garages include Hauptwache (Kornmarkt), Goetheplatz and Kaiserplatz.

Goethe's family home

Goethe was born here on August 28, 1749. His father, Imperial Councillor Johann Caspar Goethe, turned two inherited half-timbered houses into a four-story Rococo townhouse in 1755–56. Goethe lived here until 1775, apart from his student years in Leipzig and Strasbourg, then moved to Weimar. In this house he wrote "Götz von Berlichingen," the first version of "Faust" and "The Sorrows of Young Werther," the novel that made him famous across Europe almost overnight.

In 1863, a civic society called the Freies Deutsches Hochstift bought the house, refurnished it based on historical records and Goethe's memoirs, and opened it as one of the first writers' memorials anywhere. An Allied air raid on March 22, 1944 – the 112th anniversary of Goethe's death – destroyed the building, but the furnishings had been moved to safety. After a heated debate about whether to rebuild at all, the house was faithfully reconstructed and reopened in 1951.

What to see

• Period rooms on four floors that show how the Goethe family lived and entertained
• An astronomical clock from 1746 that so impressed young Goethe that he still remembered it decades later in his autobiography
• The Goethe Gallery with paintings from Goethe's era
• The German Romantic Museum, opened in 2021 in the modern building next door

About 120,000 people visit each year. The Freies Deutsches Hochstift is preparing a major restoration that is planned to take place while the house stays open.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, the Goethe House and Romantic Museum are open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. They are closed December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1.

• Combined ticket (Goethe House and Romantic Museum): €12
• University students: €7; reduced: €5; school students: €3
• Family ticket (up to two adults with kids up to 18): €18
• Children under 6: free

Tickets are sold only at the museum desk; online booking is not possible. Public tours of about 50 minutes are included in admission, daily at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., plus 10:30 a.m. on weekends – note that these are in German. Groups can request tours in English, French, Italian and other languages for an extra fee.

Good to know

• Allow about an hour for the Goethe House alone, or two to three hours with the Romantic Museum.
• The historic house is accessible only by stairs. The new building with the Romantic Museum and gallery is fully step-free.
• On the second and fourth Saturday of each month there is a family tour at 2 p.m.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes – few places tell the story of Germany's literary golden age so vividly. Afterward, walk a few minutes to Römerberg and the New Old Town, visit Frankfurt Cathedral, cross the Eiserner Steg footbridge, or head up the Main Tower for the skyline view.