Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart

The Hamburger Bahnhof is Berlin's national museum of contemporary art, set inside a grand 1840s railway terminus just a few minutes' walk from Berlin Central Station. Part of the Nationalgalerie, it shows Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol alongside ambitious installations and big temporary exhibitions. With its glowing Dan Flavin facade and vast exhibition halls, it is one of the essential things to do in Berlin for anyone who loves modern and contemporary art.

Where it is and how to get there

The museum sits on Invalidenstraße in the Moabit district, right next to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the city's main rail hub. That makes it unusually easy to reach: ICE trains, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses all stop at the station, and the walk takes only a few minutes. From BER airport, regional trains and the S-Bahn run to Hauptbahnhof. Public transport in Berlin is covered by the Deutschlandticket. There is no visitor parking, so leave the car behind.

From railway station to art museum

The late Neoclassical building was the terminus of the Berlin–Hamburg line, but passenger trains stopped running here as early as 1884. It later became a transport and building museum, was badly damaged in 1944, and spent decades in limbo near the Berlin Wall. Architect Josef Paul Kleihues converted it into an art museum, which opened in November 1996 with a Sigmar Polke show. The core was the Erich Marx collection, strong on Beuys and Warhol. The adjacent Rieckhallen, former warehouses of about 6,000 square meters, add space for large-scale works. It is the last surviving large terminus station in Berlin and drew about 357,000 visitors in 2024.

What to see

• Joseph Beuys works from the Nationalgalerie collection
• Tausendmal Berlin, a new presentation of the museum's own collection since June 2026
• Dan Flavin's fluorescent light installation on the facade, best seen at dusk
• The soaring historic train hall, used for large installations

Temporary shows in fall 2026 include Ryuichi Sakamoto: seeing sound, hearing time (through June 20, 2027) and Next Door with Tacita Dean, Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson and Tomás Saraceno (from October 9, 2026).

Tickets and opening hours

Through November 30, 2026, the museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday until 8 p.m., and weekends 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; it is closed on Mondays. From December 1, 2026, hours change to Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A day ticket including all exhibitions costs €16 (€8 reduced). Visitors under 18 enter free but need a free ticket from the desk or online. Timed tickets are released online 28 days in advance, which helps you skip the line. On Sundays, family tickets cost €10 or €15, and a family program runs from noon to 5 p.m. The three-day Museum Pass Berlin (€32) covers permanent displays only. Prices as of October 2026.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if contemporary art is your thing. Plan two to four hours to cover the main hall, the west wing and the Rieckhallen. The main entrance is wheelchair accessible, though the Rieckhallen currently are not. If you arrive by train, the museum is an easy stop before or after your onward journey, with luggage lockers available at the main station. Combine your visit with the Reichstag building, about a 15-minute walk south, or the Museum für Naturkunde a little farther east along Invalidenstraße.