Museum of Arts and Crafts Hamburg

The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (the Museum of Arts and Crafts, or MK&G) is one of Europe's major design museums, and it sits right next to Hamburg's main train station. It is an easy first stop when you arrive by train, or a good indoor option on a rainy day. Its motto is "everything except paintings," so instead of canvases you see Art Nouveau furniture, fashion, photography, musical instruments and entire period rooms.

What the museum is

The museum was founded on September 15, 1874, as one of the first applied-arts museums in the German-speaking world. Architect Carl Johann Christian Zimmermann designed the building on today's Steintorplatz. It has four wings and two inner courtyards, and a major renovation ran from 1996 to 2012. Sources give the collection as between 500,000 and 600,000 objects, with 18,000 square meters of exhibition space.

Highlights across the collection include:

• Photography: about 75,000 photographs and roughly 700 daguerreotypes
• Fashion: more than 10,000 pieces
• Musical instruments: about 700
• Japan: around 2,000 sword guards (tsuba)
• Islamic art: about 270 objects, including one of three copies of a poetry collection by Süleyman I
• Period rooms: the mirror hall from the Budge Palace, the "Paris Room" and Verner Panton's Spiegel-Kantine

How much time to plan

Allow two to three hours for a good first look; this is an estimate, not an official figure. On Thursdays the museum stays open until 9 p.m., which suits an evening visit. The installation "Shylight" is not on view from April 8 to November 7, 2026, because of maintenance work. Check the current special exhibitions before you go.

Tickets and opening hours (as of October 2026)

• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday until 9 p.m. (6 p.m. on public holidays). Closed Mondays. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Closed on December 24, 25 and 31.
• Admission: adults 14 euros, reduced 8 euros, groups of ten or more 10 euros per person, free for visitors under 18.
• Evening rates: On Thursdays from 6 p.m. admission is 8 euros, and on the first Thursday of the month from 6 p.m. it is free.
• Last round: On selected days there is a 5-euro ticket; see the museum's ticket page for the dates.

Reduced admission requires proof and applies to students, trainees, pupils, people with a severe disability, unemployed people and Hamburg Card holders.

How to get there

The museum is at Steintorplatz, 20099 Hamburg, directly next to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, where all U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines stop. A free accessible parking space is available at Steintorplatz for visitors with limited mobility.

Accessibility and food

The museum says accessible access matters to it and offers information in sign language and easy language. The restaurant "Destille" serves snacks and drinks from Tuesday to Sunday between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The visitor page does not mention dogs or a cloakroom.

Nearby

The Chilehaus, a UNESCO-listed brick office building, and the Speicherstadt warehouse district are within walking distance. Planning a future trip? Because of a second S-Bahn tunnel at the main station, the museum is expected to move out temporarily from around 2028, so check its website before you go.