Neues Museum

The Neues Museum on Berlin's Museum Island is home to the world-famous bust of Nefertiti. It also houses the Museum of Prehistory and Early History, with the golden Berlin Gold Hat and Heinrich Schliemann's finds from Troy. Just as memorable is the building itself, a bombed-out ruin brilliantly restored by David Chipperfield. For many visitors it is the single best museum in Berlin and an essential stop on any list of things to do in the city.

Where it is and how to get there

Museum Island sits on the Spree River in the historic heart of Berlin, a short walk from Unter den Linden. The entrance is through the James-Simon-Galerie, the island's modern visitor center. Take U-Bahn line U5 to Museumsinsel, the S-Bahn to Hackescher Markt or Friedrichstraße, or the tram to Am Kupfergraben. From Berlin Hauptbahnhof, it is only a few S-Bahn stops. All local transport is covered by the Deutschlandticket. There is almost no parking nearby, so skip the car.

History in brief

Designed by Friedrich August Stüler for King Frederick William IV, the museum opened in 1855 and was a pioneer of industrial building techniques. Bombing in 1943 and 1945 left it a ruin, which stood neglected in East Berlin for decades. British architect David Chipperfield rebuilt it between 1999 and 2009, adding new elements in restrained modern forms while leaving bullet holes, scorched walls and faded murals visible. It reopened on October 16, 2009, and won the Mies van der Rohe Award for European architecture in 2011. Museum Island as a whole is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What to see

• The bust of Nefertiti (about 1340 BC) in the North Dome Hall
• The Berlin Gold Hat, a Bronze Age ceremonial cone of beaten gold
• Schliemann's Troy collection on the entrance level
• The Xanten Boy, a Roman bronze statue
• Chipperfield's monumental central staircase and the glass-roofed courtyards

The Nefertiti bust was found in 1912 during a German excavation led by Ludwig Borchardt at Amarna in Middle Egypt. It portrays the chief wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten and is remarkably well preserved, missing only one eye. Egypt has long called for its return, a debate the museum addresses openly. She stands alone in a glass case in the domed hall, so you can walk all the way around her. Beyond the star pieces, papyri, coffins and everyday objects from ancient Egypt sit alongside Stone Age tools and medieval finds.

Tickets and opening hours

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed on Mondays (also closed March 15–17, 2027, for maintenance). Tickets cost €14 (€7 reduced), and visitors under 18 enter free with a free ticket. The Museum Island ticket (€24, €12 reduced) covers all the island's museums on one day, while the three-day Museum Pass Berlin (€32) covers permanent collections across the city. Standard tickets have no fixed time slot. Prices as of October 2026.

Is it worth visiting?

Without doubt. It drew around 828,000 visitors in 2019, more than any other state museum in Berlin. Allow two hours for the highlights and up to four for everything. Go early on a weekday for the quietest rooms. The building is fully wheelchair accessible. Next door you can continue to the Altes Museum or the Alte Nationalgalerie, and the Berlin Cathedral and Humboldt Forum are just across the street.