Free and Discounted Museums in Munich: Our Family Guide

See the original post on Instagram

Munich has a lot of museums, and a surprising number of them cost very little or nothing at all. We keep a running list because it is what we reach for on a rainy Saturday or when the budget is tight. Below is that list.

Before you go: opening hours, renovation closures and special-exhibition pricing change often. Always check the museum’s own page for the day you plan to visit.

The one rule that saves the most money

Children and young people under 18 get in free at all the state museums on the €1 Sunday list below, and also at the Lenbachhaus and Museum Villa Stuck, according to the city’s page. So for a family, the €1 Sunday mostly matters for the grown-ups. Special exhibitions, workshops and guided tours can follow different rules.

Always free

Paläontologisches Museum (Palaeontological Museum)

Dinosaur skeletons and fossils, which is exactly why it is on our list. Free for everyone.

• Address: Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, near Königsplatz
• Getting there: U2 or buses 58, 68 and 100 to Königsplatz
• Hours: Mon–Thu 8:00–16:00, Fri 8:00–14:00, closed weekends except the first Sunday of the month, 10:00–16:00
• Good to know: the museum says it is not barrier-free, so check before you come with a pram. There is a monthly Familiensonntag with a children’s quiz on the open Sundays. We could not confirm toilets, baby changing or a café.

NS-Dokumentationszentrum

The documentation centre on the history of National Socialism in Munich. It is free, and it is a serious place, so we would save it for older children and teens rather than toddlers. The centre offers a media guide aimed at young people and families with children from age 11.

• Address: Max-Mannheimer-Platz 1, 80333 München
• Getting there: U2 to Königsplatz, or trams 27 and 28 to Karolinenplatz
• Hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–19:00
• Good to know: all public areas are described as barrier-free, and the CaféBar Max is in the foyer.

Münchner Stadtmuseum: currently “What the City”

This is one that has changed. The main Stadtmuseum building is closed for renovation. In the meantime the city runs a free interim exhibition called “What the City” in the Zeughaus, open Tue–Sun 11:00–19:00. Check the city’s page for the current setup before you travel.

Geologisches Museum

Rocks, minerals and Bavaria’s earth history. The city lists it together with the Palaeontological Museum as free, with the same opening hours (Mon–Thu 8:00–16:00, Fri 8:00–14:00, and usually the first Sunday of the month 10:00–16:00). We could not confirm the exact address from an official page, so look it up before you set off.

The others on the free list

• Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke (Greek and Roman sculpture replicas): free, Mon–Fri 10:00–20:00, closed weekends and holidays.
• Monacensia im Hildebrandhaus (literary Munich, Thomas Mann era): exhibitions free. Mon–Wed and Fri 9:30–17:30, Thu 12:00–19:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–18:00.
• Lothringer 13 Halle (international contemporary art): free during exhibition periods. Wed–Fri 12:00–20:00, Sat, Sun and holidays 10:00–18:00.

Free (or cheaper) on certain days

• Haus der Kunst (contemporary art), Prinzregentenstr. 1. Open Haus is free on the last Friday of the month, 16:00–22:00. The next one is Friday 30 October 2026. Normal opening is Wed–Mon 10:00–20:00. Children under 12 are free anyway; pupils and students from 12 pay €5. There are tours for parents with babies or toddlers (“Baby hört mit”). Bus 100 or U4/U5 to Lehel.
• Lenbachhaus (Blaue Reiter collection including Kandinsky), Luisenstr. 33. Free on the first Thursday of the month, 18:00–22:00, so the next one is Thursday 5 November 2026. Under 18s are always free. Closed Mondays, open until 20:00 on Thursdays. U2/U8 or bus 100 to Königsplatz. Café ELLA has a terrace over Königsplatz.
• Museum Villa Stuck (Secession-era artist’s home and studio), Prinzregentenstr. 60. Friday Late is free on the first Friday of the month, 18:00–22:00, so the next one is Friday 6 November 2026. Under 18s are always free. Open Tue–Sun 11:00–18:00, Wednesday until 20:00. The Stuckkantine café sits in the garden. Bus 100 or tram 17 to Friedensengel, or U4 to Prinzregentenplatz.
• Kunsthalle München (big temporary exhibitions): usually half price on Tuesdays, but holidays and special dates can be excluded and the city page gives no exact prices. Check before you go.
• Münchner Feuerwehrausstellung (the fire service exhibition), Unterer Anger 9: open Saturdays 10:00–17:00 and closed on public holidays. We shared it as free on Saturdays, but the city page we checked does not mention the admission price, so please confirm before you go. It reopened in December 2024 after renovation, and has a fire-safety film and a quiz for children.

€1 Sundays at the state museums

On Sundays the state museums charge just €1 for the permanent exhibition. The city’s page lists these: Alte Pinakothek, Pinakothek der Moderne, Museum Brandhorst, Sammlung Schack, Glyptothek, Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Museum Fünf Kontinente, Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst, Archäologische Staatssammlung, Staatliche Münzsammlung, Museum Mensch und Natur and the Sudetendeutsches Museum. (On our Instagram list the Sudetendeutsches Museum was in the “always free” group. The city now lists it under €1 Sundays, free for under 18s, and free for students up to 26.) Special exhibitions may be excluded.

The ones we would pick with children

• Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst (Egyptian Museum): Gabelsbergerstr. 35. Under 18s free and €1 on Sundays. Family tours on the 2nd and 4th Sunday at 11:00, a digital treasure hunt with the museum mascot, and an archaeological backpack you can rent at the ticket desk. U2/U8 to Königsplatz, or trams 27/28 to Karolinenplatz. Lifts serve the foyer and the exhibition levels, and the Shopcafé does coffee and snacks. Open Tue 10:00–20:00 and Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00, closed Mondays.
• Museum Fünf Kontinente (world cultures): Maximilianstr. 42. Open Tue–Sun 9:30–17:30. U4/U5 to Lehel, or trams 16 and 19 to Maxmonument. Step-free access is at the back via Knöbelstraße, with lifts to all floors. There are family tours and workshops. We could not confirm a café.
• Museum Brandhorst (Cy Twombly, Warhol and contemporary art): Theresienstr. 35a. Open 10:00–18:00, Thursdays until 20:00, closed Mondays. Tram 27/28 to Pinakotheken, or U2 to Königsplatz or Theresienstraße. It has level access, lifts, a café (Café im Zebra) and family workshops.
• Alte Pinakothek and Pinakothek der Moderne: open 10:00–18:00 and closed Mondays. The Alte Pinakothek stays open until 20:00 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the Moderne until 20:00 on Thursdays. The café and shop at the Alte Pinakothek are barrier-free. The €1 on a Sunday covers all four museums inside the Pinakothek der Moderne building, according to Secret Munich’s guide.
• Glyptothek (ancient Greek and Roman sculpture): on Königsplatz, with a courtyard café.

We have not listed the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Archäologische Staatssammlung or Sammlung Schack in detail, because we could not confirm current hours and facilities for them. Sammlung Schack is open Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00 according to the Pinakotheken site.

A few practical tips

• Pick one museum per outing. Under 18s are free, but small legs are not.
• If you are visiting with a pram, ask or check before you go. None of the official pages we read said explicitly that strollers are fine, even where there are lifts and step-free entrances. The Palaeontological Museum says outright that it is not barrier-free.
• Looking for museums built for small children? See our guide to the best museums to visit with kids and the Children’s Museum.
• The Familienpass can save you money at paid museums.

We shared the original list on Instagram. Save this post for the next rainy weekend.

Quick answers

Which museums in Munich are always free?

According to the city of Munich's list, the Paläontologisches Museum, Geologisches Museum, NS-Dokumentationszentrum, Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke and Monacensia (exhibitions) are free, as is Lothringer 13 Halle during exhibitions. The main Münchner Stadtmuseum is closed for renovation, but its interim "What the City" show is free.

Are museums in Munich free for children?

Children and young people under 18 get in free at all the state museums on the €1 Sunday list, and also at the Lenbachhaus and Museum Villa Stuck, according to the city's page. Haus der Kunst is free for under-12s. Special exhibitions, workshops and tours can follow different rules.

Which museums cost €1 on Sundays?

The state museums, including the Alte Pinakothek, Pinakothek der Moderne, Museum Brandhorst, Sammlung Schack, Glyptothek, Egyptian Museum, Museum Fünf Kontinente and Bayerisches Nationalmuseum. The €1 mostly covers permanent exhibitions.

When are the free evenings?

Haus der Kunst Open Haus is free on the last Friday of the month, 16:00–22:00. The Lenbachhaus is free on the first Thursday, 18:00–22:00. Museum Villa Stuck's Friday Late is free on the first Friday, 18:00–22:00.