Top 15 Free Museums in Berlin to Visit

Top 15 Free Museums in Berlin to Visit

A favourite way to spend a Sunday in Berlin is to visit a museum, as it’s one of the few things that is open.

I’ve marked a few of these free museums as “must-see” or “highly recommended”. The rest? They’re great options, so you can decide based on your interests and how much time you have in your itinerary.

1. Topography of Terror (Topographie des Terrors)

Located on the site of former Nazi headquarters, this museum offers deeply informative exhibits on the SS and Gestapo, with displays detailing Nazi terror tactics. It’s an impactful way to understand Germany’s complex past​.

• 📍 Niederkirchnerstraße 8
• Monday to Sunday from 10 AM to 8 PM
• Expect to spend 3-5 hours (it includes an outdoor and indoor exhibit)
• 💻 Topography of Terror
• ⭐⭐Must-see

2. Kulturbrauerei Museum

Housed in a former brewery, this museum offers a fascinating glimpse into East German daily life under socialism, with exhibits covering everything from work culture to fashion and leisure.

• 📍 Knaackstraße 97
• Tuesday to Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM, Weekends from 10 AM to 6 PM
• Expect to spend 1.5 – 2 hours
• 💻 Kulturbrauerei
• ⭐Highly recommended

3. Allied Museum

This museum commemorates the Allied forces’ presence in Berlin during the Cold War, with exhibits like a British plane and remnants of Berlin Wall crossings, showcasing the city’s divided past​.

• 📍 Clayallee 135
• Tuesday to Sunday from 9 AM to 6 PM
• Expect to spend 1 hour
• 💻Allied Museum

4. Palace of Tears (Tränenpalast)

This historic departure hall near Friedrichstraße Station tells stories of the emotional goodbyes during Berlin’s division, providing a moving experience of the Cold War era​.

I found this fascinating as I crossed this border as an international student in 1988 from West Berlin to East Berlin. Seeing the signs, the border officer booth and the photos brought a lot of those memories back.

• 📍 Niederkirchnerstraße 8
• 🕝 Tuesday to Friday from 9 AM to 7 PM, Weekends 10 AM to 6 PM
• Expect to spend 1-2 hours
• 💻 Palace of Tears
• ⭐Highly recommended

5. Berlin Wall Memorial (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer)

Stretching along Bernauer Strasse, this memorial provides an authentic look at the Berlin Wall, including preserved sections, a watchtower, and a memorial.

The longest portion of the Berlin Wall still intact is the East Side Gallery, a 1.5 km open-air art mural.

• 📍 Bernauer Str. (1.3 km between Gartenstraße and Brunnenstraße)
• Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM (Visitor’s Centre) which includes access to the Observation Tower | The outside open-air museum is open 24/7 (note: guided tours are €3.50)
• Expect to spend 2 to 2.5 hours
• 💻 Visitor Centre for Berlin Wall Memorial
• ⭐Highly recommended

6. Jewish Museum

Known for its unique architecture and thought-provoking exhibits, the museum explores Jewish history and culture in Germany, offering free access to its gardens and exhibitions in the Glass Courtyard.

• 📍 Lindenstraße 9-14
• Monday to Sunday from 10 AM to 7 PM
• Expect to spend 3 hours
• 💻 Jewish Museum
• ⭐⭐Must-see

7. Humbolt Forum

Located in the Berlin Palace, this cultural venue offers free exhibitions that showcase global artifacts, cultural histories, and contemporary perspectives. I thoroughly enjoyed the short animated movie of the reconstruction of the Berlin Palace which gives a great visual overview of Berlin’s history over the centuries.

• 📍 Schloßpl. 1
• Open Daily from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM, except Tuesday
• Expect to spend 1-1.5 hours
• 💻 Humbolt Forum
• Traveller’s tip: for 3 euros you can visit the rooftop deck of the Humbolt Forum which offers great city views. It also has a large gift shop for those keen on shopping for Berlin souvenirs.

8. CheckPoint Charlie

Although the main museum charges, the iconic checkpoint itself and its open-air exhibits are free to explore. It offers a look at the tense border crossing during the Cold War, with markers and signs that highlight historical details. Read more about why Checkpoint Charlie is a popular site to visit.

Even though this is a very touristy thing to see, I wanted to return to the border crossing that I took as a teenager in 1988, a year before the wall came down.

• 📍 Friedrichstraße 43-45
• Open daily 24/7
• Expect to spend 1 hour
• 💻 Berlin Tourism

9. German Cathedral (Deutscher Dom)

Located in Gendarmenmarkt, the German Cathedral houses exhibitions on Germany’s parliamentary history, making it ideal for history buffs interested in democracy’s evolution in Germany (note this is in Germany only).

• 📍 Gendarmenmarkt 1-2
• Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM
• Expect to spend 1 hour
• 💻 Deutscher Dom 
• Traveller’s tip: the notable Gendarmenmarkt square is under construction, although you can still visit it

10. Abguss-Sammlung Antiker Plastik

Abguss-Sammlung Antiker Plastik houses meticulously crafted plaster replicas of Greek and Roman sculptures. If you love a peaceful environment and looking for something to do when you are visiting Charlottenburg Palace these works of art of classical antiquity are your best bet.

• 📍 Schloßstraße 69 b
• 🕝 Thursday to Sunday from 2 PM to 5 PM
• Expect to spend less than an hour
• 💻 Abguss-Sammlung Antiker Plastik

11. Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Museum in Villa Oppenheim

Located in Villa Oppenheim, this small museum focuses on the local history of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district with rotating exhibits (in German only).

• 📍 Schloßstraße 55
• Tuesday to Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM
• Expect to spend less than an hour
• 💻 Villa Oppenheim

12. Berlin Karlshorst Musum

Located in the former German-Russian Museum, this site commemorates WWII’s end, focusing on the German surrender and Soviet relations with Berlin. Its exhibits include unique military artifacts and multilingual displays.

• 📍 Zwieseler Straße 4
• Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM
• Expect to spend less than an hour (note: audio guide is €3)
• 💻 Berlin-Karlshorst Museum

13. Nazi Forced Labour Documentation Center (Dokumentationszentrum NS-Zwangsarbeit)

This museum sheds light on the forced labour system under the Nazi regime. Expect to learn about the lives and experiences of the millions of people who were forced to work for the Nazi war machine.

• 📍Britzer Straße 5
• Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM
• Expect to spend less than an hour
• 💻 Dokumentationszentrum NS-Zwangsarbeit

14. Kunstraum Kreuzberg

First a hospital, then a popular squat in the ‘70s, and now a cultural forum and contemporary art space. The exhibits here change frequently and there are ongoing events.

• 📍Mariannenplatz 2
• Sunday to Wednesday from 10 AM to 8 PM and Thursday to Saturday from 10 AM to 10 PM
• Expect to spend an hour
• 💻 Kunstraum Kreuzberg

15. Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial

Just outside Berlin, this former concentration camp serves as a moving memorial to Holocaust victims. You can explore preserved buildings and memorial exhibitions, which offer an intense look at Nazi-era atrocities​.

• 📍Straße der Nationen 22, D-16515 Oranienburg
• Daily from 8:30 AM to 5 PM
• Expect to spend 2 hours
• 💻 Sachsenhausen – recommend visiting the website for summer, winter and holiday hour changes and booking guided tours

Free Berlin Museums on Sundays

On the first Sunday of each month, Berlin offers free admission to many of its museums.

I highly recommend taking advantage of the world-class museums found on Museum Island, such as the Altes Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Neues Museum, James Simon Gallery and Bode Museum.

Other museums that open their doors for free on the first Sunday of the month that I recommend include:

• Bröhan Museum
• German Historical Museum
• Hamburger Bahnhof
• Natural History Museum
• Neue Nationalgalerie
• Pergamon Panorama

For travellers keen to maximize their experience, the Berlin Welcome Card is worth considering—it provides discounts on paid museum entries, plus unlimited public transportation, so you can easily hop between sites.