Stuttgart Museums

(Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)

Museums in Stuttgart tend to embrace more diversities than in most major European cities, from the Roman beginnings of occupation here through the city's medieval and later history to modern times.

With motor manufacturing a major factor in the city's economy, it's not surprising that two museums to the iconic Porsche and Mercedes-Benz cars are here, both in spectacular contemporary structures. Families in Stuttgart may like to pay a visit to the city's Natural History Museum, which is to be found in the Royal Gardens, housed within the magnificent Schloss Rosenstein (Rosenstein Palace).

Mercedes-Benz Museum

Address: Mercedesstrasse 100, Stuttgart, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0711 173 000
Sited in a stunning and stylish structure, this fascinating museum celebrates the Mercedes-Benz company's famous product with its history, exhibitions, guided tours, and everything you always wanted to know about these cars. The Mercedes-Benz Museum is located approximately 2 km / 1.5 miles to the east of the Neckar River and clearly documents the evolution of this upmarket car manufacturer, from the days when Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler first met and established their world-famous partnership.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge

Landesmuseum Wurttemberg (Wurttemberg State Museum)

Address: Altes Schloss, Schillerplatz 6, Stuttgart, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0711 793 400
This notable museum was opened in 1862 and holds artefacts dating back to the Stone Age and on to the present day. The Wurttemberg's magnificent collections have been augmented by donations from the state's first families and include the contents of the former Museum of Decorative Arts, as well as information about the Wurttemberg crown jewels. Look out for the tiny flute made from a swan's bone, which is believed to date back more than 35,000 years.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Museum der Alltagskultur (Museum of Popular Culture / Daily Life)

Address: Schloss Waldenbuch (Waldenbuch Palace), Waldenbuch, Stuttgart, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0711 895 35111
Half an hour's drive from the city centre brings you to another fine castle, the Schloss Waldenbuch, which is today home to the Museum of Popular Culture. Visitors can glimpse the lives of local people from hundreds of years ago, through the Industrial Revolution up to the present day. Local German folklore is very much celebrated here.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge

Porsche Museum

Address: Porscheplatz, Stuttgart, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 01805 356 911
Even if you're not into the cars, this futuristic structure is a must-see. Opened in 2008, the museum displays over 80 classic Porsches, together with the history of the car's design and manufacture, and also has a workshop which can be visited. This celebration of Porsches is easy to reach by public transport, using the S-Bahn (S6 line) to Neuwirtshaus.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge

Instrumenten Museum (Musical Instrument Museum)

Address: Schillerplatz 1, Stuttgart, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0711 279 3400
Located on the Schillerplatz and just across from the Schlossplatz is the Musical Instrument Museum, which stands alongside the Stiftskirche. This attraction resides within the former wine depot known as the Stiftsfruchtkasten (Storehouse) and houses an array of musical instruments, as well as a historical Wurlitzer, phonographs and old-fashioned wireless radios.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Gottlieb Daimler Memorial Site

Address: Taubenheimerstrasse 13, Cannstatt, Stuttgart, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0711 569 399
Stuttgart's industrial involvement with car manufactures is well documented, but this tiny garden workshop is where it all began. For a few years after he moved his family to Cannstatt, Herr Daimler developed the world's first motorcycle and motorboat here. Drawings, documents, models and old photos are all here at this important piece of automobile history.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: free

Linden Museum

Address: Hegelplatz 1, Stuttgart, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0711 202 2456
The recently refurbished Linden Museum focuses on the culture and history of Africa, Asia and South America, through a myriad of indigenous artefacts and treasures. Exhibitions concentrate on North America and its native tribes of Hidatsa and Mandan people, the development of Far Eastern art in both China and Japan, and the Islamic Orient, introducing the arts from the regions of Pakistan to the Near East.
Open hours: Tuesday, Thursday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00, Wednesday - 10:00 to 20:00
Admission: charge

State Natural History Museum / Schloss Rosenstein

Address: Schloss Rosenstein, Rosenstein 1, Stuttgart, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0711 202 2456
The State Natural History Museum at the Schloss Rosenstein tells the story of evolution and recreates a host of natural environments. Highlights also include some impressive fossils, a large collection of insects and butterflies, and a huge skeleton of a Sei whale, measuring some 13 metres / 43 feet in length.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children