Dresden Museums

(Dresden, Saxony, Germany)

Culture lovers will not be disappointed by the venues and museums on offer in Dresden, with all manner of topics and categories covered within the city's 30+ museums. Documenting much of Dresden's history and growth, the City Museum (Stadtmuseum) is often of interest, while those with a love of music, a visit to the highly acclaimed Richard Wagner Museum will be money well spent.

If you are fortunate to time your visit with the annual Dresden Museum Summer Night you are in for a treat, since all of the city's main museums and grand buildings feature guided tours and a host of lively events, which have been known to last all night long. Dresden's top museums are displayed here.

Museum of Military History (Militärhistorisches Museum)

Address: Olbrichtplatz 3, Albertstadt, Dresden, D-01099, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0351 8 2388
Full of military interest and offering an insight into the Germany army, the Dresden Museum of Military History contains many noteworthy collections. Highlights include displays of uniforms, cabinets of important medals, a historic canon and a number of photographs.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

City Museum (Stadtmuseum)

Address: Wilsdruffer Strasse 2, Dresden, D-01067, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0351 498 660
While the building that currently houses this museum is less than 50 years old, the structure is in fact a reconstruction of a building dating to the mid-17th century. The original building was used as a government headquarters in Dresden, before it was destroyed by air raids in WWII. The City Museum within the current building gives visitors an insight into the city's growth and development, and features artefacts relating to the firebombing campaign that occurred at the end of the war.
Open hours: Saturday to Thursday - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge

Maths and Physics Museum (Mathematisch Physikalischer Salon)

Address: Ostra-Allee and Sophienstrasse, Zwinger, Dresden, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0351 491 4619
Located within the Zwinger, the Dresden Maths and Physics Museum is home to a collection of exhibits that focus on the physical sciences and their development in civilised times. A 16th-century planetary clock and a 13th-century globe are amongst the more notable exhibits in this intriguing Dresden museum, while a variety of other objects introduce visitors to educational and historical aspects of scientific development.
Open hours: Friday to Wednesday - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge

Richard Wagner Museum

Address: Richard-Wagner-Strasse 6, Graupa, Dresden, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0351 482 29
Wagner is undoubtedly one of the greatest musicians and composers ever to have come out of Germany, and tribute is paid to his genius at Dresden's fascinating Richard Wagner Museum, which features a variety of exhibits related to his life and works. Of particular interest, the building was used as a residence by the composer himself, at the time he wrote the famous opera Lohengrin. The majority of the museum's exhibits are related to the period in the 19th century when Richard Wagner was the official court composer for the city.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge

Museum of Transport (Verkehrsmuseum)

Address: Augustusstrasse 1, Innere Altstadt, Dresden, D-01067, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0351 8 6440
Famed as much for its grand architecture as its endless exhibits of various cars and other vehicles, the Dresden Museum of Transport is housed within the old royal stables building. Known locally as the Verkehrsmuseum and dating back to 1877, expect to see steam trains, historic trams, motorcycles, displays relating to the aviation industry, and many valuable cars.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Museum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde)

Address: Augustusstrasse 2, Innere Altstadt, Dresden, D-01067, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0351 495 2503
This natural history museum is home to many important collections of stuffed animals, which are often displayed in naturalistic recreations of their habitats. Various exhibits will be sure to grab your attention as you find you way around the museum's display cabinets, including fossils and other glimpses into the past. The Dresden Museum of Zoology can be found within the city's Old Town quarter.
Open hours: Wednesday to Monday - 09:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge