Hamburg Museums

Many of Hamburg’s finest museums are located along the Kunstmeile, running from from the Alster Lakes to the Elbe. The Hamburg Card provides discounted admission to most museums. With new galleries populating many neighborhoods, Hamburg’s contemporary art scene is currently thriving—pick up a list of current gallery exhibits at any tourist office. The free newspaper Museumswelt Hamburg, available at tourist offices, lists museum exhibitions and events. Unless specified, museums are closed on Mondays and open 10am-6pm the rest of the week, and until 9pm on Thursdays.

 Museum Für Kunst Und Gewerbe (Museum Of Art And Industry).  The exhibitions at Hamburg’s applied arts museum span nations and centuries as a bridge between cultures and a monument to the lost art of exquisite craftsmanship. A huge exhibit containing over 430 historical keyboard instruments including harpsichords, clavichords, and hammer-klaviers illustrates the development of the modern piano, while another exhibit views history through the lens of porcelain. The museum also has an extensive photography collection, an impressive Art Nouveau display, and a treasure trove of antique gold jewelry. (Steintorpl. 1. 1 block south of the Hauptbahnhof. ☎040 42 81 34; www.mkg-hamburg.de. €8; students, Hamburg Card holders, and seniors €5; under 18 free.)

 Hamburger Kunsthalle (Hall Of Art).  It would take days to fully appreciate this expansive art museum, regarded as one of the finest in Germany. Luckily, the collection is logically organized into chronological categories: Old Masters and 19th-century work on the upper levels, prints and drawings downstairs, and an adjoining four-story contemporary art collection in the adjacent Galerie der Gegenwart just through the museum shop and marble-pillared cafe. Highlights include a set of medieval altars, works by 17th-century Dutch painters including a number of Rembrandts, the dynamic new media wing, and a large Impressionist gallery. The impressive rotating temporary exhibits in the Galerie der Gegenwart should not be missed. (Glockengießerwall. Turn right from the “Spitalerstr./City” exit of the Hauptbahnhof and cross the street. ☎040 428 13 12 00; www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de. €8.50, students €5, families €14.)

Deichtorhallen Hamburg. Hamburg’s contemporary art scene thrives inside these two hangar-sized former fruit markets, which house rotating photography, paintings, and sculpture and film installations. Each season brings new exhibits to the vaulted halls. Though both are worth the trip, the south hall features photography while the north hall divides its attention among several creative media, taking advantage of the phenomenal space for installations. (Deichtorstr. 1-2. U1 to “Steinstr.” Follow signs from the U-Bahn station. ☎040 32 10 30; www.deichtorhallen.de. Open Tu-Su 11am-6pm. Each building €7, students €5, families €9.50. Combination ticket to both halls €12/8/16.50. Combined ticket €4.50 Tu after 4pm. Under 18 free.)

Hamburger Museum Für Völkerkunde (Ethnography Museum).  From African masks to an entire Maori house, this museum of world cultures is an anthropologist’s paradise. The exhibit on nationalism and the creation of a European culture is especially interesting in light of contemporary European politics. Along with impressive English documentation, the museum’s geographic and thematic organization makes browsing a breeze. (Rothenbaumchaussee 64. U1 to “Hallerstr.” ☎01805 30 88 88, €0.12 per min.; www.voelkerkundemuseum.com. €7, with Hamburg Card €3, students €3.50, under 18 free. Open Tu-Su 10am-5pm.)

Museum Für Hamburgische Geschichte (History Museum).  On the edge of the Große Wallanlagen gardens near St. Pauli, this four-story complex provides a thorough, well-translated overview of Hamburg’s history. The museum features everything from the largest model train display in Western Europe to time-capsule rooms with authentic 1950s furniture to the side of a ship open for exploring. (Holstenwall 24. U3 to “St. Pauli.” ☎040 4281 32 23 80. €7.50, with Hamburg Card €5, students €4, families €12. F €4, families €6. Open Tu-Su 10am-5pm.)

Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg. This small museum revels in all things tiny. On the fourth floor of a warehouse in the Speicherstadt, a 9000m model railroad winds its way through miniature versions of Hamburg, the Alps, Scandinavia, and America, complete with centimeter-high people and more than 700 trains. See if you can spot the UFO hovering during the realistic night simulations or Superman saving a car on its way off of a cliff. Go early on sunny days to avoid the hordes of children. (Kehrwieder 2, Block D. U3 to “Baumwall”; cross the left of the 2 bridges (Niederbaumbrücke), turn left on Kehrwieder, and walk 1 block. ☎040 30 05 15 55; www.miniatur-wunderland.de. Open M and W-F 9:30am-6pm, Tu 9:30am-9pm, Sa 8am-9pm, Su and holidays 8:30am-8pm. €10, under 16 €5, children under 1m tall free with adult.)