A grandiose slab of Fascist neoclassicism, complete with an enormous colonnade, the House of the Arts was opened by Hitler in 1937 under the name ‘House of German Art (Haus der Deutschen Kunst)’: today, it celebrates the exact type of work the Nazis condemned as degenerate. With an ever-changing range of exhibitions, many running simultaneously, it’s not a common stop on Munich tours, but you can discover it by bike, on a Segway, hop-on hop-off bus, or on a World War II history tour.
The museum generally hosts multiple exhibitions concurrently. You can buy tickets that cover all exhibitions online, but you’ll need to purchase tickets for individual exhibitions in-house. Students and school children enjoy discounted rates, while art students, refugees, and children under 12 go free.
As well as exhibitions, the museum has a dynamic calendar of events, from artist talks to live music.
The Haus der Kunst is wheelchair-friendly, with entry via a ramp, elevator access to all floors, and wheelchair-accessible restrooms on the ground floor. There are two accessible parking spaces.
The House of the Arts (Haus der Kunst) stands proud at the southern end of the English Garden (Englischer Garten) in central Munich. Bus #100, known as the museum line, stops at the door: catch it from a range of museums, or Odeonsplatz on U-Bahn (subway) lines U3, U4, U5, and U6. The nearest U-Bahn, Lehel (U4 and U5), is a 10-minute walk away. You can also visit by hop-on hop-off bus.
The Haus der Kunst is closed on Tuesdays and open 10am–10pm on Thursdays; on other days, it operates 10am–8pm. Admission is free from 4–10pm on the last Friday of the month when there are also often special events. The Golden Bar opens Wednesday to Saturday, 12pm–2am, 1–8pm on Sundays, 1–10pm on public holidays, and 12–8pm on Mondays.
The Golden Bar in the House of the Arts is a heritage 1930s space, lined with gorgeous maps hand-painted on gold leaf restored in 2003. It serves lunch, coffee, and cake by day and transforms into an award-winning bar at night: you don’t need to pay to enter the museum to sip a craft cocktail or two.
