Very interesting museum, but its inside a small location. They did a good job packing it with…read moreinformation, but many of the exhibits require you to open doors or slides to get the descriptions. If its packed full of people, then it gets super awkward trying to look over people's shoulders, etc. But, the history is super fascinating, and the displays are a look into the life of a GDR citizen, which has disappeared once the wall came down. Cool stuff, but go on a less busy day to get the full vibe out of the place.

Open 9am to 9pm daily, 365 days a year, this museum is small but a fun, interactive and educational…read moreexperience featuring the history, culture, and daily lives of people during the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) (or in English--German Democratic Republic, GDR). I arrived on a Sunday evening around 7:30pm, and stayed almost until they closed at 9pm. That proved a good time to go since there were only about a dozen other visitors in the museum in that duration. Tickets are €13.50 for full price, €8.00 for discounted tickets for students, disabled, military in service or veterans, and recipients of certain unemployment benefits + 7% VAT. Kids under 6 are free. Tickets are available online or in person; when I was there, there wasn't a line. Inside the museum isn't large, kinda like the size of a large retail store. They really pack it in with tons of information about the life and times of people living during the East German socialist era. From providing background on the political shift post WWII, there's information on how social and economic policies affected everyday transactions--commuting to work, grocery store purchases, print/audio/film media, school courses and extracurriculars, vocations, community events and organizations, military service and leisure activities. They do this with a gamut of interactive displays--there are countless cupboards and drawers that can be opened to display descriptions and memorabilia from that era, or other hands-on elements. Anything from replicated excerpts of magazines and newspapers, recreated canned food labels, audio recordings of propaganda, history on the government officials, to the toys children used to play with, recipes for commonly eaten food, etc... The recreation of a DDR apartment with different rooms--foyer, living room, dining and kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, plus a couple full sized cars that you can sit in--really helps to rewind the clock for visitors to comprehend how life was like. Would definitely recommend a visit! I left feeling very creatively educated on DDR times. Gift shop and bathrooms are available. Parking is available via nearby structure, also reachable by public transit S/U-bahn, bus or tram.

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip. It offered a lot of information about Anne, her family, and other…read morepeople they knew. We loved that it was interactive. You could select photo panels that you felt were most important to display for visitors who come after you. We also loved the writing/drawing interactive prompts, prompting visitors to write letters to the future, make memorials, and report antisemitism. The audio provided in your native language in videos was very much appreciated, and it was helpful to use as you walked through. Multiple people could listen at once, or you could listen alone without bothering anyone else with the audio tool provided. I highly recommend visiting this museum for reflection on the stolen life of this child, Anne Frank, and to reflect on what is happening in our own countries and lives now.

Nice little museum hidden in an eclectic alleyway up on the third floor. The alleyway walls are…read morecovered with murals, with a lovely mural of Anne Frank in front of the museum entrance. Provides a timeline of Anne's life on one side with a timeline of happenings in Germany on the opposite wall. At the time of our visit, they had facsimiles of the diary and her baby book on loan from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. There are additional interactive displays, and a movie, if you have the extra time to spend. Admission is 5 Euros for adults. Note they do have a student rate, although the rate wasn't posted.

Free admission. Located in the old SS headquarters. Sections of the original Berlin Wall is here…read moreand you learn the history of the building and the horrific things that occurred during this time frame. This is a sad but educational museum. The hanging displays outside will take a good 2 hours to read and digest. Make sure to find the start and work your way forward, I started at the wrong end. Then after you finish outside go inside the museum to learn more. If you don't like to read, audio tours are available. I learned a lot about Siemens and VW involvement during this era. Shocking! Bathrooms: downstairs and very clean Facility: very clean We came in the winter, it was very cold so dress appropriately.

This is one of several museums in Berlin focusing on the history leading up to, during and post the…read moreHolocaust, World War II, the Nazi atrocities committed against Jews, minorities, LGBTQ and disabled peoples. The museum is located on land that used to be a former gestapo headquarters, along a long section of the Berlin Wall still standing in the city center, now outfitted with exhibits related to the museum as well. The interior of the museum consists of a chronological installation of the rise of Nazism, the both a subversive and swift movement that resulted in mass persecution, incarceration and annihilation of millions of people. They took a lot of care to include photos, images of documents, charts and diagrams of different elements of the Nazi movement, the main perpetrators of atrocities, while also highlighting the lives of those affected, suffering, and killed. The atmosphere inside was somber, though in a way hopeful--if you visit a location like this, (hopefully) you came to respect and learn, be saddened and moved by the past, and be compelled to stand for never again allowing this to happen.* It's terrific that this museum is open 10-8pm daily, and is free of charge. It shows commitment to being accessible and sharing this important story. Audio guides available in different languages. Almost all the displays were in both German and English. Bathrooms available downstairs, there is a library and education center downstairs as well. *I hope this also moves people to take a look at what's going on in the world thru different lenses and perspectives, as there are currently many injustices and oppressive practices less publicized by or more quickly cycled out of the American media. I hope this also prompts individuals to ask whether their own beliefs and actions could result in causing prejudice, hatred or mistreatment toward others not like themselves, and be more accepting of others.

My favorite museum on the island. It has the famous gates that are a must see. It sold out for…read morethe day and there was a line at opening so get your tickets ahead online and put them in your smartphone wallet. They have a nice cafe with some good cakes and pastries. I recommend packing a picnic since the food options are limited in the area.

This is the most popular museum on the island, but I was not bowled over considering the wait. BIG…read moreHINT reserve your ticket time slot ahead of time. Even if you buy a multi-pass you still have to reserve a time of visit. The big appeal is the Roman entryway/Courtyard and castle facade. Sometimes you have to see for yourself what all the hype is about. One of the wings is closed and some of the Greek sculptures are on display at a separate building.

The craziest and coolest thing we did in Berlin. Had no idea what to expect but the guide and his…read morestories were so interactive and funny that time flew by. It's unfortunate that we can't take pictures but these images are forever in my mind. If you're in Berlin and are looking for something not touristy and off the beaten path, this is a must!

Because what is Berlin about besides having a weird experience with a congenial host, a dark…read morebasement, and some crazy robot monsters? So much fun -- a real high point in our trip! We love the inventiveness, the ideas, the sense of being somewhere down a rabbit hole of creativity. A couple of notes - $10 euro, cash only, and the show times are now on the hour not the half-hour on the website.

This is, in my experience, one of the finest museums I've visited. Allocating a full day, with a…read morebreak for lunch/Mittagessen, is reasonable and advisable. Exhibit design is as good as the Metropolitan in NYC or the V&A in London. These designs convey information in a way that uses a museum experience in a way that distinguishes this form of knowledge transfer from simple reading, while avoiding being pedantic. The building is an architectural experience unto itself. BONUS free admission TIP We ate lunch at Umami Mitte, Friedrichstraße 30, 10969, https://umami-restaurants.de/, a few minutes away from the museum. It is very good to excellent, with pleasant outdoor tables, in appropriate weather.

This was a powerful, immersive, informative, interesting, and inspiring experience. I feel like the…read morebest way to tolerance is to learn. If you choose to ignore, you will continue to be ignorant. In these trying times in America and throughout the world it is important to learn from history and be aware so it doesn't repeat itself. While in Berlin we went to this museum to learn more about the Jewish diaspora in Germany. My knowledge of the Jewish experience is from the United States perspective and for me it was important to hear, read, and see the story from a country that played a significant part in the history of the Jewish people. The museum traces the history of the cultural, social, political, and influence of the Jewish people in Germany and throughout the world. It is not only a museum, it is an art gallery, and the architecture of the building is somewhat unassuming from the outside. Through photographs, religious objects, newspapers, letters, and artwork it is an immersive space that appeals to your humanity. From their progression throughout history to the persecution in the holocaust this museum is a powerful testament to the resilience of the Jewish people. With the the atrocities that they endured in Germany it is a strong reminder that we must be empathetic allies. My wife and I really appreciated this museum and feel like many should visit cultural museums wherever they may be.

We visited this museum on a recent trip to Berlin. This was my son's pick. He loves dinosaurs. This…read morewas one of the best dinosaur exhibits I have ever seen. Not only do they have like the longest dinosaur fossil in the world, but they have these amazing viewfinders that you look through and the dinosaurs come to life. You can see how the dinosaur moved and how it ate. It was really cool and my son was absolutely obsessed with it. They had this very weird room with animals in jars. I've never seen anything like it and I was a little bit grossed out by it but my kid thought it was cool. They also have the biggest collection of taxidermy that I've ever seen. I very much enjoyed the Exhibit on Darwin and natural selection. It was really fun to learn about zebra stripes. The space part of the museum was cool. And throughout the museum there were numerous panels in English but unfortunately, the video in the space portion was only in German so we didn't totally understand what we were watching. It was fun watching nonetheless. I don't expect everything to be in English. Overall, a great family friendly pick. We spent about 2-2.5 hours here and they do offer family ticket prices which were very reasonable.

OK, so three stars is going to seem a bit mean, given the dinosaur section is excellent and worth…read moreseeing by itself. But the rest needs a lot of investment to bring it into the 21st Century (by which I just mean better displays rather than tons of interactive stuff - though more educational interactive exhibits would be good). Anyway, the positives: the main dinosaur hall is the star attraction. It's dominated by the world's tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton (of a brachiosaur), surrounded by a smaller sauropod, a stegosaurus and an allosaur, along with a couple of smaller dinosaurs. There at also lots of smaller fossils, illustrating the rich biodiversity of life found by the Tendaguru Hill excavation in what is now Tanzania. Between 1909 and 1913, scientists of the Museum, led by palaeontologist Werner E. M. Janensch (1878-1969), found approximately 230 tonnes of bones - the most successful single dinosaur excavation of all time. However, many will come to see the small fossil in its own room at the rear of the hall - the best preserved Archaeopteryx anywhere. Throughout this section, the presentation is good, and in English as well as German. Around the corner - with a room to itself - is "Tristan", the Tyrannosaurus Rex, one of the best preserved tyrannosaur fossils - and impressively massive. After such a stunning start, the remainder of the Museum is a little disappointing. The huge mineral collection is presented in traditional Victorian-style glass cases, with virtually no interpretation, even in German. This is a huge pity as the collection itself is wonderful, but it's no good if you don't know what you're looking at. The evolution section (lots of stuffed animals) is a little better, but again rather old fashioned. The birds section is smaller but more modern and altogether nicer. The weirdest room is that with thousands of specimen jars - you simply walk around it, staring at the lifeless (and unlabelled) bodies of small animals floating in formaldehyde. It's all a bit macabre without being informative. Here and there you can see some of the scientific work going on, which is nice, and they do make an effort with talks and lectures. But there's no escaping the need for investment. The museum is easy to get to, with its own underground station and tram stop 250m away. There's a decent souvenir shop and rather small concession café - very busy when we went (and they'd run our of sandwiches by 2pm).

Overview: Great Egyptian exhibits, some interesting additional exhibits. If you love history or…read moremuseums, this is a must see in Berlin. Number one reason to visit the Neues Museum is the Egyptian exhibits including seeing the original Queen Nefertiti. Beyond the fantastic Egyptian exhibits, there are many additional excellent artifacts and exhibits including a German medieval gold hat (which was also a celestial calendar), a contemporaneous coin showing an image of Charlemagne, and much more. In some parts of the museum we encountered displays there were broken and displays that were simply empty. Time budget: 3-4 hours minimum Overall cleanliness: excellent Bathroom cleanliness: excellent WiFi: some areas had free WiFi, but it was spotty Unique gripe: At the Nefertiti exhibit, photographs near the exhibit were prohibited. Visitors had to stand about 20 to 25 feet away from the exhibit to take photos. Very odd. Misc: No water fountains or bottle filling stations.

Their website needs work. Maybe it is the English side that is bad, but the website makes it…read moredifficult to find the hours of this museum. The website was also very vague about the Pergamum Museum being closed for 10 years for renovations! This is located on Museum island in the heart of Berlin. We walked here on a freezing cold day. We did not have tickets before hand. We arrived to the main entrance and were told NO, we needed to buy tickets in the side entrance. So we walked to the side. We entered and we were told NO, go downstairs. So we went downstairs to the same door that is the main entrance but we had to go around? Who knows, just be prepared to be confused by the signs and the docents. There are three people at the counter. 1 is for information only. 2 is the tickets only. 3 is audio guide only. I can see in the peak of summer that reservations and pre-paid is a good idea. We waited in line for roughly 6 minutes before we purchased our tickets. They try to do the upsell, but the only museum we wanted to see the Pergamum museum is closed for 10 years for renovations! They were not happy that museum is closed as well. Coat check: There is a free coat check. The lady will give you a number and just return it to get your coat. This museum is worth the money and the visit. There is quite a lot of Egyptian art on display that it can be overwhelming. The highlight is Nefertiti bust. She is quite beautiful to look at, but the museum does not allow photos of close. You have to be in the hallway where it is very difficult to get a photo because all the tourists are stopping and staring at her. Here are 3 tips: 1. Use a camera with a telephoto lens to zoom in and capture her 2. Rest your iPhone on the sign to keep it steady to get a great photos 3. If you have a young child, have them go and stand next to her, the docents are really nice and will make the tourists stop to allow the parents to snap a photo of their child and that is your opportunity to get a good photo too. You also learn a great deal about the Copper, Bronze and other ages and history of Germany. Bathrooms: very clean and free

Such an incredible experience! Everyone visiting Berlin should experience an underground tour with…read morethis group. Martina was our tour guide for Tour M and she was engaging, knowledgeable, friendly and fun! She made the tour interesting and was happy to answer any and all questions. They offer a bunch of different tours which cover different topics/aspects "Underground Berlin". We chose Tour M because it focused on the history of the Berlin Wall which we were interested in knowing more about, but there are other tours available that focus on other aspects, such as bunkers, WWII, etc. Be sure to read through what's available before you schedule your tour to ensure that you're signed up for the topic that interests you most. My husband and I had very little knowledge of the Berlin Wall and the history behind it prior to this tour. We left feeling incredibly informed yet hunger for more knowledge! Martina recommended a few movies and documentaries to watch for more information about the wall and we fully intend to watch them when we get back home. Thanks for an interesting and enjoyable experience! Next time we're in Berlin, we'll come back to experience a different tour with you.

A country with so much history and interesting past the Berliner Wunterwelten is a must see. You…read morewalk below the streets and underground with many steps to a place that seems like it was back in time. I was wearing shorts and a small long sleeve which really didn't make me feel comfortable because this place is seriously seriously cold. I asked the guide if it gets any hotter in the summer time and he says it stays this cool. So be warned bring a jacket when you come here because the whole tour is literally under the streets of Berlin! The guide we got was not from Germany but from another country and spoke English quite well. The place is filled with many cool things to see and also the glow in the dark room is pretty awesome. I didn't even know they invented that kind of thng so long ago! Very factual tour and with many photos and items that are from that time period. Yes we aren't allowed to take pictures soo they can keep all these items for the next generation! I'm glad I actually went to this place and got to listen to this tour. It is a little bit long but if you have time check this place out, I really loved it and you probably will if you want to see what would happen if the bunkers.

The Eastside Gallery is a MUST STOP when visiting the Hauptstadt Berlin…read more If only to come see the mural "My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love" by Dmitri Vrubel. Recently, Berlin foodie stop Curry 61 did a funny parody, see photos. This section of the former Berlin Wall, has over a hundred mural on this lone remaining section on Mühlenstraße along the Spree River.

East Side Gallery is not really what is commonly thought of as an, "Art Gallery." What it is, is a…read morelong section of wall where various artist exhibit their work by creating one of their pieces on the wall. Yes, it is a little bit strange. East Side Gallery is a really a very long wall. There are a lot of artists that have their work showing on this wall. Just like beauty in in the eye of the beholder, so is art. Some of the work along this wall is very good. Others, not so much. All this being said, it is an interesting concept. And, it is something that you should see if you are in Berlin. Just don't get your hopes up to experience something truly revolutionary or cutting edge. Remember, it's just a wall with a bunch of paintings on it.