Museum Brandhorst in Munich: information on exhibitions, tours and café

Why the Museum Brandhorst is worth a visit:

The multi-colored facade consists of 36,000 ceramic rods that pick up the colors of the surrounding houses and is famous in Munich. But what's behind it?

What to see? At the Museum Brandhorst, visitors from all over the world can explore masterpieces of art from the 1960s to the present. The Brandhorst Collection houses more than 1,200 works by international artists from the 20th and 21st century. The collection and program of the museum stand for a profound engagement with individual artistic positions and an intensive examination of central issues in contemporary art.

What's special? Since its opening in 2009, the museum has established itself as one of the central places for contemporary art in Germany. The numerous artworks by Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly are particularly impressive.

Permanent exhibition: Cy Twombly

Europe's largest collection of works by Andy Warhol and the world's most extensive holdings of works by Cy Twombly are the cornerstones of the collection. Twombly's works shaped abstract expressionism and include paintings, drawings, photographs, and objects, large and small. What you should see:

• The 12 paintings from Cy Twombly's "Lepanto Cycle": The room in which the works are presented has been especially designed following the ideas of the artist. The monumental "Lepanto Cycle" (2001) is a major work of Cy Twombly. It consists of twelve paintings that are permanently exhibited in the "Lepanto room" at the Museum Brandhorst. Another highlight are Twombly's paintings with colorful rose motifs. The artist painted them in 2008 specifically for the Museum Brandhorst, so they fit exactly into their exhibiton room.
• The works of the neo-avant-garde: Further highlights include outstanding holdings of artists of the 1960s and 70s neo-avant-garde such as Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter or Bruce Nauman; the postmodernism of figures like Jeff Koons, Mike Kelley or Cady Noland; as well as groups of works by international contemporary painters such as Laura Owens, Jacqueline Humphries, Monika Baer or Wade Guyton. Temporary exhibitions on significant artistic positions complete the spectrum.

Guided tours, workshops and children's program

• Public guided tours in German and English exploring the current exhibitions as well as the permanent collection
• Private tours are avaliable for booking with for maximum of 15 or 25 (please book in advance)
• Educational tours for preschools, kindergartens, and schools
• A diverse art education program with various events for children and teenagers
• Pop-Up-Factory workshops for families to actively and creatively engage with art, exchange ideas about the exhibition and its relevance to societal issues
• PostcARTs and children's booklets invite young visitors to playfully explore the collection.

Architecture of the Museum Brandhorst

The Museum Brandhorst's colorful building was designed by Berlin architects Sauerbruch Hutton. With a facade made up of 36,000 ceramic bars in 23 different colors, it is a unique visual highlight located in the Kunstareal district in Munich. Inside, the museum's three exhibition areas are connected by a staircase covered in oak wood.

Museum café and book shop

After visiting the museum, you can take a break at the "Café im Zebra", which offers coffee, cake, snacks, and cold drinks.

The museum also houses the "Walther König" book shop, which specializes in art, photography, architecture, design, and aesthetic theory. The book shop offers a wide selection of international titles.

Ticket prices

• Regular: 7 euros
• Reduced: 5 euros
• Sundays: 1 euro

Admission is free for children and young people up to 18 years of age.

History of the Museum Brandhorst

Located in the heart of Munich's district Maxvorstadt, the Museum Brandhorst offers a unique atmosphere for engaging with art from 1960 to the present. International stars and young artists are united under one roof.

The Museum Brandhorst has its roots in the private collection of Anette and Udo Brandhorst. Transferred to a foundation in 1993, the collection was made accessible to the public with the opening of Museum Brandhorst in 2009 and has since been part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

The fruitful cooperation between the Free State of Bavaria and the Udo und Anette Brandhorst Stiftung continues. While the state guarantees the operation of the museum, the foundation enables the continuous expansion of the collection. Since the opening of the museum, the collection has almost doubled in size, from 700 to more than 1,200 works.