The Deutsches Museum is one of the largest science museums in the world. The cultural institution sits on an island in the River Isar and is home to a collection of more than 100,000 items in 50 exhibition areas across eight floors.
The famous electrical engineer Oskar von Miller opened the museum in 1925 after 20 years of planning. Today the museum’s exhibits cover a range of scientific themes, from energy and transportation to music and robotics. The museum takes pride in presenting the displays in a modern and interactive way.
One of the most popular features in the Deutsches Museum is the Wright brothers’ first motorised aircraft. Marvel at the plane that led the way in the development of air travel. Explore other important markers in the history of technology, such as the first program-controlled computer. Gaze along one of the largest exhibits in the museum, the Submarine U1, which is 42 metres (137.8 feet) long.
Music fans will enjoy the musical instrument display on the first floor. See replicas of a lur from the Bronze Age and learn about modern synthesisers. Marvel at the large assembly of pianos. You can take the kids to play with educational and fun exhibits in the children’s area.
See the high-voltage machine in the energy exhibition that’s used to demonstrate how currents and pulses work. Watch the spectacular show put on twice a day, where museum staff members enter a Faraday Cage, an enclosure made of material that conducts electricity, and withstand 270,000 volts of electricity. Visitors who have pacemakers should avoid certain areas. Check the museum’s official website for details.
Purchase books, postcards and other memorabilia on the theme of science and technology from the gift shop. Take a break at one of the site’s cafés.
You can easily get to the Deutsches Museum by streetcar from the centre of Munich. The museum is open daily except on some public holidays. There is a fee for admission.
