Botanisches Museum (Botanical Museum)

The permanent exhibition in the Botanical Museum is closed until 2025 due to renovation work.

The Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem teaches you exciting facts about the world of plants. Explore parts of the original collection of Alexander Wilhelm von Humboldt and vegetable grave goods of the Egyptian Pharaohs. Especially worth seeing is the glass laboratory with its miniature biospheres where the larger botanical context is graphically represented. The Museum complements the surrounding 43 hectares of botanical gardens.

Nature and history in the Botanical Museum

The very first botanical garden of Berlin is actually the fruit and kitchen garden of the City Palace. In the 17th century, a kitchen garden is created in the Schöneberg district, becoming part of the Friedrich-Wilhelms University. This has evolved into the Botanical Garden. In 1880, the Herbarium presents its first exhibition. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Berlin Botanical Garden is relocated to Dahlem. Its counterpart, the Botanical Museum, opens its doors to the inquisitive in 1905. It relies on the work of scholar Alexander von Humboldt, who has collected more than 60,000 plants on research trips. Post war reconstruction happens in the 1980s, and the incorporation of the free University House in 1996 leads to the building's present state. The Botanical Museum demonstrates the detailed construction of plants and history of flora. You can find out about the role crops play in the development of people. Highlights include Egyptian grave goods collected by Alexander Humboldt: flower garlands and flowers from the tombs of the Pharaohs Ramses II, Ahmoses and Amenhotep II and the Princess Nes-Chonsu. The collection is the largest of its kind outside Egypt. See enlargements of parts of plants and miniature models. Microscopic specimens become giant and an entire forest is compressed into a moving box. Discover how the climate affects the shape of plants, and delve into current research in the glass laboratory.

Highlights at the Botanical Museum

• large flower room filled with cabinets and light panels
• comprehensible models of plants and their habitats
• original Egyptian Pharaoh grave goods
• seed bank and herbarium
• glass laboratory

Our tips for activities in the vicinity

In addition to the Botanical Museum, the Botanical Garden is very worth seeing. With innumerable plant species, it is the largest in all of Germany. Walk through the Arboretum and visit the magnificent greenhouses from the Imperial period. The Rittergut (Manor House) at Domäne Dahlem is agricultural land for over 800 years and has, since the 1970s, been host to the Agricultural History Museum. The Museum of European Cultures on Arnimallee presents a colourful collection of exhibits of everyday culture. Whether music, art or local cuisine - the collection offers unusual insights into the lives of the people of Europe. You can also visit the Schwartzsche Villa at Rathaus Steglitz and experience concerts, exhibitions or lectures. The Brücke-Museum displays over 400 expressionist works of art by painters such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.

Your visit at the Botanischen Museum

You can reach the Botanical Museum via the stations Dahlem-Dorf, Rathaus Steglitz and Podbielskiallee. These are operated by U3 and U9 lines. Arrive promptly on the S1 at stops Rathaus Steglitz and Botanischer Garten. Directly in front of the Museum are the M48, X buses 83 and 101 bus stops. Groups of over 12 persons receive a discount. Children under 6 years old can enter free of charge, as can those with a Museum Pass. In summer, admission is half price. School classes also enjoy free admission.

Opening hours