Everyday life is getting more and more expensive, and when we have to dig deep into our pockets even for our free time, we sometimes lose the desire to go out and do things. That makes it all the more wonderful when the capital offers free activities that still let us experience a whole lot. That’s exactly why Museum Sunday was a particularly popular tradition for many Berliners. But at the end of 2024, this free cultural offering was discontinued due to budget cuts. After a hiatus of nearly two years, there’s finally some good news: the popular Museum Sunday could be returning to Berlin! This means that art and culture enthusiasts can once again look forward to free museum visits.
The exploratory paper by The Left, the Greens, and the SPD—which serves as the basis for potential coalition negotiations—calls for the reintroduction of Museum Sunday. According to the plan, there will be 16 free Museum Sundays per year. However, a final decision on its return has yet to be made. As early as this coming Sunday, October 25, 2026, Berliners can look forward to a preview. Four museums in the southwest of the capital will open their doors for free on that day and will also offer various workshops and events. With this joint initiative, the institutions aim to signal the return of the popular “Museum Sunday.”
For several years, Museum Sunday was one of the capital’s most popular cultural offerings. The program allowed visitors to explore numerous Berlin museums regularly and free of charge. The goal was to make art and culture accessible regardless of financial means and to appeal in particular to people who normally visit museums only rarely, if at all.
During its three-year run, a total of 42 free Museum Sundays took place, with 81 Berlin museums participating. More than 2.2 million people took advantage of the offer. The participating institutions recorded a 35 percent increase in visitors on these days. According to the organizers, the initiative also succeeded in reaching many people who had not previously been regular museum visitors. Despite this success, the project had to be discontinued at the end of 2024. This was due to extensive cuts in Berlin’s cultural budget, which led the state of Berlin to end its financial support for Museum Sunday. As a result, one of the capital’s best-known free cultural offerings disappeared.
While the political decision on a permanent return is still pending, four museums in southwest Berlin are already setting an example. On Sunday, October 25, 2026, the Haus am Waldsee, the Kunsthaus Dahlem, the Georg Kolbe Museum, and the Brücke Museum are inviting the public to a joint free museum day.
The Haus am Waldsee in Zehlendorf will open its doors from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with free admission. In addition to the exhibitions, visitors can look forward to an open creative workshop from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., in which children, families, and anyone else interested can participate without prior registration. The Kunsthaus Dahlem is also participating in the event and offering free admission to its exhibitions from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. On display are works by Eva Frankfurther, Antonio Peña, and Ruth Maria Linde-Heiliger, among others. Additionally, a matinee celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Bernhard-Heiliger Foundation will take place at 11 a.m.
At the Georg Kolbe Museum, visitors can explore the “everybody” exhibition for free. In addition, a public exhibition tour will be offered at 2 p.m. and a garden tour at 3:30 p.m. An open art workshop will also take place between 2 and 5 p.m. The Brücke Museum in Dahlem is also participating in the event and offering free admission. The museum focuses in particular on German Expressionism and houses significant works by the “Brücke” artist group.
