The underground mine
A full-size coal and salt mine rebuilt in the basement, whose dark tunnels you walk through among original equipment — the museum's best-known section and the one children remember.
Burkhard Mücke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wilfredor — CC0 · Szekrényesy Réka — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wilfredor — CC0
Three hours is a sensible minimum and a full day if you are genuinely interested. The museum is so large that trying to see all of it means rushing past everything and taking in nothing — pick three sections and give them proper time.
Yes — it is one of the best things in Munich for families. Many exhibits work by pressing a button or pulling a lever, and the mine and the lightning show hold children completely. There is also a dedicated children's section where everything may be touched.
Not on an ordinary weekday, though booking online saves queueing at weekends and in the school holidays. The planetarium and the mine tour have limited slots, booked inside the museum on the day.
The museum has been renovating in phases for years, and wings open and close in turn. Do not rely on an old guidebook or article: open the exhibitions page on the official site the day before and confirm that the section you are coming for is open.
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The Deutsches Museum in Munich is the largest science and technology museum in the world, occupying an entire island in the river Isar. The engineer Oskar von Miller founded it in 1903 on an idea that was radical at the time: that a machine should be shown open, so a visitor can understand how it works, rather than sealed behind glass. That is why the museum is still full of buttons, levers and models that move when you operate them yourself. The collection runs from coal mining to spaceflight: a full mine rebuilt underground whose tunnels you walk through, an aviation hall with original aircraft hanging from the ceiling, and ships, engines, musical instruments and astronomical instruments besides. Its most famous set piece is the high-voltage demonstration, in which artificial lightning is discharged inside a Faraday cage in front of the audience — it runs daily at posted times and is worth planning your visit around. The museum has been working through a long, phased renovation, so whole wings may be closed on the day you come; check the official site before setting out. One day would not be enough in any case: pick three or four sections that genuinely interest you rather than trying to see everything and leaving with nothing.
A full-size coal and salt mine rebuilt in the basement, whose dark tunnels you walk through among original equipment — the museum's best-known section and the one children remember.
Artificial lightning discharged inside a Faraday cage with a live commentary — short, loud, repeated daily, and the best thing to open your visit with.
Original aircraft hung from the ceiling and engines cut open to show their insides, from the earliest gliders to jet fighters.
Astronomy shows under the museum's dome for a small extra ticket — book your slot as you arrive, since seats are limited.
Museumsinsel 1, 80538 München