On the Sachsenhausen stretch of the main embankment there are 16 museums that were renovated or built from scratch between 1980 and 1990 by acclaimed architects. The Städel Institute of Art, the German Film Museum, the Museum for Applied Arts, the Museum of Ethnology and the Communications Museum are particularly highly regarded. On Römerberg square there is also the Schirn Kunsthalle, one of Europe's leading art galleries.Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural Museum
Dinosaurs may have brought fame to the Senckenberg Museum, its logo is a triceratops, but the museum has lots more to offer. As well as reptiles, birds and fish, there are Egyptian mummies and fluorescent gems to be seen. During opening hours the museum's cinema shows a range of short films about subjects covered by the museum. The permanent exhibition is augmented by special exhibitions, regular talks, guided tours, lectures and research reports. The museum is closed on Good Friday, 24 and 31 December and 1 January.
» Further informationStädel Art Institute and Municipal Gallery
The Städel Art Institute is one of the most famous and important art museums in Germany. Here in the heart of Frankfurt's museum mile visitors can see a huge diversity of masterpieces from seven centuries of European art. At 8 pm on the first Thursday of every month the Städel Institute of Art presents a special "art after work" series of events, a blend of art and entertainment. Public guided tours are available free of charge. Visitors can get to know the Städel, its collections and special exhibitions by booking a short guided tour of selected works Closed on Mondays, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
» Further informationDialogue Museum
There's nothing to see in the Dialogue Museum, but there's plenty to hear, feel, smell and taste. Here you can find out what it is like to experience your surroundings when you can't see anything at all. In the dark the most ordinary situations turn into journeys of discovery. Don't worry, though, visitors are not left on their own, blind or partially-sighted guides take sighted visitors around the Dialogue in the Dark exhibition. Pre-booked guided tours only. Closed on Mondays.
» Further informationJewish Museum
The Jewish Museum in Frankfurt is housed in the historical rooms of the former Rothschild Palace, built between 1812-1824. Together with the branch of the museum in Judengasse, the exhibitions explain the history and the social and religious lives of the Jewish communities in Frankfurt; the beginnings of Jewish settlement in the 12th century, the end of the ghettos in Frankfurt, the struggle for integration into society and the recreation of Jewish communities after 1945. Jewish utensils and cultural objects reflect the everyday life and religious culture in the synagogue and at home, and the lives of the individuals and communities. Regular special exhibitions in the two museums provide more detail and complement the permanent exhibition. Closed Mondays, Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, Whitsunday, guided tours available on request.
» www.juedischesmuseum.deMuseum embankment
Frankfurt's museum embankment is located on the southern bank of the river Main in Frankfurt Sachsenhausen, between the Eiserner Steg footbridge and the Peace Bridge. One of Frankfurt's main cultural attractions, the museum embankment has 13 different leading museums and is a popular destination for museum-goers from Germany and across Europe. With a fascinating array of cultural highlights on both sides of the river, the city enjoys an excellent reputation among art lovers. The museum embankment also provides the setting for a number of cultural events, including the Museum Embankment Festival on the last weekend in August and the Museums Night held every year in spring.
» www.frankfurt-tourismus.deHistorical Museum
The former Saalhof Chapel dating back to the Hohenstaufen era (around 1120) is the oldest building in Frankfurt's old quarter and now forms part of the Historical Museum. Since 1878 the Historical Museum on Römerberg square has documented the history of Frankfurt with a collection of approximately 600,000 exhibits and works of art. The museum consists of various sections: an art collection - primarily paintings and drawings, a textiles collection, a coin cabinet, craft objects and a collection of old toys. Closed on Mondays. Guided tours on request.
» www.historisches-museum.frankfurt.deGerman Architecture Museum
Opened in 1984 and located in an old semi-detached villa in Frankfurt am Main, the German Architecture Museum is dedicated exclusively to the topic of architecture. At the heart of the building, the "Haus-im-Haus" (house within a house) takes visitors on a fascinating journey over three floors before finally ending at a "prehistoric hut". The permanent exhibition with models ranging from the primitive hut to the skyscraper offers an insight into mankind's history of buildings and settlements. The museum also hosts a number of special exhibitions throughout the year. Closed on Mondays.
» www.dam-online.deMuseum of Applied Art
Opened in 1985, the Museum of Applied Art, consisting of the Villa Metzler and the Richard Meier Building and set in splendid gardens on the Schaumainkai embankment, is Frankfurt's most stunning "cabinet of arts and curiosities". It is one of six major museums of applied art in Germany. The museum's open display space provides inviting settings for artefacts dating back 6,000 years and objects from diverse world cultures. Visitors can admire treasures made of gold, plastic, porcelain, wood, glass, ivory, wool, enamel, amber, rubber and silver, from Europe, the Orient and the Far East. Closed on Mondays, guided tours available.
» www.museumfuerangewandtekunst.frankfurt.dePalmengarten botanical gardens
A verdant paradise in the heart of Frankfurt with plants from all corners of the earth, at 26 hectares one of the largest of its kind in Germany. Founded in 1868 by the market gardener and landscape designer Heinrich Siesmeyer and opened in 1871, the display garden features a variety of themed gardens and numerous greenhouses set between the pathways and the lawns with their deck chairs. In addition to the lush plant life, the Palmengarten offers themed exhibitions throughout the year. Guided tours are available for individuals and groups.
» www.palmengarten-frankfurt.deGoethe's House
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in Frankfurt am Main on 28 August 1749. Today the Goethe House and Goethe Museum stand on the site of the house of his birth in Grosse Hirschgraben. The house has been faithfully reconstructed and the furniture and fittings in the kitchen, living quarters and reception rooms reflect those typical of a middle-class household in the late baroque period. Goethe's study is furnished as it was in his time. This is where he wrote "Götz von Berlichingen", "Faust" and "The Sorrows of Young Werther". As a poet, dramatist and prose writer, Goethe is considered the foremost German writer and a leading figure in world literature. Today, languages from all over the world can be heard here, because hundreds of thousands of visitors travel from far and wide to pay homage to him. Multilingual guided tours and audio guides are available.
» www.goethehaus-frankfurt.deFrankfurt Icon Museum
Opened in 1990, the Icon Museum in Frankfurt am Main is in the former refectory of the House of the Teutonic Order at the eastern end of the Museum Embankment. It covers the entire range of Christian-Orthodox imagery and presents icon art and worship from the 15th to the 20th century. In an interesting juxtaposition, the sleek contoured rooms create a dynamic contrast to the building and the icons painted on wood. Among the museum's most valuable exhibits are a Coptic paper icon of the 12th/13th century and a series of signed and dated icons. The collection also includes hand-crafted sacred items such as crucifixes, liturgical objects and textiles. Closed on Mondays. Guided tours on request.
» www.ikonenmuseumfrankfurt.deThe Deutsche Bundesbank Money Museum, Frankfurt
The origins of the collection at the Deutsche Bundesbank Money Museum in Frankfurt date back to the days of the Deutsche Reichsbank (founded in 1875). The Money Museum provides information about the history of money and the way it works, and has an extensive collection of coins and banknotes from around the world. It shows what type of "valuables" have been used as currency throughout history: from Kauri shells and cocoa beans to giant stone disks. Visitors can also learn about important events in the modern history of money, such as the world economic crisis in the 1930s. Closed on Saturdays, 24 Dec., 25 Dec., 31 Dec. and 1 Jan., Easter Sunday and 1 May. Guided tours on request.
» www.geldmuseum.deBible Museum, Frankfurt
This hands-on, educational museum was established in a former church in 2003. It offers children and young people the opportunity to discover fresh insights into the world of the Bible. Visitors can access the topic directly via a giant walk-through Bible and multimedia presentation. Another attraction is a walk-through, full-scale reproduction of a Roman ship whose wreck was discovered in the Sea of Galilee. The exhibition includes a nomad tent with furnishings and clothes which visitors may use. There are also reproductions of historical musical instruments from Biblical times which visitors may also try out. Closed on Mondays. Guided tours on request, including for blind and partially sighted visitors.
» www.bibelhaus-frankfurt.deSchirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt
Opened in 1986, SCHIRN Kunsthalle is one of Europe's foremost art galleries. Housed in a magnificent building in Frankfurt's Römerberg square – between the Römer town hall, cathedral and Main river – it aims to be both a platform for discovery and an influential cultural melting pot. There are no permanent displays. Instead, approx. 2,000m² of exhibition space serves as a blank canvas for special and temporary exhibitions. Almost 200 of these have been staged by the gallery so far, among them major exhibitions of Viennese art nouveau, Expressionism, Dada and Surrealism, the history of photography and cutting-edge 'sound art' installations. The spotlight has also fallen on individual artists. Kandinsky, Chagall, Giacometti, Kahlo, Viola, Schönberg, Matisse, Schnabel, Byars, Klein and Nicolai have all been the sole subject of large-scale exhibitions. Closed on Mondays. Guided tours available.
» www.schirn-kunsthalle.deCommunications Museum
The museum's award-winning architecture conveys a strong sense of transparency and openness. Set out over a total of four floors, the museum presents the history of communication in the form of a story which will fascinate and amaze. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the exhibits, to reflect and to remember. Temporary exhibitions on the theme of communications complement the permanent exhibition.