Nikolaikirche
Berlin’s oldest surviving church building is now a museum. In the permanent exhibition, you can learn more about the history of the building, its architecture, church music and Berlin’s development during the Middle Ages.
Location
Nikolaikirche
Nikolaikirchplatz
10178 Berlin
Opening Hours
daily | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(also on public holidays)
from 02.10.2026 until 18.04.2027
Mon – Wed + Fri – Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thu | 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Operating hours of the sound installation
Mon – Wed | 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Thu | 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Fri | 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Sat + Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Differing Opening Hours
see Info & Service
Admission
7 euros (single ticket) | 15 euros (combi-ticket*) | free admission (under 18 years or with reduction)
*Valid on two consecutive days for the Ephraim-Palais, the Nikolaikirche and the Knoblauchhaus.
Visitors Note
For technical reasons, the museum is closed on Sunday, October 25th.
The Nikolaikirche is as old as Berlin itself. Construction began around 1230. Since then, it has undergone many changes. It has been rebuilt and redesigned on several occasions. Since the end of the 19th century, its twin towers have been a defining feature of the city centre. These changes show just how important the church was to the people of Berlin. Today, you can visit the Nikolaikirche as a museum and discover its fascinating history.
At the end of the Second World War, the Nikolaikirche was severely damaged by allied bombs and later collapsed. It remained in ruins until 1984. Since its reconstruction to mark Berlin’s 750th anniversary in 1987, it has been a museum.
Music and Art
The Nikolaikirche is also a place of music. The cantor and composer Johann Crüger (1598–1662) and the pastor and poet Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676) together shaped a chapter of European cultural history here. This musical tradition lives on to this day through events and concerts.
However, music is not the only art form to be experienced at St Nicholas’ Church. Alongside historical paintings and sculptures from earlier centuries, you’ll find a diverse range of contemporary art on display here.
Exhibitions
Good to know
In the museum, you’ll be surrounded by various sounds and noises from the ‘Chorus’ sound installation. These include low-pitched sounds from an organ and a trombone, which you may feel physically. How loud and intense the sounds seem to you depends on where you are in the museum. You can change your position at any time or leave the room. In the central nave, there are blue benches where you can sit or lie down. There is no separate quiet room. You can find out when you can visit Nikolaikirche without the sound installation under “Opening hours”.
Audioguide
A free audio guide leads you through the exhibition in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian. A German-language audio guide is aimed specifically at families.
Info & Service
Opening Hours
from 02.10.2026 until 18.04.2027
Mon – Wed + Fri – Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thu | 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Operating hours of the sound installation
Mon – Wed | 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Thu | 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Fri | 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Sat + Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
You can experience the complete sound installation Monday to Friday between 12 noon and 6 pm, starting on the hour. In addition, the installation can be heard on Thursday evenings and at weekends, albeit without the carillon.
Differing opening hours:
Sun | 25.10. | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Thu | 24.12. | Closed (Christmas Eve)
Fri & Sat | 25. + 26.12. | 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. (First & Second Christmas Day)
Thu | 31.12. | Closed (New Year’s Eve)
Fri | 01.01. 2027 | 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. (New Year’s Day)
The visitor rules of the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin apply.
For children
A free children’s activity booklet for the permanent exhibition “Berlin’s Middle” is available at the entrance in German, English, Polish, Turkish and Arabic. If you have any questions, our team will be happy to help.
Directions
Nikolaikirchplatz
10178 Berlin
Contact
Infoline
+49 30 240 02 – 162
Mo – Fri | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Write E-Mail
Tickets
Admission
Combi-Ticket
15 euros
Valid for our three museums in the Nikolaiviertel (Nikolaikirche, Ephraim-Palais, Knoblauchhaus) on two consecutive days (please note opening hours)
Single Ticket
7 euros
Day ticket for the Nikolaikirche
Free admission
With proof of reduction
for children and adolescents under 18 years of age, students, trainees, FSJ/FÖJ/BFD volunteers, Berlin Ticket S holders, severely disabled persons (at least 50% GdB) and their Personal Assistant, refugees (with a valid work or residence permit/eAT and a Ukrainian passport or valid residence permit from Ukraine), recipients of transfer payments (Bürgergeld, ALG I), holders of the Berlin-Brandenburg Ehrenamtskarte, holders of the Super-Ferienpass / Berliner Familienpass, ICOM members, members of Deutscher Museumsbund, Verein der Freunde und Förderer des Stadtmuseums Berlin e. V. (except for the Museumsdorf Düppel), Förderverein Museumsdorf Düppel e. V., and Förderkreis Museum Knoblauchhaus e. V., media representatives with a valid press card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please select the appropriate museum you would like to visit under Filter (above the calendar). Then select the desired day of your visit.
Variant 2:
Please select the desired day of your visit via the calendar. Now choose the ticket and the museum.
Accessibility
S-Bahn: S3, S5, S7, S9 “Alexanderplatz” (distance to the museum approx. 700 m).
Underground: U2 “Klosterstraße” (distance to the museum approx. 800 m), U5 “Rotes Rathaus” (distance to the museum approx. 300 m)
Bus: 200 “Rotes Rathaus” (distance to the museum approx. 270 m)
Tram: 12, M1, M4, M5, M6 “Spandauer Straße / Marienkirche” (distance to the museum approx. 600 m)
The Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association) offers free VBB Bus & Bahn escort service to help you get to the museum by public transport.
Parking
There are two public parking spaces for people with disabilities in Rathausstraße (distance to the museum approx. 200 m).
On foot:
The path to the museum is not easy to walk or drive on in places.
The entrance door is a single-leaf door without an automatic mechanism, followed by a glass door in the entrance area; our staff ist available for assistance.
Doors and passageways are at least 90 cm wide. Exceptions: The passageway in front of the stairs to the organ loft is 80 cm wide, WC doors are less than 70 cm wide.
Cashier’s counter is 106 cm high; no other, equivalent communication option available while seated.
Some areas are only accessible via steps/stairs:
– Sacristy via 4 steps with handrail
– Coin cabinet via 5 steps with handrail
– Organ loft over 35 steps with handrail
– WC over 3 steps (door width 65 cm, WC is not barrier-free).
The choir area is accessible through the left-hand side aisle via a ramp (5 m long, 6 per cent incline).
Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas.
The exhibits and information are mostly visible when seated.
The rooms and exhibits are well lit and glare-free (exception: sacristy).
Information about the exhibition and the artefacts is provided in writing and acoustically.
In the exhibition, tactile models of the building’s architecture are available with an explanatory audio description track as well as information on the models in Braille and profiled writing.
Hearing and tactile tours as well as tours in German sign language take place regularly.
For detailed information, see: www.reisen-fuer-alle.de