The Städel Museum: Frankfurt’s Art Collection Explained

This guide is for people who have moved to Frankfurt from abroad and want to get to know the Städel Museum properly, whether you go alone, with friends or with children. It covers what the collection holds, which exhibitions are on now and coming up, when the museum is open, and how to plan a visit with other people.

• What the Städel shows
• Current and upcoming exhibitions
• Opening days, hours and tickets
• Visiting with family, friends and guests
• The rooftop, café, garden and riverbank
• FAQ

What the Städel shows

The Städel Museum sits on the south bank of the Main, at Schaumainkai 63, 60596 Frankfurt am Main. That stretch of riverbank is known locally as the Museumsufer (museum embankment), because several of the city’s museums stand side by side along it. If you live in Sachsenhausen or cross the river often, you have probably walked past it many times already.

The core of the museum is its permanent display, which the Städel’s official website describes as the Städel Collection: 700 Years of Art. This is the part you can return to again and again, separate from the temporary exhibitions. It works well for residents because you don’t need to see everything at once. Pick one period or one room, go for an hour, and come back another month.

If you would like to prepare first, or follow up on something you saw, the museum has a Digital Collection online. The site invites you to stroll through 700 years of art digitally or to search for a particular work. It is a good way to find out where a painting hangs before you go, or to show children a picture at home so they recognise it on the wall.

Current and upcoming exhibitions

Alongside the permanent collection, the Städel runs temporary exhibitions. These are the ones the museum lists at the moment.

On view

• Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love. This is the exhibition the museum is putting at the front of its homepage right now, and it has its own events programme.
• Elmgreen & Dragset: Stillleben mit Gemüse. The German title means “still life with vegetables”. Elmgreen & Dragset are an artist duo, and this show runs in parallel with Mary Magdalene.
• Städel Collection: 700 Years of Art. The permanent exhibition, always on view.

Coming up

• SurFace On Skin
• Welcome to Paradise

Temporary exhibitions have fixed closing dates, and the Städel’s site lists the exact run of each one. Check it before you plan a visit, especially if you have guests coming from abroad and want to show them a particular show. Living here gives you the advantage of going on a quiet weekday instead of the final weekend, when exhibitions tend to be at their busiest.

The museum also runs events around its exhibitions. For Mary Magdalene there is a Saturday Städel Night, described as the party accompanying the exhibition. When this guide was written, the museum listed it as booked out, so if events like this interest you, keep an eye on the programme and book early next time.

Opening days, hours and tickets

According to the Städel, the opening hours are:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 10 am to 6 pm
• Thursday: 10 am to 9 pm
• Monday: closed

Thursday is the day to remember if you work standard office hours. Going straight from work and staying until 9 pm is very doable, and it makes an easy evening out with a friend or a colleague.

For tickets, the museum’s ticket information page has the full standard prices and any reductions. One offer is especially useful for residents: on Tuesdays from 3 pm, entry is €10. If you live or work nearby, that makes a short late-afternoon visit worth it, even if you only have time for one exhibition.

The homepage does not set out reductions for children, students or other groups, so check the ticket information on the Städel’s site for the current details before you go, rather than assuming what applies to your family.

Visiting with family, friends and guests

The Städel’s homepage has dedicated information for groups, so if you are planning a visit with a school class, a club, a team from work or a large party of friends, start there. It also has a section on accessibility, which is worth reading if anyone in your group uses a wheelchair or has other access needs.

For children, the homepage itself does not describe specific family programmes, and the ticket details for children are on the museum’s own ticket pages. A few practical points still help. The Digital Collection lets you choose two or three works together in advance, which gives children something to hunt for once they arrive. The Städel Garden, the café and the rooftop give you somewhere to take a break, which matters with younger visitors. Keep visits short and plan to come back; as a resident, you don’t need to see everything in one go.

Some of the programme is clearly aimed at adults. The Saturday Städel Night, for example, is billed as a party, and the subject matter of an exhibition such as Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love. may suit older children and adults more than toddlers. Read the exhibition description before deciding who to bring.

When friends or family visit from abroad, the Städel is a straightforward choice: it is central, on the river, and it combines art with a skyline view from the rooftop. A Thursday evening visit followed by dinner in Sachsenhausen is an easy plan for guests.

The rooftop, café, garden and riverbank

The Städel Rooftop is the museum’s terrace with a view of Frankfurt’s skyline, which the museum describes as “the skyline view on top of your museum visit”. It is a good spot to show newcomers how the city fits together, with the towers across the river.

Besides the galleries, the museum lists a café, the Städel Restaurant, the Städel Garden and a Museum Shop. The shop is useful for gifts when you are invited to a German home and want something better than flowers from the petrol station.

The museum is also part of a wider city calendar. Frankfurt Tourismus, the city’s official tourism office, lists the Museum Embankment Festival (Museumsuferfest) among the ten large folk festivals it organises each year. It is a lively weekend along the same riverbank where the Städel stands, and the tourism office’s calendar has the dates.

If you want to support the museum over the long term, the Städel has a Städel Endowment and a Städel Future Fund, and it also accepts donations, large or small. The site explains how to get involved as a supporter or benefactor.

FAQ

When is the Städel Museum open?

The Städel is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Thursday from 10 am to 9 pm. It is closed on Mondays. Check the museum’s own website before a holiday visit in case of changes.

Is there a cheaper way to visit?

Yes. On Tuesdays from 3 pm, entry is €10. Standard prices and reductions for children, students and others are on the Städel’s ticket information page, which has the current details.

What exhibitions are on at the Städel right now?

Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love. and Elmgreen & Dragset: Stillleben mit Gemüse are on view, alongside the permanent Städel Collection: 700 Years of Art. SurFace On Skin and Welcome to Paradise are listed as upcoming. The museum’s site has the exact dates for each.

Is the Städel a good choice with children?

The homepage does not describe specific family programmes, so check the museum’s site for current offers and children’s tickets. Short visits work best, using the Digital Collection to choose a few works beforehand and the garden, café or rooftop for breaks.

Official sources: staedelmuseum.de · frankfurt-tourismus.de

Last checked: 28 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Prices, opening hours and programmes change; the venue’s own site always has the current details.