The Pinakotheken: Munich’s Great Art Museums Explained

This guide is for people who have moved to Munich from abroad and keep walking past the Pinakotheken without going in, whether you have children or not. By the end you will know what each museum shows, what is on this autumn, and where to check tickets and opening times before you go.

• Three museums, one collection
• Where to find the Neue Pinakothek’s paintings
• What is on this autumn
• Tickets, hours and planning a visit
• Going with children
• FAQ

Three museums, one collection

The Alte Pinakothek, the Neue Pinakothek and the Pinakothek der Moderne are all run by the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections). The same institution also runs the Museum Brandhorst, the Sammlung Schack (Schack Collection) and a set of branch galleries around Bavaria. Together they show works from the 14th century to the present day, so you can follow several centuries of painting without leaving the city.

The Alte Pinakothek (“Old Pinakothek”) is where the Old Masters hang. The city’s own museum guide on muenchen.de says it holds over 700 artworks from the 14th to the 18th century. That is a lot for one afternoon. Most residents get more out of it by picking a single room or a single century per visit and coming back another day.

The Neue Pinakothek (“New Pinakothek”) covers the 19th century. The Pinakothek der Moderne is the one to choose if you prefer the 20th and 21st centuries. On muenchen.de it appears among the city’s classic museum sights, described as the place to discover modern art from those two centuries.

The other houses in the group are worth knowing about too. Muenchen.de describes the Museum Brandhorst as contemporary art in the centre of Munich, with Twombly, Warhol and more. It describes the Sammlung Schack as the place to see important German paintings from the 19th century.

If you are not sure where to begin, the collections’ homepage lists a selection of masterpieces. They include Self-Portrait with Fur-Trimmed Robe (1500), The Battle of Alexander at Issus (1529), Madonna of the Carnation (around 1475), Large Fish Market (1603), The Great Last Judgement (around 1617), Sunflowers (1888), Ostend (1844) and Der arme Poet (“The Poor Poet”, 1839). Choosing two or three of these to look for gives a first visit some shape.

Where to find the Neue Pinakothek’s paintings

Newcomers often go looking for the Neue Pinakothek’s 19th-century pictures and don’t know where to start. The collections’ homepage currently lists a presentation called “From Turner to van Gogh: The 19th Century Masterpieces from the Neue Pinakothek at the Alte Pinakothek”. In other words, the Neue Pinakothek’s highlights are on show inside the Alte Pinakothek, and the Alte Pinakothek is where you go to see them.

This also makes for an easy first outing. One visit to the Alte Pinakothek takes you from early religious panels to 19th-century landscapes and portraits. For more 19th-century German painting, the Sammlung Schack is a smaller and quieter addition.

What is on this autumn

The Pinakothek der Moderne has the busiest programme right now. The collections’ homepage lists “Can You Imagine? Part II” alongside “The night touches the earth. Fritz Winter’s Cosmos of the 1930s and 1940s”. There is also “Between & Beyond: Interspaces and Transitions in Art since 1960”, which runs until 15.08.2027. That gives you plenty of time, so this one can wait for a grey Sunday in winter.

One exhibition is outside the city. “Are We Still up to It? Art & Democracy”, from the Pinakothek der Moderne, is on at Herrenchiemsee Palace until 18.10.2026. If you planned to combine it with a trip to the Chiemsee, you have only a few days left.

This Saturday is the Long Night of Museums in Munich. To prepare for it, the Alte Pinakothek, the Pinakothek der Moderne, the Museum Brandhorst and the Sammlung Schack close at 4 p.m. on 17.10.2026. They reopen from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. for the Long Night. If you planned an ordinary afternoon visit that day, go early or come back in the evening.

Tickets, hours and planning a visit

The two official pages used for this guide do not give admission prices, regular opening hours or booking rules for the Pinakotheken. For current details, check the venue pages on pinakothek.de before you go. Hours can change at short notice, as the early closing on 17 October shows, so a quick look on the morning of your visit is worth it.

You can also explore before you buy a ticket. The Online Collection has been online since 2017 and holds more than 27,000 works of art from Bavaria, Germany and Europe on one platform. It covers the paintings on display in the Munich houses and the state galleries in Bavaria. It also covers the deposited holdings of 17,000 works and more than 4,000 permanent loans from the Munich holdings, spread across more than 400 locations. Some of those locations are institutions open to the public, so a painting you like online may be hanging somewhere near you.

For a wider view of what else is on, muenchen.de points to an Infopoint for Museums & Castles in Bavaria, which helps with planning visits across Munich and the rest of the state.

Going with children

The Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen run an Education & Learning programme, which you can find from the collections’ homepage. The pages used here do not say which formats are for which ages. Check the programme for current family offers before you promise anything to a seven-year-old.

The source pages do not describe the Pinakotheken as children’s museums. With younger children, a short visit built around a few pictures, followed by fresh air, usually goes better than a full tour. Many of the works the collections highlight have strong subjects children can follow, such as a battle scene, a fish market, a boy with fruit or a poor poet in his garret.

Muenchen.de also lists venues aimed squarely at families. One is the Museum Mensch und Natur, a children’s natural history museum in the north wing of Nymphenburg Palace. Another is the Biotopia Lab, with exhibitions, workshops and activities for children. Some households use these for the children and save the Pinakotheken for adult afternoons or the Long Night.

FAQ

Which Pinakothek should I visit first?

It depends on your taste. The Alte Pinakothek covers art from the 14th to the 18th century and is currently also showing the Neue Pinakothek’s 19th-century highlights, so it covers the most ground in one visit. If you prefer modern work, start with the Pinakothek der Moderne, which shows art from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Can I see the Neue Pinakothek’s paintings right now?

Yes. The collections’ homepage lists “From Turner to van Gogh: The 19th Century Masterpieces from the Neue Pinakothek at the Alte Pinakothek”, so you will find those works at the Alte Pinakothek.

How much are tickets and when are the museums open?

The official pages used for this guide do not list prices or regular opening hours. Check pinakothek.de for current details before you visit. On 17.10.2026 the Alte Pinakothek, the Pinakothek der Moderne, the Museum Brandhorst and the Sammlung Schack close at 4 p.m. and reopen from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. for the Long Night of Museums.

Are the Pinakotheken good for children?

The Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen run an Education & Learning programme, so check it for current family offers. The source pages do not set out specific children’s formats. If you want a museum designed for children, muenchen.de suggests the Museum Mensch und Natur at Nymphenburg Palace and the Biotopia Lab.

Official sources: pinakothek.de · muenchen.de

Last checked: 14 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Prices, opening hours and programmes change; the venue’s own site always has the current details.