The Pergamon Museum in Berlin is closed from 23 October 2023 until a partly reopening in mid-2027 — some top items will be displayed in other museums and venues.
Re-opening 2027: The reopening of the Pergamon Museum is scheduled for 4 June 2027.
- See Pergamon Museum Berlin: Reopening in 2027 and Visitor Guide for what will be on display, and which highlights will be behind closed doors until 2037!
- Continue reading this post to see where the Pergamon Museum items are displayed in the meantime. Most Greek items have already returned to the main museum, while items from the Ancient Near East Museum are likely to be considered for temporary displays during the coming decade.
Berlin’s Pergamon Museum on the Museumsinsel (Museum Island) closed completely to visitors on 23 October 2023. Some items are on display elsewhere, but the first section of the Pergamon Museum — the Hellenistic Hall, including the Pergamon Altar — is scheduled to reopen on 4 June 2027. The full Pergamon Museum will only be open by the late 2030s. Some items and sculptures are displayed in the Pergamon Das Panorama exhibition.
Pergamon Altar and Hellenistic Hall in Berlin Closed until 2027
Construction work at the Pergamon Museum has been ongoing for several years and the building’s North Wing and the middle section should reopen on 4 June 2027.
The top attractions in this part of the new museum include:
- The Hellenistic Hall and the Pergamon Altar, after which the museum is named.
- The Museum für Islamische Kunst (Islamic Art), with its new larger permanent exhibition, will be on view in the North Wing.
- Only a few select items from the Vorderasiatische Museum (Ancient Near East) — the Ishtar Gate and Babylonian Procession Way will only open again around 2037!
Pergamonmuseum Berlin Closed until mid-1930s
The second construction phase ‒ the restoration of the South Wing and the construction of a fourth wing — is due for completion by 2037.
By the late 2030s, the Pergamon Museum should be connected to the Bode Museum and the Neues Museum.
See Pergamon Objects while the Museum in Berlin is Closed
Some of the collections of the Pergamonmuseum will remain viewable while the museum building is closed:
Top sculptures and objects from the Antikensammlung will continue to be exhibited at Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama, located directly across from the Museumsinsel. The Vorderasiatisches Museum is preparing a new exhibition for this location, as the Greek sculptures are due to move back to the Pergamon Museum in 2025/2026.
Some of the outstanding individual objects from the Pergamonmuseum will be on loan to other museums in Berlin and around the world. For instance, an intervention at Hamburger Bahnhof and a thematic collaboration with the Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings) are planned, and cooperation with the Louvre is in preparation.
As of winter 2023‒24, the current (future historical) permanent exhibition of the Vorderasiatisches Museum will also be available online as a virtual tour. While the building is closed, the Vorderasiatisches Museum also intends to move its objects from the main level to storage depots and intermediate sites for restoration. Large special exhibitions with international cooperation partners are now in preparation, including Das Zweistromland – die Wiege der Könige (Mesopotamia ‒ The Cradle of Kings).
Objects from the Museum für Islamische Kunst (Islamic Art) will not be on temporary display, as the museum will move to the new larger display halls of the Northwing due to open in 2027. The exhibits, some of which are permanently installed, will not only need to be dismantled and reinstalled at a new location during this period but also restored ‒ for instance, the Mshatta Façade, the Aleppo Room, and the Alhambra Cupola.
Where Are Antiquities Exhibited in Berlin
To see Berlin’s popular Antikensammlung (Collection of Antiquities), you’re best off buying a Museum Insel ticket or more.
This impressive collection is spread through three museums: the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, and Pergamon Museum. Further temporary exhibitions are in the James Simon Gallery.
What antiquities are seen in which Berlin Museum? The answer is not that easy, but use the following as a rough guide:
- Archaeological finds from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages and items from the Roman provinces are in the Neues Museum (together with the large Egyptian collection).
- The bigger, the more likely it is in the Pergamon Museum.
- The more classical the civilization, the more likely you’ll see it in the Altes Museum. (Classic Greek, Etruscan, Roman sculptures and pottery.)
- See also Berlin State Museum Collections Explained: What is Seen Where? for a fuller guide to Berlin’s vast museum exhibitions and magnificent art galleries.
More on the Berlin State Museums (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin):
Berlin State Museum Basics:
- Top National Museums and Galleries (brief overview)
- Berlin State Museums: What Is Seen Where?
- Opening Hours (2026)
- News & Special Exhibitions
- Ticket Prices (Buy online from GetYourGuide or SMB)
- Save with the Berlin Museum Pass & Berlin Welcome Cards
- Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (official website in German & English)