DEW21 Museumsnacht Dortmund

DEW21 Museumsnacht — Dortmund pioneers the night of knowledge

The DEW21 Museumsnacht Dortmund is the city's annual night of culture. On September 19, 2026, around 40 museums, galleries, and cultural venues will open their doors between 4 PM and 11 PM. This is the 26th edition — and Dortmund was a pioneer of the concept „Museumsnacht as a family event with offerings for children“, as emphasized by Cultural Director Jörg Stüdemann.

Participating Museums — Dortmund's Cultural Landscape

The list of participating institutions spans the entire city:

• Museum Ostwall in Dortmunder U — Collection of Modern Art
• Naturkundemuseum Dortmund (Natural History Museum Dortmund)
• Deutsches Fußballmuseum (German Football Museum) at Hauptbahnhof Süd
• DASA Arbeitswelt-Ausstellung (German Centre for Occupational Safety) — largest exhibition on the world of work in Europe
• LWL-Museum Zeche Zollern (LWL Museum Zollern Colliery)
• Brauerei-Museum (Brewery Museum) in the former Hansa Brewery
• Hoesch-Museum
• Westfälisches Schulmuseum (Westphalian School Museum)
• New additions like Feuerwache 1 (Fire Station 1) and Halle 77 (Oldtimer Museum)
• + around 30 other museums, galleries, and cultural venues

Program Highlights

Spread across the approximately 40 venues:

• Special guided tours through the permanent exhibitions
• Concerts in unexpected spaces
• Theater and performance
• Music fireworks display on Friedensplatz as the central event
• 3D facade mapping at Dortmunder U (in 2025 with works like „Journey“ and „Foreign Nature“)
• Medieval stations at the Adlerturm Children's Museum
• Dance performances with a political message (most recently „Plastic not so Fantastic“ about sustainability)

Admission — 4 PM–11 PM with one ticket

A single ticket is valid for the entire night and all participating venues, plus the shuttle bus service:

• Early-bird ticket: €5 (typically until early September)
• Regular advance ticket: €14.50
• Children aged 6–17: €3
• Children under 6 free

Opening with Bell Sounds

A Dortmund specialty: The Museumsnacht begins at 3:53 PM with a seven-minute bell concert by Dortmund's churches — Reinoldikirche, Petrikirche, and others — before the actual program starts at 4:00 PM. The concept has been a tradition since the early years.

DEW21 as Main Sponsor

DEW21 — Dortmund's energy and water utility company — has been the main sponsor for years. This municipal funding guarantees the low ticket prices and is part of the city's cultural strategy. The Museumsnacht is so successful partly because it remains financially accessible for families.