Guide to Visiting the Urban Nation Museum in Berlin

Berlin is one of the best cities to visit for art lovers, especially if you enjoy urban art and street art. Street art and graffiti play a huge role in the urban landscape of Berlin, and it’s only fitting that the first urban art museum was opened here. Visiting the Urban Nation Museum is an interesting way to explore street art in Berlin.

This museum is one of the more unique things to do in Berlin, and I enjoyed seeing art that isn’t so mainstream. Keep reading for details on what the Urban Nation Museum is like, how to get there, and more.

What is the Urban Nation Museum?

Berlin is considered the graffiti and street art capital of Germany, often even the whole of Europe. So it makes sense that an urban art museum would open here to celebrate this type of art.

Opened in 2017, Urban Nation is a museum dedicated to street art and urban art. The art is definitely not traditional, and you’ll find lots of different mediums of expression here.

Sometimes the art is quirky and fun, sometimes it sends a serious message about world events. Even the outside of the building changes frequently.

>>Read: How to Get From Berlin Airport to City Center: Stress-Free Tips (2023)

How to visit the Urban Nation Museum

The Urban Nation Museum is a small museum with artwork in various rooms on two levels. Start just past the lobby and wind your way through the different sections.

Since the pieces and themes change, you’ll see different things depending on when you visit. This is part of the appeal of the museum since it celebrates the ever-changing nature of street art.

Aside from simply wandering through the museum on your own, you can buy an audio guide for 3 euros. The museum also offers tours on certain days of the week, and occasionally they hold workshops.

Tours of the museum:
Tuesday and Wednesday: 10am to 11am
Thursday and Friday: 2pm to 3pm

Tours of the neighborhood around the museum:
Thursday and Friday: 1pm to 2pm

Tours cost 165 euros for a group of up to 15 adults, and you should book ahead.

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Have questions about planning your trip to Berlin?

Join the Facebook group here to chat with Ali (she runs this site) and other people who have been to Berlin for tips.

What to wear on your visit

Berlin is not a city for fancy attire, and a museum focused on street art and urban art is certainly not a place where you need to get dressed up. Wear whatever you want, but mostly wear comfortable shoes if you’re doing a lot of walking and sightseeing.

Dress for the weather at the time of year you’re visiting Berlin, and check out my Berlin packing list.

How to get to the Urban Nation Museum

Urban Nation is located at Bülowstrasse 7, 10783 Berlin, which is very close to several Ubahn stations. Here’s a list of the nearby stations and which Ubahn lines you can take to access them.

Nollendorfplatz: U1, U2, U3, U4
Bülowstraße: U2
Kurfürstenstraße: U1, U3

>>Read: How to Get Around in Berlin: A Guide to Berlin Public Transportation

Things to know before you go

Before you visit the Urban Nation Museum, here are a few more pieces of advice to help you enjoy this interesting Berlin museum.

Urban Nation Museum opening hours

The Urban Nation Museum is closed on Mondays. Here are the opening hours for the rest of the week:

Tuesday and Wednesday: 10am to 6pm
Thursday through Sunday: 12 noon to 8pm

How much do Urban Nation tickets cost?

Urban Nation is a free Berlin museum, so there are no tickets necessary. They operate on donations and have a donation box at the front desk, so any amount you wish to donate is appreciated. There’s also an audio guide for 3 euros.

Check out more free things to do in Berlin and cheap things to do in Berlin.

How long do you need at Urban Nation?

The amount of time you need to visit Urban Nation depends on how many of the signs you want to read. The artwork has short descriptions next to them, usually 2-4 paragraphs, and if you want to read each one, it could take some time.

I spent about 45 minutes in the museum, but I did not read every info panel. If you stop to read each one, I could see spending a couple of hours here.

Things to do near the Urban Nation Museum

If you’re interested in spending more time in this area, there are lots of other things to do near Urban Nation. Plus, you’ll have easy access to public transport, so you can get to another part of the city to see more of the top sights in Berlin.

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Schwules Museum

The section of Schöneberg near the Urban Nation Museum is considered the hub of Berlin’s LGBTQIA+ scene, and nearby you can visit the Schwules Museum, or Gay Museum. This is one of the world’s largest and most important institutions for researching and archiving the history and culture of LGBTQIA+ communities.

The exhibits change from time to time, examining different themes in history, art, and culture. Some of the themes have included AIDS, gender issues, and drag queens.

Winterfeldplatz Market

One of the largest weekly markets is held on Saturdays at Winterfeldplatz, just a few blocks south of Urban Nation. If you happen to be in the neighborhood on a Saturday, take a walk through the stalls, grab something to eat, and maybe you’ll find some interesting things to buy as souvenirs from Berlin.

Shopping

A little west of Urban Nation is the famous KaDeWe department store, and a bit past that, you can be shopping on Kurfürstendamm. This is Berlin’s high end shopping district, so if you’re in the mood for Prada or similar, check it out.

Gleisdreieck Park

In about 15 minutes, you can walk to Gleisdreieck Park, an interesting park where trains used to run. Train routes no longer exist through this area, but the tracks remain. You’ll also find the Brlo Biergarten, one of the best beer gardens in Berlin.

Deutsches Technikmuseum

The German Museum of Technology is only a few stops away from Urban Nation on either the U1, U2, or U3 (depending on which station you use from Urban Nation). It’s a modern museum where you get to learn about the history of science.

It’s a great museum for kids, but you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy this interactive and interesting place.

Other art museums

If you’re interested in seeing more art in Berlin, the Nationalgalerie is about 20 minutes walking from Urban Nation. At this art gallery, you can enjoy roughly 4,000 pieces from the 20th century and cover major art movements from North America and Europe. Von-der-Heydt-Straße 16-18, 10785 Berlin

As an alternative, you can also reach the Neue Nationalgalerie in about the same amount of time. This is a modern art museum where you’ll also find art from the 20th century and today. Potsdamer Str. 50, 10785 Berlin

Note: Don’t confuse these museums with the Alte Nationalgalerie located on Museum Island; they are different museums.

Berlin Travel Resources

I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this guide to visiting the Urban Nation Museum in Berlin is helpful. But there are lots more tips on the site!