Museum Guide 2026: Remarkable resilience, adaptability and diversity

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

As 2026 lies ahead of us, so do numerous fantastic new exhibitions and museum highlights. In the following special theme, we explore some of the German-speaking region’s top museum highlights of 2026. But before we get started, we take a look at the latest figures released by the Deutscher Museumsbund e.V. (German Museums Association).

Its annual survey reveals that Germany’s museums and exhibition venues have demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability throughout 2024 – an indicator of what can be expected in 2026. A notable upward trend has also been detected: a total of 107.4 million visits were recorded at museums and exhibition houses nationwide, a 1.3 per cent increase from the previous year.

Museums themselves saw 102.9 million visits, a rise of nearly 2 per cent over 2023. The sector’s dynamism is further evident in the surge of special exhibitions, which returned to pre-pandemic levels with 7,975 held in 2024. “The statistical survey for 2024 shows that museums and exhibition houses remain very popular. Their visitor numbers have even stabilised at a high level,” said Prof. Dr. Marion Ackermann, president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. “This underlines how important museums are for our society. That’s why they must continue to receive reliable and sustainable support to fulfill their crucial role in cultural education.”

While museums flourished, exhibition houses – venues that showcase exhibitions without their own permanent collections – experienced a slight downturn, with 4.5 million visits, marking an 11 per cent decrease from the previous year. Nonetheless, the number of exhibitions remained steady at 1,591.

Museum Guide 2026: Remarkable resilience, adaptability and diversity

For the first time, data was also collected from zoos, animal parks, and botanical gardens, which together reported 23.3 million visits. This expansion reflects a broader understanding of museums, aligning with international standards.

Silvia Willkomm, managing director of the German Museums Association, emphasised the ongoing challenges and the sector’s creative responses: “Museums and exhibition venues face a variety of challenges, from social upheavals to financial uncertainties and changing expectations for participation and sustainability. They are meeting these developments with creative energy, as shown by the 2024 visitor numbers, confirming their social relevance.”

For professor Patricia Rahemipour, director of the Institute for Museum Research, one thing is certain: “The annual statistics serve as an important indicator for the Institute for Museum Research of the effectiveness of museums’ work in society. The public clearly shows us that it is satisfied with this work – which, of course, pleases us greatly.”

“Whether a museum was successful in 2024 depended heavily on its location, its sponsoring organisation, and its specific area of focus. The hyper-individualisation of the museum sector continues to progress,” she continues. As the sector continues to evolve amid shifting expectations and circumstances, the annual survey serves as a vital measure of museum impact and public engagement, showing a cultural landscape that remains vibrant, relevant, and forward-looking.

Museum Guide 2026: Remarkable resilience, adaptability and diversity