Kiel University’s Museums and Collections
Please note corona-related restrictions or closures. Information on openings and closings
Anatomical Collection
Mortui vivos docent – the dead teach the living. This is the motto at Kiel University’s Anatomical Collection. The Department of Anatomy exhibits over 1,000 human specimens in display cases in the great hall - from individual joints, tendons and internal organs through to an entire skeleton. Many more specimens can be found in adjoining rooms, from people who donated their bodies for science after they died. These are used by students studying medicine, dentistry or pharmacy for their own research, and are also available to doctors, physiotherapists or people from other medical professions for research purposes.
The collection is not open to the general public.
© purpur, Uni Kiel
Collection of Classical Antiquities
The Collection of Classical Antiquities at the Kunsthalle zu Kiel, which was established in 1843, is the only collection in Schleswig-Holstein in which works by ancient cultures of the Mediterranean region are gathered, researched and presented. The museum has an extensive collection of ancient original works (Greek clay vessels and ancient crafts) as well as a major collection of casts of important sculptures by the Greeks and Romans (including Parthenon sculptures, Apollo Belvedere, Laocoon).
Opening times
Düsternbrooker Weg 1, 24105 Kiel
Tue to Sun 10am – 6pm
Wed 10am – 8pm
Mon - closed
Entrance is free
Kiel Botanic Gardens
Visitors to the Kiel Botanic Gardens can see incredible collections of trees from Asia, America and Europe, all out in the open. You can also see a range of biotopes such as dunes, alder swamps, ponds, heaths and moorlands throughout the year. Gardens of roses, medicinal herbs, alpine mountain plants, the south European landscapes and much more also display their colourful flowers and show how they proliferate.
The seven large greenhouses contain plants from distant climate zones - amazing specimens can be found in the tropical, cloud forest, Mediterranean and subtropical greenhouses, as well as American and African desert houses and the Victoria house. These plants include mangroves and tropical water plants, such as the world’s largest water lily (Victoria).
Opening times
Am Botanischen Garten, 24118 Kiel
Open daily:
April to September 9am - 6pm
Greenhouses 9:30am - 5:30pm
October to March as from 9am
Closes between 3pm and 5pm, depending on the time of year
Entrance is free | Guided tours are subject to a fee
© Geological and Mineralogical Museum
Geological and Mineralogical Museum
This skolithos trace fossil, which can be seen in one of the display cases at the Geological and Mineralogical Museum has been around for a good 250 million years. An incomprehensible number by normal mortal standards, but seemingly young from the earth’s point of view, whose age has been estimated at about four and a half billion years. The spatial origin of some exhibits also surpasses what we can really grasp. The exhibits are systematically organised and provide a lot of basic facts about what constitutes the earth. The attention to detail is particularly fascinating. The teaching collection is open both to rising experts from Geosciences and Geography, as well as anyone from the public who is also interested.
Opening times
Ludewig-Meyn-Straße 12, 24118 Kiel
Mon to Thur 8:30am to 4pm
Fri 8:30am to 2pm, and by appointment
Entrance is free
Kunsthalle zu Kiel
The Museum of Fine Arts of Kiel University was inaugurated in 1909 and is also the home of the Schleswig-Holsteinischer Kunstverein, founded in 1843. The collection comprises paintings, graphics, sculptures and objects from the Dürer era to the present day, with a focus on the 19th and 20th centuries. This multifunctionality makes the museum a unique institution in a special location on the Kiel Fjord.
Opening times
Düsternbrooker Weg 1, 24105 Kiel
Tue to Sun 10am – 6pm
Wed 10am – 8pm
Mon - closed
Entrance fee applies | Entrance is free for CAU students
© Lorenz Oberdörster, Museum of Medical & Pharmaceutical History
Museum of Medical & Pharmaceutical History
The collection gives a fascinating insight into pharmaceutical history over the last few centuries and gives visitors the opportunity to experience medical research and treatment methods used in the past up close. Among the exhibits are a large number of historic instruments and pieces of equipment, many of which originate from Kiel and Schleswig-Holstein. More than 500 pathological and forensic specimens offer a perspective on the history of medical training at Kiel University.
Opening times
Brunswiker Straße 2, 24105 Kiel
Tue - Fri 10am – 4pm
April - September Sat 12 - 4pm
Sun 12 – 4pm
Mon - closed
Entrance fee applies
Visit the Museum of Medical & Pharmaceutical History
Zoological Museum in Kiel
The Zoological Museum is home to Germany’s most extensive exhibition of whale species, with 13 spectacular skeletons of whales from waters off the coasts of Schleswig-Holstein. The scientific history of zoology in Kiel is also presented here. The new permanent exhibition “Future Ocean” gives visitors a tangible experience of the latest findings in marine research on fisheries, rising sea levels, ocean acidification and ocean circulation. The “Deep Sea” exhibition displays the most spectacular creatures from the ocean’s depths, like actual viperfish and giant squid (5.5 m). Another exhibition looks at how land animals conquered the seas and how they move within this new element.
Opening times
Hegewischstraße 3, 24105 Kiel
The Zoological Museum is open for visitors
Tue. to Fri. 09:00am - 05:00pm,
Sat. 10:00am - 05:00pm,
Sun. and public holidays 12:00am - 04:00pm
Mon. closed
If you have any questions, you can reach the musum during opening hours at:(0431) 880-5170 oranmeldung@zoolmuseum.uni-kiel.de.
Please find all current information and offers on the Zoological Museum's website:
© Zoologisches Museum
© Claudia Eulitz, Uni Kiel
© Zoologisches Museum
Schleswig-Holstein State Museums
The Schleswig-Holstein State Museums Foundation Schloss Gottorf is the most significant museum association in the State of Schleswig-Holstein. It views itself as a cultural ambassador for and in Schleswig-Holstein. The Foundation and its facilities have the status of an affiliated facility of Kiel University. The Archaeological Museum Schloss Gottorf and the Museum of Art and Cultural History Schloss Gottorf are under the Foundation’s umbrella. The Giant Globe and Baroque garden located on the Schleswig museum island belong to it too. The Viking Museum Haithabu and the Open-Air Museum Molfsee - State Museum for Ethnology - are no less prominent. The Jewish Museum in Rendsburg, the Ornamental Cast Iron Museum Büdelsdorf and Cismar Monastery are also established names within the State.
Set sail with the Erik Styrimathr.
