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Visitors regulations

Blick vom Foyer in den Sauriersaal des Museums für Naturkunde

The Museum of Natural History welcomes all its visitors and wishes them a pleasant stay.

In its exhibition rooms, the Museum für Naturkunde presents cultural treasures of the highest order. They enable its visitors to encounter valuable objects from the collections directly, trusting their understanding and appropriate behaviour. The following regulations must therefore be observed when visiting the museums:

Opening hours

The notices and public notices shall apply. Special arrangements may be made for justified reasons (e.g. school holidays, public holidays, events, etc.).

Admission fee for permanent exhibitions

  • Admission fees are determined by the Museum's Board of Trustees. The notices and public announcements apply. The following persons have free admission:
  • Children until school enrolment
  • Member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM)
  • Member of the Museum's Support Associations
  • Member of the WFTGA (World Federation of Tourist Guide Associati6ns) against presentation of the WFTGA CultureCard
  • College students of the Berlin universities and colleges that visit the museum as part of their studies
  • Proprietor of a press card
  • Staff of other Berlin museums that identify themselves as such
  • Escort of a severely disabled person (as far as this is noted on the severely disabled person's ID card)
  • two teachers, educators, who accompany a school class, children or youth group

On special occasions and for a limited period of time, the Museum of Natural History may grant discounts on admission to a certain group of people, or set a surcharge on the admission price for special exhibitions or guided tours.

Wardrobe

Before entering the exhibition rooms, larger bags and rucksacks, sticks, umbrellas, etc. must be handed in at the cloakroom. In case of doubt, the supervisory staff will decide. The Museum of Natural History accepts no liability for valuables in the cloakroom. The cloakroom shall be kept free of charge.

Protection of museum objects

It is not permitted

  • touching, damaging or contaminating objects, unless expressly permitted in the exhibition
  • in the exhibition premises to eat and smoke
  • living animals in the exhibition rooms. Exceptions exist for guide dogs for the blind.

Photo and video recording

Photography or filming is only permitted for private purposes. For safety reasons, the use of tripods, floodlights and cables is not permitted. Recordings for commercial purposes require the prior consent of the museum management. Permission may be subject to conditions and the payment of a fee.

Guided tours of the exhibitions

Guided tours of the exhibitions may only be carried out by persons authorised by the Museum. An exception is the supervision of school classes by their teachers. For an expert guided tour of groups and persons, prior written or telephone registration is required. Guided tours of the exhibitions are subject to a fee in addition to the admission fee.

Behaviour in the exhibitions

Every visitor should behave in the exhibition rooms in such a way that other visitors are not disturbed. Teachers, group leaders and legal guardians are responsible for the appropriate behaviour of children and young people in their company. Children under the age of ten may only be allowed to visit the Museum of Natural History if accompanied by an adult. The visitor is liable for any damage caused.

Supervising staff

The supervisory personnel shall be entitled to inspect the admission tickets of the visitors and to issue instructions within the scope of their duty of supervision vis-à-vis the visitors. The management of the Museum may exercise its domestic authority in the case of visitors who repeatedly disobey the regulations of the Visitor Regulations or the instructions of the supervisory staff and exclude them from further visits to the Museum of Natural History.

Liability

The Museum shall not be liable for any damage suffered by visitors to the exhibition rooms, except in cases of wilful misconduct or gross negligence on the part of the Museum.

Information, complaints, lost property

Information, requests and comments on the exhibitions shown in the Museum für Naturkunde and the visitor service facilities can be entered in the guest book available at the information stand or communicated to the supervisory staff. Complaints will be forwarded directly to the museum management or the public relations officer. Lost property will be accepted by the cash desk or supervisory staff. Questions regarding lost property should be directed to the museum administration.

Final provisions

Every visitor of the exhibitions of the Museum für Naturkunde accepts the present visitor regulations with the purchase of an admission ticket. If these rules are not observed, the Museum für Naturkunde reserves the right to take measures to establish the rules or to limit damage.

Entry into force

The visitor regulations are enforced by the museum management.

At the same time, Part 1 of the Regulations on the Use of the Facilities of the Museum of Natural History - Visitor Regulations for the Exhibitions of the Museum of Natural History (Official Gazette of the Humboldt University, No. 20/2007) shall cease to apply.

Berlin, 13.10.2014