City Museum Amberg | Opening Hours & Exhibitions

At the City Museum Amberg, visitors experience the history of the city up close – right in the old town, just a few minutes' walk from the train station. The building is housed in a historic storage barn, a complex that is over 500 years old and has served as a museum since 1989. On several floors, illustrative object displays, historical rooms, and modern media stations combine to create a lively journey through time from the city's formation to the electoral prince's Amberg and into the 19th and 20th centuries, featuring original shops, workshops, and everyday worlds. A special highlight is the exhibition area dedicated to Michael Mathias Prechtl, the internationally renowned painter and illustrator from Amberg. The program is regularly supplemented by special exhibitions such as “Fritz Griebel. painted. cut. woven.” with interactive stations for all age groups. Thanks to its central location, family-friendly offerings, and clear visitor information on arrival, opening hours, and tickets, the museum is an uncomplicated address for culture in Amberg – whether for a spontaneous visit, a guided tour, or a themed event in the evening.

Opening Hours, Tickets, and Practical Information

For those who want to plan their museum visit efficiently, the most important details are compactly summarized: The City Museum Amberg is open Tuesday to Friday from 11 AM to 4 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM; the museum is closed on Mondays. It is also closed on selected public holidays – December 24 and 25, December 31 and January 1 – as well as on Shrove Tuesday. These times also apply to the associated City Gallery ALTE FEUERWACHE; the branch Glaskathedrale offers guided tours by appointment, but no regular opening hours. Upon entry, the museum relies on fair, transparent rates: Adults pay 6 euros, reduced 5 euros (including students, people with disabilities, seniors aged 65 and over, military and alternative service members, and trainees). Children aged 6 and over pay 2.50 euros; children under 6 visit the museum free of charge. For families, there are two attractive options: Family Ticket 1 (one adult with at least two children aged 6 and over) costs 8.50 euros; Family Ticket 2 (two adults with at least two children aged 6 and over) costs 14.50 euros. Both options are also available as annual passes (21 euros or 36 euros). Groups of ten or more visit the museum for 5 euros per person. Important for those who dislike waiting: Tickets can be conveniently booked online; guided tours are also offered, which are confirmed upon prior registration. In case of cancellations, the rule is that changes must be made at least three working days before the booked date, otherwise a cancellation fee may be charged. A quick look at accessibility helps with planning: Due to the historical building substance, not all areas are accessible without steps. Accessible areas include the departments “Collected Times,” “The Electoral Prince's Amberg,” the area “A Tribute to Michael Mathias Prechtl,” the presentation on “Don't Get Angry” as well as the City Gallery ALTE FEUERWACHE. If you have questions or are coming with a group, you can reach the team by phone at 09621-101284 or by email at stadtmuseum@amberg.de – for both general inquiries and bookings for guided tours and educational programs.

Exhibitions: Prechtl Permanent Exhibition and Current Highlights

A unique feature of the City Museum is the large exhibition area “A Tribute to Michael Mathias Prechtl.” Prechtl (1926–2003), born in Amberg, gained international attention as a portrait artist, poster designer, and book illustrator, including works for the New York Times and Der Spiegel. The museum preserves the artistic estate with over 200 original works and makes it experienceable in a clearly curated, accessible presentation – supplemented by media stations that provide background on techniques and themes. In addition to Prechtl, the museum presents further significant chapters of Amberg's cultural and everyday history: Visitors stand in the historic pharmacy, look into a “Mom-and-Pop” store or workshops, and learn how crafts, fashion, and consumption shaped the city. A favorite among the public is the section dedicated to Josef Friedrich Schmidt, the inventor of the board game “Don't Get Angry®,” honoring another famous son of Amberg.

As a major special exhibition project, the museum will show “Fritz Griebel. painted. cut. woven.” (March 23, 2025, to January 11, 2026). Griebel (1899–1976), professor and director at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg, was also a teacher of Michael Mathias Prechtl. The exhibition opens with ten thematic areas providing insights into Griebel's versatile work – from oil paintings, watercolors, and drawings to paper cuts and collages to designs for embroideries and large-format tapestries. The interactive approach is particularly noteworthy: Participation stations invite visitors to try out techniques themselves; audio and other media contributions from family members and students of the artist deepen understanding. A supporting program with guided tours, lectures, and workshops – including curatorial introductions, phone tours in the inclusive format “Cultural Call” as well as offerings for children and teenagers – makes the exhibition accessible to different target groups. Those specifically interested in guided tours will find regular formats: such as “Prechtl Sunday,” public tours “Across the Museum,” and thematic tours on historical focal points. The dates are continuously published on the museum's website and in municipal news.

Upcoming Events and Program Highlights

The City Museum Amberg sees itself as a vibrant cultural venue – accordingly, the annual program is diverse. In addition to guided tours through permanent and special exhibitions, experience and theme days, appraisal days, lectures, readings, workshops, and holiday programs are part of the fixed repertoire. An atmospheric highlight is “Awakening at Night,” where the museum becomes an experiential space in the evening. The museum opened its doors on Saturday, November 16, 2024, and Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 5 PM to 10 PM for a colorful program with participation stations, medieval live music, short tours, fashion shows, readings, and offerings specifically for children. Typical are also craft demonstrations – such as a shoemaker at work – and entertaining insights into historical living environments. The ticket prices for these evenings were last set at 12 euros for adults and 5 euros for children aged 6 and over; all activities of the evening are included in the ticket. New dates will be announced online in a timely manner.

In parallel to the exhibition operations, the museum sets accents with series like the “Little Workshop” – two-hour creative workshops for children (usually ages 6–12, usually 8 euros including materials and admission) – or seasonal holiday programs. An example from 2025 is “On the Trail of the Easter Bunny” (April 24, 2025), where children explore the house playfully and then create their own Springerle. For adults, there are lectures and thematic tours, for example on Griebel's teacher Rudolf Schiestl or city historical topics. Public tours “Across the Museum” offer compact overviews of the diversity of the house – from the first documentary mention of Amberg to the electoral chapter to industrial successes such as enamel dishes from Amberg. Those who want to deepen their knowledge of exhibitions will also find curated formats around the special exhibitions – including accessible tours. All upcoming dates are compiled on the museum's event page; additional information appears in the municipal cultural news portal.

Offers for Families, Children, and Groups

The City Museum Amberg is particularly attractive for families because many departments facilitate discovery through participation and media stations. For children and teenagers, the educational department offers tailored programs: In addition to the mentioned holiday offerings and the “Little Workshop,” there are digital scavenger hunts with the Actionbound app. The free app can be downloaded on-site via the public @BayernWLAN in the foyer; afterwards, it guides users through selected stations of the permanent exhibition with varied riddle and photo tasks. For kindergartens, school classes, clubs, and private groups, bookable guided tours and workshops are available – designed for specific age groups, with clear recommendations for group sizes and duration. The variety ranges from compact guided tours in the historic rooms to thematically focused discovery tours, for example on Prechtl's animal representations or into the Middle Ages.

A specific “Children's Birthday Package” is not listed as a standard offering on the museum's website. However, families planning a birthday party with a cultural focus can inquire about individual group formats. Early contact by phone or email is recommended – especially on weekends with high demand or during ongoing special exhibitions. Pricing for individual tours is based on the published conditions (e.g., flat-rate guiding fee plus reduced admissions); details are confirmed by the museum team upon booking. For families with younger children, it is worth looking at free or reduced admission options: Children under 6 years old pay no admission, and family tickets make the visit calculable.

Arrival, Location, and Parking in Amberg

The address of the City Museum is Zeughausstraße 18, 92224 Amberg. It is about a seven-minute walk from the train station – a short walk into the old town. Those arriving by car should orient themselves depending on direction at the A6 (Nuremberg–Heilbronn, exit Amberg-West, continue via B299) or A93 (Regensburg–Hof, exit Schwandorf/Amberg, continue via B85). In the city, signs point towards the center; on-site, the museum is signposted. For cyclists, Amberg is conveniently located on the Five Rivers Cycle Path, the Bavaria–Bohemia long-distance cycle route, and the Bavarian Iron Road cycle path; bike parking is located directly in front of the building. Important for drivers: Parking options in the old town are limited. The Schießstätteweg parking lot and the parking garage at Kurfürstenbad are recommended; coordinates are available for navigation (decimal degrees 49.44395, 11.85908). Those using public transport benefit from regular regional train connections between Nuremberg and Regensburg; from the train station, there is a direct walking route through the city center. In planning, one should consider that in the evening – for events such as “Awakening at Night” – the demand for parking spaces increases. Tip: When attending events, plan a few extra minutes for the walk and secure tickets online in advance.

Management, History, and Special Features of the House

The City Museum Amberg is managed by Dr. Julia Riß. The institution is part of the AMBERG.MUSEUM network, which includes the City Museum, the City Gallery ALTE FEUERWACHE, and the Glaskathedrale Amberg as a branch. The museum location itself – the storage barn – is a special feature: The two-winged complex bears the year 1544 and historically served as a municipal warehouse for building materials, grain, and weapons; at times, the municipal arsenal was also housed here. After a major renovation, the building complex was opened as a museum in 1989; in 1992, further departments (clothing, crafts, industry) followed. An expansion in 2001/02 prepared for the large Bavarian State Exhibition “The Winter King” (2003). Since 2015/16, the museum has presented the Prechtl area newly conceived in larger rooms; in 2019, the section on Josef Friedrich Schmidt and “Don't Get Angry®” was added. This continuous development shows how the museum connects historical substance with contemporary methods of communication.

Even in terms of accessibility, the historical site is significant: Due to the architectural conditions, not all levels are barrier-free. However, central public areas are accessible, including the Prechtl exhibition, the electoral prince's Amberg, “Collected Times,” “Don't Get Angry,” and the City Gallery. The team communicates the framework conditions transparently and supplements the program with inclusive formats – such as barrier-free tours in the Prechtl area or participation in “Cultural Call,” which also enables people without mobility to access art and history. In total, a profile emerges that links art historical quality (Prechtl, Griebel) with regional everyday history and experiential communication – from everyday life in the 19th/20th century with pharmacy, bakery, and shop to craft traditions and industrial successes such as Amberg enamelware.

Sources:

• AMBERG.MUSEUM – Opening Hours and Admission Prices
• AMBERG.MUSEUM – Contact and Arrival (Management, Directions, Parking, GPS)
• AMBERG.MUSEUM – Special Exhibition “Fritz Griebel. painted. cut. woven.”
• City of Amberg – News “Awakening at Night in the City Museum Amberg”
• AMBERG.MUSEUM – History of the Museum (Storage Barn, Expansion, Departments)
• City of Amberg – News “Guided Tour of the Prechtl Exhibition”
• AMBERG.MUSEUM – Tours for Adults (Prechtl Sunday, Across the Museum)
• AMBERG.MUSEUM – Offers for Children/Actionbound