Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen
Tourismus NRW e.V., Bienenwaben Installation im Folkwang Museum in Essen

Top exhibitionsArt heaven, Kant and the climate crisis

The museums in North Rhine-Westphalia offer a wide range of exciting exhibitions with different focal points. Art and culture enthusiasts can look forward to works by renowned painters, sculptors and photographers. Institutions show exhibits on important music groups. Historical events, historical personalities and social phenomena also play a role. Below you will find an overview of the top exhibitions on offer this year. They are divided into the areas of "Art, Design, Architecture" and "Music, Science, Society".

Art, design, architecture

Load previous elements
  • Diana Blinkert / EMG
    21x21. The collections of the RuhrKunstMuseen
    Villa Hügel, Essen
    24. Apr 2025 - 27. Jul 2025
    The RuhrKunstMuseen present their impressive collection of over 500,000 works of art in the Villa Hügel, showcasing national and international art movements.
    Learn more
  • The collection of the Kunstpalast impresses with its diversity and quality and is estimated at more than 130,000 objects
    Anne Orthen, The collection of the Kunstpalast impresses with its diversity and quality and is estimated at more than 130,000 objects
    Women artists! From Monjé to Münter
    Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
    25. Sept 2025 - 1. Feb 2026
    The exhibition at the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf honors 30 female artists of the 19th and 20th centuries who created important works despite social obstacles.
    Learn more
  • Maurice de Vlaminck, The Seine at Bougival, 1906, Hasso Plattner Collection
    VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2025, Maurice de Vlaminck, The Seine at Bougival, 1906, Hasso Plattner Collection
    Maurice de Vlaminck: Rebel of modernism
    Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
    24. Apr 2025 - 18. May 2025
    First comprehensive retrospective of the French painter Maurice de Vlaminck in Germany, presented by the Von der Heydt-Museum and the Museum Barberini.
    Learn more
  • Tourismus NRW Logo
    The fascination of lacquer - art from Asia and Europe
    LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster
    24. Apr 2025 - 27. Jul 2025
    The exhibition "The Fascination of Lacquer - Art from Asia and Europe" at the LWL-Museum Münster shows the diversity of lacquer art and its role in global trade relations.
    Learn more
  • Museum Schloss Moyland has the world's largest collection of Joseph Beuys' work
    Tourismus NRW e.V., Museum Schloss Moyland has the world's largest collection of Joseph Beuys' work
    Marina Abramović and MAI in dialog with Joseph Beuys
    Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau
    13. Jul 2025 - 12. Oct 2025
    The Marina Abramović Institute is designing an art program at Museum Schloss Moyland based on artistic research in the Beuys archive and the museum's collection.
    Learn more
  • Paula Rego, Love, 1995, Pastel on paper on aluminum, 120 × 160 cm, Courtesy The Estate of Paula Rego and Victoria Miro
    Paula Rego Estate, Paula Rego, Love, 1995, Pastel on paper on aluminum, 120 × 160 cm, Courtesy The Estate of Paula Rego and Victoria Miro
    Paula Rego. The Personal is Political
    Museum Folkwang, Essen
    16. May 2025 - 7. Sept 2025
    The Museum Folkwang in Essen is presenting a comprehensive retrospective of the works of Portuguese-British artist Paula Rego from May 2025.
    Learn more
  • From left to right: Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, M.C. Richards, Bob Catoin and Jasper Johns, 1958
    Museum Ludwig, From left to right: Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, M.C. Richards, Bob Catoin and Jasper Johns, 1958
    Five friends
    Museum Ludwig, Köln
    3. Oct 2025 - 11. Jan 2026
    The exhibition "Five Friends" at the Museum Ludwig sheds light on the relationships and influence of five influential artists of the 20th century on post-war art.
    Learn more
  • NZHANNA KADYROVA (Brovary, Ucraina / Ukraine, 1981), Palianytsia. Ukraine, 2022, river stone sculptures
    dimensioni varie / various dimensions, Courtesy Galleria Continua and Bangkok Art Biennale, Photo by Preecha Pattaraumpornchai, NZHANNA KADYROVA (Brovary, Ucraina / Ukraine, 1981), Palianytsia. Ukraine, 2022, river stone sculptures
    At the table
    Dortmunder U, Dortmund
    9. May 2025 - 20. Jul 2025
    The "At the Table" exhibition at the Dortmunder U uses contemporary art to shed light on the social and cultural significance of eating and drinking together.
    Learn more
  • Gluck, Bank Holiday Monday, c.1937, Painting, oil on canvas, 23.7 × 18.7 cm
    Private collection, courtesy of The Fine Art Society Ltd, Gluck, Bank Holiday Monday, c.1937, Painting, oil on canvas, 23.7 × 18.7 cm
    Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950
    Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
    27. Sept 2025 - 15. Feb 2026
    The exhibition "Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950" at the K20 of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen honors the revolutionary contribution of queer artists to modernism.
    Learn more
Load more elements

Music, science, society

  • Imperial palace with St. Bartholomew's Chapel
    Karl Heinz Schäfer, Tourist Information Paderborn, Imperial palace with St. Bartholomew's Chapel
    1,250 years of Westphalia
    LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz, Paderborn
    1. May 2025 - 28. Feb 2026
    Celebration of the 1250th anniversary of Westphalia in 2025 with an anniversary program and exhibitions at the LWL Museum in the Kaiserpfalz in Paderborn. The history and culture of the region are told here.
    Learn more
  • Poster for the exhibition After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
    Schleiner + Partner Kommunikation, Poster for the exhibition After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
    After Hitler. The German confrontation with National Socialism
    Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn
    24. Apr 2025 - 25. Jan 2026
    The exhibition "After Hitler" at the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn examines Germany's confrontation with National Socialism over generations.
    Learn more
  • The collection of the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn comprises countless objects from over 450,000 years of Rhenish life and cultural history
    Michael Sondermann, The collection of the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn comprises countless objects from over 450,000 years of Rhenish life and cultural history
    The Rhine. Life by the river
    LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn
    24. Apr 2025 - 30. Sept 2025
    The special exhibition 'The Rhine. Life on the River' at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn offers an archaeological journey through the history of the Rhineland from spring 2025.
    Learn more
  • Lucian Freud, Head of a Woman, 1988-1990, MGKSiegen, Lambrecht-Schadeberg Collection
    The Estate of Lucian Freud Bridgeman Images, Lucian Freud, Head of a Woman, 1988-1990, MGKSiegen, Lambrecht-Schadeberg Collection
    Look, the looks
    Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen, Siegen
    24. Apr 2025 - 15. Jun 2025
    The exhibition "Schau, die Blicke" at the Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen explores the theme of "seeing and being seen" through various artistic media.
    Learn more
  • Couple in front of industrial plant
    LVR-Industriemuseum, Fotografin: Anne Winterer, Couple in front of industrial plant
    Anne Winterer - Rhineland and Ruhr region in view
    LVR-Industriemuseum St. Antony-Hütte, Oberhausen
    24. Apr 2025 - 22. Jun 2025
    The exhibition 'Anne Winterer - Rheinland und Ruhrgebiet im Blick' at the LVR Industrial Museum shows over 60 photographs from the 1920s and 1930s, which offer a unique insight into people's lives at that time.
    Learn more
  • Two permanent exhibitions and regular special shows provide insights into the animal and plant world at the LWL Museum of Natural History
    LWL, Oblonczyk, Two permanent exhibitions and regular special shows provide insights into the animal and plant world at the LWL Museum of Natural History
    Genes - diversity of life
    LWL-Museum für Naturkunde, Münster
    24. Apr 2025 - 31. Dec 2025
    Discover the fascinating world of genes in the exhibition "Genes - Diversity of Life" at the LWL Museum of Natural History in Münster.
    Learn more
  • Udo Lindenberg. Comet-like panic
    Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen, Oberhausen
    29. Jun 2025 - 28. Sept 2025
    Discover the 'Udoversum' in a comprehensive exhibition about the musician and artist Udo Lindenberg in the Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen.
    Learn more
  • Tourismus NRW Logo
    Land and soil
    Kunstsammlung NRW | K21 Ständehaus, Düsseldorf
    29. Nov 2025 - 19. Apr 2026
    The exhibition "Grund und Boden" at the K21 of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen reflects on the use and management of resources in modern societies. It invites discussion about a sustainable future.
    Learn more
  • Tourismus NRW Logo
    Günter Netzer - the seventies
    Deutsches Fußballmuseum, Dortmund
    24. Apr 2025 - 30. Sept 2025
    The special exhibition at the German Football Museum in Dortmund celebrates the golden age of soccer in the 1970s and the career of Günter Netzer, the first pop icon of German soccer.
    Learn more
Load more elements
New tips every two months

Insider tips & excursion ideasNewsletter

Fancy some mail? Then subscribe here to our every two months newsletter with information on special travel offers, selected short tips for short trips and other insider tips for travelling in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Click here to register