Mannheim has many museum highlights, which include the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museums, Planetarium, Museum Ship, Mannheim Baroque Castle and Kunsthalle Mannheim.
Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen
The Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, or Rem for short (Zeughaus C5), are a museum complex of many different attractions. This Mannheim museum is famous for its chessboard layout. It features over 11,500 square meters of space that is filled up with over one million exhibits. This treasure trove ranges from sculpture and painting to musical instruments and old costumes, as well as armor, archaeological artifacts and stuffed animal specimens.
Planetarium
This Mannheim museum is a historical place. The Planetarium (Wilhelm-Varnholt-Allee 1) was one of the first of its kind in the world, all the way back in 1927.
World War II wreaked major destruction on this museum. It was essentially obliterated by all the fighting. The Planetarium was not rebuilt for a full fifty years after the War just to the side of its original location.
These days the Planetarium lets its visitors take a walk through the Milky Way galaxy. You’ll be seeing stars, as well as nebulae and Magellanic clouds during your visit!
Museumsschiff (The Museum Ship)
The Museumsschiff or Museum Ship (An der Kurpfalzbrücke), is a unique Mannheim museum experience. Here you will see an historic steamer floating on the Rhine River. The ship was built in 1929.
Climb on board and you can learn how to tie nautical knots, investigate salvage dives (the boat itself actually sank in the 1950s but was later retrieved) or visit the engine room.
Barockschloss Mannheim (Mannheim Baroque Castle)
Come visit its Barockschloss (Bismarckstraße) for a sample of exquisite Baroque architecture. It has been called the “Jewel of the Palatinate.”
With over 500 elaborately decorated rooms, there is plenty of eye candy here. This museum is not only a showcase for fine architecture and design, but also a place to learn more about the Electors who called this Castle home.
Kunsthalle Mannheim
The Kunsthalle Mannheim (Friedrichsplatz 4), or Mannheim art museum, is the go-to place for fine art and master painters in this city. Some of the artists on display are some of the world’s most famous and beloved — Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Otto Dix and Max Liebermann.
