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Long Night of Museums 30th August 2008 from 6pm to 2am

"I also in Arcadia" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Italian Journey

This summer, the theme of the Long Night of Museums is "Castles, Parks and Gardens". More than 100 museums and collections have combed through their stocks and exhibitions for exhibits which fit the theme meanwhile exploring their own urban location and bringing myths to life - "Arcadia" is here and now.
Of course, this is easy for the participating castles (Britz, Charlottenburg, Köpenick): all they have to do is open their gates and present themselves as they are, in all their finery. This year's theme is also a walk in the park for venues surrounded by pretty grounds, the Liebermann House on Wannsee, for instance, from which we have borrowed our cover image of the woman sitting on the garden bench, or the Georg Kolbe Museum or the Brücke Museum. Many other museums have interpreted this exploration of gardens and landscapes in a highly individual manner, with special tours, lectures, concerts and artistic presentations - thus, offering unusual, sometimes surprising perspectives on a major theme.
Consistent with this year's theme, the Long Night of Museums will be opened by Klaus Wowereit, the current mayor of Berlin, among the columns of the Altes Museum with a view over the newly restored Lustgarten with its pristine lawn and beautiful flowerbeds. The Lustgarten is a place to build up your strength for the journey through the night by bringing a picnic, a point of call for those who decided to buy their tickets on the day and a central hub for those hopping on and off the shuttle buses along the five City routes.
Whereas as the winter editions of the Long Night of Museums keeps to the cultural highlights in the centre of town, the 23rd Long Night of Museums spans the whole city, covering an area of around 400km². Five peripheral shuttle bus routes will enable visitors to explore further afield.
Since last summer, the Berlin Long Night of Museums celebrates with a central closing party which is taking place this year in the Deutsches Historisches Museum's Schlüterhof, right across the road from the Lustgarten.
The Berliner Abendschau, long-standing partner of the Long Night of Museums, is also celebrating its 50th birthday on the night of 30th August - Many happy returns!

Wolf Kühnelt
Head of Events, Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH


What is the Long Night of Museums? How often does it occur?
The Long Night of Museums is an ambitious public event that has survived for years, attracting a loyal following as well as the attention of the media, and successfully managing to combine high culture and entertaining events. This event takes place twice a year on the last Saturday of January and August. All participating museums stay open until late into the night, offering visitors an unusual and privileged insight into Berlin's lively museum scene. Since most people enjoy having company while visiting a museum, the Long Night of Museums is widely understood as a communal event; only one in ten visitors prefer to attend it by themselves. It is also a great family event, as the museums constantly make an effort to come up with new events for young people, including guided tours and workshops. This year, the theme is Castles, Parks and Gardens, so let yourself be enchanted by this adventurous museum journey.

Is the Long Night of Museums suitable for non-German speaking tourists visiting Berlin?
The Long Night of Museums is a major event in the Berlin cultural calendar suitable for all ages, tastes as well as nationalities. Due to the variety of Berlin's museums and the collections they have to offer, tourists and non-German speakers can enjoy the Long Night of Museums just as much as German-speaking participants. However, please note that some tours and events do only take place in German, please enquire to avoid disappointment.

How much does the entrance fee to the Long Night of Museums cost?
To participate in the Long Night of Museums, you need to buy a Kombiticket.
Bought in advance a Kombiticket costs 12 Euros, reduced 8 Euros 
Bought on the day of the event a Kombticket costs 15 Euros, reduced 10 Euros 

If you are a student, unemployed, employed by the military or civil service, a pensioner or disabled, you qualify for the reduced entrance fee. Free entry for children under 12.

What does your Kombiticket include?
Your Kombiticket includes entry to all participating museums and events featured in the programme, all shuttle bus routes and for all transport on the whole BVG network for zones ABC from 3pm to 5am on the 30th of August 2008.

Where can I buy tickets?
On the day of the event, you will be able to buy tickets in front of the Altes Museum, in the Lustgarten, right in the centre of Berlin. Tickets are also available from all participating museums.

What are the shuttle bus routes for? Where do they go?
To maximise your enjoyment of the event and increase the amount of museums you are able to visit, we have developed a selection of bus routes to make your itinerary through Berlin's museums both easy and comfortable. Each shuttle bus route starts and ends at S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations which lie slightly off the beaten track, thus enabling you to visit a maximum number of museums in the shortest amount of time. Whereas 15 museums are located within walking distance of the Lustgarten, over 100 other museums and collections are made accessible by the 10 shuttle bus routes, 6 of which start and end at the Lustgarten in the centre of Berlin and 4 of which circulate in areas further away from the centre. On every bus, a bus steward will be at hand to answer any questions you may have. For a detailed overview of the bus routes, please consult our programme.