Museum Ancient Cultures
Museum Ancient Cultures
As the MUT's largest house, the Museum Ancient Cultures at Hohentübingen Castle makes unique cultural exhibits accessible to all audiences. Visitors can admire superlatives of cultural history: the oldest figurative art and the oldest musical instrument of mankind from the UNESCO World Heritage “Caves and Ice Age art of the Swabian Alb”, findings from the excavations of the UNESCO World Heritage "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps”, and the world's oldest surviving giant wine barrel, built in 1549. Thus, it is the only university museum world-wide to display artefacts from two UNESCO World Heritage sites as well as holding a Guinness world record.
The exhibition explores 40 000 years of cultural history, with highlights such as the famous Tübinger Hoplite from one of the most outstanding and comprehensive university collections of classical archaeology and ancient Egyptian objects unique in Europe, including the 4500-year-old offering chamber of Seschemnefer II and the coffin of Idi with a ‘star clock’ surviving on the lid. In the ‘Fünfeckturm’, the rare Malanggan artworks from New Ireland and ceramic vessels of Shipibo from South America are on display.
Opening Hours
Wed to Sun 10am to 5pm
Thurs 10am to 7 pm
On holidays, the museum is usually open from 10am to 5pm
Admission
Adult: 5 €
Reduced: 3 € (children, students, retirees, disabled)
Family ticket: 12 €
Students of the University of Tübingen: free
Guided tours for groups: 50 € (1 hour) or 70 € (1,5 hours)
Special Offers
Free admission
New citizens (with voucher booklet of the city of Tübingen)
KinderCard (KreisBonusCard Junior)
ICOM members
Refugees
With "Gutscheinbuch Kreis Tübingen"
Schools offer
Every school class in the district of Tübingen has the opportunity to visit the Museum Alte Kulturen at a highly discounted price, as the KSK Tübingen supports the visit with up to 75 euros and, in the case of public transport, with up to 50 euros per class. Please send the documents for the visit and the drive to KSK Tübingen (Kreissparkasse Tübingen, Marktkommunikation, Mühlbachäcker-Straße 2, 72072 Tübingen). We thank the Kreissparkasse Tübingen for this offer!
Departments
When did the first works of art come about? The highlights of the Collection of Early Prehistory are the Ice Age figurines made of mammoth ivory, like the world famous Vogelherd horse. They date back around 40,000 years and are among the world's oldest works of art.
How did people live 7,000 years ago? The Collection of Late Prehistory houses exhibits of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings" on Lake Federsee and also Iron Age objects of the Celtic settlements Heuneburg on the Upper Danube and Heidengraben on the Swabian Alb.
What were the secrets of the mysterious scriptures? The collection of Mesopotamian cuneiform texts covers a range of 5000 years of ancient Near Eastern script developement.
How did the Egyptians bury their dead? The Egyptian Collection represents an impressive spectrum of funerary rites with mummy masks, coffins and grave goods. The highlight of the department is the offering chamber of Seschemnefer III. from Giza.
Which objects did the ancient Greeks and Romans use on a daily basis? The Collection of Classical Archeology displays objects from everyday life and funerary customs of the ancient Mediterranean peoples. The most famous piece is the "Tübingen Hoplite", a bronze statuette of an Olympic champion.
More than just money? The Numismatic Collection of the Institute of Classical Archeology presents a cross-section of the history of money, from the first coins of the 7th century BC to coins from Alexander the Great to coins from Gaius Julius Caesar and the Roman emperors.
What were the important sculptures of antiquity? The plaster casts of famous statues, reliefs and architectural fragments from the Collection of Classical Archeology offer a fascinating tour through the history of ancient art.
Bookable offers
You would like to book a guided tour or course?
Tours are possible outside business hours as well.
Phone: +49 (0)7071 29 77579
send email
or just use the following contact form: book tour or course
Accessibility
The Museum of Ancient Cultures strives to make its collections, buildings, programmes and services accessible to all audiences. Several disabled parking spaces are available in the courtyard of the castle.
Wheelchairs
The Museum of Ancient Cultures is accessible to wheelchair users and other visitors who can't use stairs. A stairlift and a ramp provide access to all levels of the exhibition. Visitors with disabilities can use mobility aids such as manual and electric wheelchairs, walkers, walking sticks and crutches in all areas.
Please contact us at +49 (0)7071 29 77579 to make a reservation or to request an escort for wheelchair users (preferably two weeks in advance).
Museum shop
In our museum shop you can find various articles on topics from our collections, including scientific publications, high-quality replicas and all kinds of gift ideas.
Check out our online shop via this link
Our App for your visit of the MUT | Ancient Cultures
40.000 years of cultural history at 15 different stations
Discover the Ancient Cultures exhibition of the MUT at Hohentübingen Castle, featuring objects from two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The app offers a highlight tour of the most important objects of the museum in several languages, including english, german and chinese. Additionally, it offers a specially prepared audio guide for children an exciting stories from the Ice Age as well as Ancient Egypt and Greece.
Our app was funded by the pilot project "NEUSTART. Sofortprogramm für Corona-bedingte Investitionen in Kultureinrichtungen" of the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM). It was developed by Fluxguide for the MUT.
Download the app and use it offline at the museum. Available for Android and iOS.
