Museumsufer: A Family Guide to Frankfurt's Riverside Museum Mile
The Museumsufer is Frankfurt's riverside museum district, a roughly one-kilometer stretch along Schaumainkai on the Main's south bank, Sachsenhausen side, between the Eiserner Steg and the Friedensbrücke, where 13 museums sit in close, walkable proximity, part of a wider network of 39 museums across the city and region that trace back to a 1977 proposal by then-culture councillor Hilmar Hoffmann. The best-known names along that stretch include the Städel Museum (Schaumainkai 63), one of Germany's major art collections; the Liebieghaus (Schaumainkai 71) for historical sculpture; the Museum für Kommunikation, the Deutsches Filmmuseum, and the Deutsches Architekturmuseum, all clustered nearby; the Museum für Angewandte Kunst and the Museum der Weltkulturen a bit further along; and the Ikonen-Museum and Haus Giersch closer to the district's edges. Rather than buying single tickets museum by museum, most families are better off with the MuseumsuferTicket, 21 EUR for a single adult, 32 EUR for a family ticket covering 2 adults plus children or grandchildren under 18, and 12 EUR reduced, valid across all 39 participating museums for two consecutive days. At the Städel specifically, children under 12 get in free on their own, and teenagers up to 17 get in free when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. The district draws more than 2 million visitors a year and is genuinely walkable end to end, making it realistic to combine two or three museums, or one museum plus a riverside walk, in a single afternoon.
What the Museumsufer Actually Is
The Museumsufer is Frankfurt’s riverside museum district, a roughly one-kilometer stretch along Schaumainkai on the Main’s south bank, the Sachsenhausen side, running between the Eiserner Steg and the Friedensbrücke. According to local district reporting and regional tourism coverage, 13 museums sit along that specific stretch in close, walkable proximity, part of a wider network of 39 museums across Frankfurt and the surrounding region.
The idea itself traces to 1977, when Hilmar Hoffmann, then the city’s culture councillor, proposed concentrating a group of different museums along the riverbank, according to background on the concept’s development. Between 1980 and 1990, existing museums were renovated and several new ones built, some designed by internationally known architects and often incorporating historic riverside villas, growing the district into what it is today. It now draws more than 2 million visitors a year.
| Museum | Address | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Städel Museum | Schaumainkai 63 | One of Germany's major art collections |
| Liebieghaus | Schaumainkai 71 | Historical sculpture |
| Museum für Kommunikation | Schaumainkai 53 | Communication history |
| Deutsches Filmmuseum | Schaumainkai 41 | Film history |
| Deutsches Architekturmuseum | Schaumainkai 43 | Architecture |
| Museum für Angewandte Kunst | Schaumainkai 15 | Applied and decorative arts |
| Museum der Weltkulturen | Schaumainkai 29-37 | World cultures |
| Ikonen-Museum | Brückenstraße 3-7 | Icon painting |
| Haus Giersch | Schaumainkai 83 | Regional art |
Getting In: Single Tickets vs. the MuseumsuferTicket
For a family planning to see more than one museum, the MuseumsuferTicket is usually the better deal. According to the official ticket page, it costs 21 EUR for a single adult, 32 EUR for a family ticket covering 2 adults plus children or grandchildren under 18, and 12 EUR reduced, and it’s valid across all 39 participating museums citywide for two consecutive days, not just the 13 along Schaumainkai.
Photo by Bjorn Pierre on Pexels
At the Städel Museum specifically, according to its own ticket information, children under 12 get in free on their own, no accompanying adult ticket required, and teenagers up to 17 get in free when accompanied by at least one adult holding a valid ticket. The Städel’s hours run Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday 10:00-18:00, Thursday and Friday 10:00-21:00, and it’s closed Mondays.
Step by Step
- Decide how many museums you realistically want to see: the MuseumsuferTicket pays off once you're doing more than one stop across two days.
- Compare the family ticket (32 EUR) against single admissions: if you're only visiting one museum on one day, a standard single ticket at that museum may be cheaper.
- Check individual museum hours before you go: the Städel, for example, is closed Mondays and stays open until 21:00 Thursday and Friday.
- Bring ID to confirm ages at the counter: free entry for children and discounted or free entry for teens is usually tied to an accompanying adult's valid ticket.
- Plan a walkable route along Schaumainkai: the core 13-museum stretch between Eiserner Steg and Friedensbrücke is realistic to cover partially on foot in an afternoon.
Compliance Note
This page reflects publicly available information from the Museumsufer’s own ticketing pages, the Städel Museum’s official visitor information, and local district and tourism reporting, current as of mid-2026. Prices, hours, and participating museums can change; confirm current details directly with museumsufer.de or the specific museum before planning a visit.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Do we really need to see all 13 museums, or is that unrealistic for one visit?
Nobody realistically covers all 13 in one visit, and the MuseumsuferTicket is built around that reality rather than against it. It's valid for two consecutive days across all 39 participating museums citywide, not just the Schaumainkai stretch, so a family can genuinely spread a visit to 2 or 3 museums across an afternoon, skip the rest, and still get value from the ticket without treating it like a checklist to complete.
Is the MuseumsuferTicket actually worth it over single admission?
It depends on how many museums you're realistically visiting, but for a family doing more than one stop, usually yes. Per the [official MuseumsuferTicket page](https://www.museumsufer.de/en/admission-tickets/season-tickets/museumsuferticket/), a single adult ticket is 21 EUR and a family ticket covering 2 adults plus children or grandchildren under 18 is 32 EUR, both valid across 39 museums for two consecutive days. If you're only doing one museum on one day, a standard single admission at that specific museum may work out cheaper, worth checking against the individual museum's own price first.
How does admission work for kids specifically at the Städel?
Per the [Städel's own ticket information](https://www.staedelmuseum.de/en/tickets), children under 12 get in free on their own, no adult ticket required. Teenagers up to 17 also get in free, but only when accompanied by at least one adult holding a valid ticket, so it's worth having that adult ticket in hand at the counter rather than assuming a teen's free entry stands alone.
Which museums are actually within walking distance of each other?
The core cluster runs along roughly one kilometer of Schaumainkai, the Sachsenhausen riverbank, between the Eiserner Steg and the Friedensbrücke, according to [local district reporting](https://www.frankfurt-sachsenhausen.de/content/museumsufer). The Städel (No. 63) and Liebieghaus (No. 71) sit close together toward one end, with the Museum für Kommunikation, Deutsches Filmmuseum, and Deutsches Architekturmuseum clustered a short walk away, and the Ikonen-Museum and Haus Giersch nearer the district's edges. It's genuinely a walkable riverside stretch rather than several separate trips across the city.
What's the actual history behind grouping these museums together?
The idea traces to 1977, when Hilmar Hoffmann, then Frankfurt's culture councillor, proposed concentrating a group of different museums along the riverbank, according to [background on the concept's development](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museumsufer). Between 1980 and 1990, the city renovated existing museums and built several new ones, some designed by internationally known architects and often incorporating historic riverside villas, growing what started as a Schaumainkai concept into the roughly 39-museum network Frankfurt and the surrounding region have today.