10 Specialty Museums in Hamburg That You Shouldn't Miss

Miniatur Wunderland is the world’s largest model train exhibit, and still growing. See trains running through recreations of Hamburg and the coast, Austria, the Grand Canyon and Scandinavia.

Dialog im Dunkeln is an experiential exhibition in complete darkness, which is not possible to explore on your own. Your blind host will guide you through the completely darkened exhibition in a small group of no more than 8 people. Equipped with a blind cane, you discover the world that we usually take for granted in a completely new way. You hear, feel and find your bearings in various non-visual situations of daily life; going for a walk in the park, crossing a busy city-street, going on a boat trip as well as visiting our Dark Bar. This is an experience which will stay alive in your memory long after your visit. Blind and visually-impaired guides are there to ensure your well-being at every step through this unfamiliar landscape. The last stop on our tour is at the Dark Bar, where you can talk about your experience over a drink with our guides, who are happy to answer all the questions which naturally arise during the tour.

Dialogue in Silence® builds on the successful formula of Dialogue in the Dark®. What happens here is an exchange of roles in which our guests step into ‘a different, silent world’. They wear noise-cancelling headphones and are guided through the world of silence by our deaf colleagues, who take them on a journey which is nevertheless alive with communication. They experience the beauty of non-verbal communication, and learn how to speak with their hands and to hear with their eyes. Allow your hands to dance and your face to express yourself! Learn from our experts in body and sign-language. This is a journey which will enrich you with insights into the fascinating world in which deaf people are able to communicate; it offers you new ways of understanding. In our 60 minute tours, deaf staff members lead you in small groups of no more than 12 people through our especially sound-proofed exhibition rooms.

The Panik City is a unique multimedia experience about the life and work of Udo Lindenberg - one of Germany’s most prolific, famous and successful performing artists. Situated in the St. Pauli Klubhaus at the heart of Hamburg’s entertainment district on the Reeperbahn. Visitors are invited to take a 90 minute tour through Panik City in groups of up to 20 people. Tours start every half hour and are held in German language only. Through multivision storytelling, 270° video projection, singing with a virtual Udo, augmented reality, interactive painting and virtual reality, visitors get to touch, hear and see Udo as they have never seen him before in six rooms over 700m². Panik City reveals the personal and political side of the man behind the rock legend and is designed for all age groups, fans and anyone interested in rock n’ roll, pop music, art, culture and German history.

Learn about the history and future of shipping, and Hamburg’s importance, at this tremendous museum. Artifacts include ship models, paintings, uniforms and nautical devices.

The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, like the Victoria & Albert in London, specializes in fine & decorative art.

The CAP SAN DIEGO, built in 1961, is a unique testimony to seafaring and is berthed in her old home harbour of Hamburg as a »museum you can touch« since 1986. She is the last of the classic cargo ships, referred to as the "White Swan of the South Atlantic." There are rooms to let and cabins to rent. A round tour onboard the CAP SAN DIEGO leads the visitor to: cargo holds, loading gear, mooring and anchoring equipment, palaverdeck, lifeboats, swimming pool and arbour, bridge, chart room and communications room, captain’s cabin, dining room and passenger cabins, galley, pantry and mess crew accommodations and the engine room. Since 2015 there is an english audio guide version available on board. An English Booklet containing a tour of the Ship is also available for you during the duration of your stay on board.