Neuschwanstein
Places
Bavarian Kings Museum

Museum of the Bavarian Kings beside the Alpsee

Museum of the Bavarian Kings in Hohenschwangau

The Museum of the Bavarian Kings in Hohenschwangau traces the Wittelsbach dynasty through 16 rooms beside the Alpsee. The official price list sets the cost of an adult admission ticket to the museum at €14.50. Your museum visit has no timed entry slot.

Updated 30 October 2026 Hours and tickets neuschwanstein.de and the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau, last read 29 October 2026; tour listings read 29 October 2026

Museum admission €14.50 Under 18 free with an accompanying adult → Admittance hours 9:00 to 16:30 Choose your arrival time without a timed slot → Renovation closure 9 to 11 November The museum closes from 9 to 11 November 2026. →

Plan your museum visit around the time on your castle ticket. The Prince-Ticket pairs the museum with Neuschwanstein Castle for €33.50 before online fees.

The place

What is the Museum of the Bavarian Kings?

The Museum of the Bavarian Kings tells the Wittelsbach family's story across 16 rooms on two floors. The museum opened its doors beside the lake in September 2011. Maximilian II and Ludwig II are the central figures.

Maximilian II rebuilt Hohenschwangau Castle as a summer residence. Ludwig II commissioned Neuschwanstein Castle. The museum's panorama window spans 21 metres, framing the lake and the summer residence rebuilt by Maximilian II. You can sit beside the window.

A wall of portraits on display inside the museum.

What you see

What can you see in the Museum of the Bavarian Kings?

The museum's family tree follows the Wittelsbachs from the 12th to the 20th century. The Hall of the Kings focuses on Maximilian II and Ludwig II. You can also see porcelain made for Ludwig III and Queen Marie Therese.

The museum's visit page describes computer animations of Ludwig II's unbuilt castles. Museum admission includes an audio guide in 10 languages, including English. You choose which entries to hear.

The Ticket Center's family page prices "Join Alois through the Museum" at €3. The riddle sheet comes with a pencil box and crown. Your child follows clues through the exhibition. No reservation is needed for the riddle.

Hohenschwangau Castle on its hill above the lake.

The ticket

Museum of the Bavarian Kings tickets

Museum of the Bavarian Kings The Museum of the Bavarian Kings costs €14.50 per adult with an audio guide. Reduced Museum of the Bavarian Kings admission costs €13.50. Children under 18 enter the Museum of the Bavarian Kings free with an adult.

€14.50 €17

Neuschwanstein Castle Neuschwanstein Castle costs €21 per adult for about 30 minutes with a guide. Reduced Neuschwanstein Castle admission costs €20. Children under 18 need a free Neuschwanstein Castle ticket.

€21 €23.50

Hohenschwangau Castle Hohenschwangau Castle costs €23.50 per adult for about 45 minutes with a guide. Reduced Hohenschwangau Castle admission costs €19.50. Children aged 7 to 17 pay €12 at Hohenschwangau Castle; under 7s enter free.

€23.50 €26

Prince-Ticket The Prince-Ticket covers Neuschwanstein Castle and the Museum of the Bavarian Kings for €33.50 per adult. A reduced Prince-Ticket costs €31.50. Children under 18 get a free Prince-Ticket with an adult.

€33.50 €38.50

Wittelsbach-Ticket The Wittelsbach-Ticket covers Hohenschwangau Castle and the Museum of the Bavarian Kings for €36 per adult. A reduced Wittelsbach-Ticket costs €31. A Wittelsbach-Ticket costs €12 for children aged 7 to 17; under 7s enter free.

€36 €41

Kings-Ticket The Kings-Ticket covers Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle for €43.50 per adult. A reduced Kings-Ticket costs €38.50. A Kings-Ticket costs €12 for children aged 7 to 17; under 7s enter free.

€43.50 €48.50

Swan-Ticket The Swan-Ticket covers Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau Castle and the Museum of the Bavarian Kings for €56 per adult. A reduced Swan-Ticket costs €50. A Swan-Ticket costs €12 for children aged 7 to 17; under 7s enter free.

€56 €63.50

adult price at the Ticket Center what the online fee adds

The official price list adds €2.50 per ticket online, including free tickets, as read on 29 October 2026. The combination tickets page adds €5 per ticket online for two sights or €7.50 for three, also on free tickets. Use your combination ticket on one visit date.

The Museum of the Bavarian Kings costs €14.50 for adults and €13.50 at the reduced rate on the museum's prices page. Students and visitors aged 65 or over qualify for the reduced rate. The museum also accepts proof of severe disability or an Ostallgäu guest card. Bring proof of eligibility for your reduced museum ticket.

Children under 18 enter the museum free with an accompanying adult. Königscard holders also enter free. Museum tickets bought through the official online ticket shop carry a €2.50 fee, including free tickets. You can buy museum admission at the museum counter.

The Prince-Ticket covers Neuschwanstein Castle and the museum for €33.50 on the combination tickets page. The Prince-Ticket costs €5 more online. Choose the Prince-Ticket if you want to visit the museum on the same date as your castle tour.

The €56 Swan-Ticket covers Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle with the museum. The Swan-Ticket online fee is €7.50. The €36 Wittelsbach-Ticket pairs Hohenschwangau Castle with the museum, plus €5 online. Combination tickets cover one visit date only.

Your ticket: €14.50 at the museum counter for the museum alone; choose a combination if your castle visit falls on the same date.

Hours

Museum of the Bavarian Kings opening hours

The Museum of the Bavarian Kings admits visitors from 9:00 to 16:30, as published on the Ticket Center's opening times page. The museum closes at 17:00. Museum entry has no timed slot.

8:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00

Ticket Center The Ticket Center Hohenschwangau opens 8:00–15:30 from 16 October to 27 March. Tickets for your visit today go on sale at 8:00.

same-day tickets 8:00

Neuschwanstein tours Neuschwanstein Castle opens 10:00–16:00 from 16 October to 27 March. Your guided tour of Neuschwanstein Castle lasts about 30 minutes.

Hohenschwangau tours Hohenschwangau Castle opens 10:00–16:00 from 16 October to 27 March. Your guided tour of Hohenschwangau Castle lasts about 45 minutes.

Shuttle bus The shuttle bus runs uphill from 9:00 to 15:30 in winter. The Ticket Center's FAQ gives 17:00 for the last shuttle bus down in winter.

last bus down 17:00

Museum The Museum of the Bavarian Kings admits you without a timed slot, except during renovation from 9 to 11 November 2026.

From 28 March From 28 March, Neuschwanstein Castle opens 9:00–18:00.

open bus going down only at this time

Hours follow the castle's opening hours page and the Ticket Center's opening times page, read on 29 October 2026. Both castles, the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau and the Museum of the Bavarian Kings close on 1 January and 24, 25 and 31 December.

The museum is closed to visitors on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January. The official ticket page also gives a museum renovation closure from 9 to 11 November 2026.

The Ticket Center's FAQ recommends the museum when you face a long wait before your castle tour. Allow 30 to 40 minutes to walk from the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau to Neuschwanstein Castle. Be in the castle courtyard before your ticket time. Late arrivals cannot join the castle tour.

Count back: your castle tour time, then the climb and possible queues, then your museum visit. The Ticket Center Hohenschwangau asks you to reach the village 1.5 to 2 hours before your Neuschwanstein Castle tour. Allow extra time for any security checks when you arrive at the castle for your tour.

Getting there

Where is the Museum of the Bavarian Kings?

The Museum of the Bavarian Kings stands at Alpseestraße 27, opposite car park P4 in Hohenschwangau. The walk from P4 to the museum takes about 3 minutes. Car parking costs €12 for up to 6 hours on the Ticket Center's parking page.

The Ticket Center's accessibility page describes a ramp to the museum foyer and lifts to both floors. You can borrow a folding seat at the entrance. Accessible toilets are on the ground floor.

The shuttle bus from P4 costs €3.50 uphill or €5 return on the Ticket Center's transport page. The ride to the Marienbrücke stop takes about 15 minutes. From the bus stop, your walk down to Neuschwanstein Castle takes another 15 minutes.

The horse carriage opposite Hotel Müller costs €8 uphill and €4 downhill. Your ride takes about 20 minutes, followed by a walk of 10 to 15 minutes uphill from the carriage stop to the castle. The shuttle bus and horse carriage have no timetable or reservations. In winter, snow or ice stops the shuttle bus.

The Alpsee with Hohenschwangau Castle and the mountains.

Neuschwanstein Castle tours from Hohenschwangau and Munich

Tours with both castles →

Choose from 4 castle tours: a local morning, a private local guide, both castles by coach, or a small train group; budget separately for museum admission.