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Essen Museums
 Essen and the Ruhr area have one of the most diverse culture scenes in the world. The Lanterns Museum lends Essen's city centre a romantic air. The treasure chambers of Essen's minster and the St. Ludgerus basilica house all manner of religious gems. The various museums of art and technology are excellent, as are the museums on cultural history and natural history, and the countless galleries.
Folkwang Museum
The Folkwang Museum in Essen is one of the oldest and most important museums of 19th and 20th century art. The art collection illustrates the history of French painting with works by Impressionists, Expressionists, Cubists, Bauhaus artists and the Modernists through to contemporary artists. There's hardly a famous name missing from this extensive collection, which offers an almost comprehensive overview of the art and artists of this period. The exhibits on display in this internationally acclaimed museum include masterpieces by Picasso, Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin and Braque. More recent artists include Pollock, Dali and Baselitz, to name but a few. The graphic collection is mainly renowned for its expressionist works. The photographic collection, one of the foremost in Europe, illustrates the history of photography with more than 50,000 exhibits dating back to the 1920s. Closed on Mondays. Guided tours on request.
red dot Design Museum
The red dot Design Museum in Essen was opened in 1997 and is located in the breathtaking buildings of the former Zollverein mine. More than 1,000 contemporary design pieces are exhibited in a space totalling around 4,000m². All the items on display have won the red dot award in one of the world's most prestigious design competitions. Watches, accessories, mobile phones, TV sets, kitchen appliances, cars, office furniture or tools - no matter what, they are all outstanding designs. Closed on Mondays, guided tours on request.
The Ruhrland Museum
The Ruhrland Museum opened in 1904, making it one of the oldest museums in the Ruhr area. Its collection, its tradition as a regional museum for the whole Ruhr area and its permanent and special exhibitions make it a nationally important museum of natural and cultural history. There are sections covering geology, archaeology, history and photography. Closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 24 and 31 December, multilingual guided tours.
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
Zollverein mine in Essen was once the biggest and most modern coal mine in the world. Over 12,000 tonnes of coal were mined here every day until 1986 when the colliery was closed. It was granted world heritage status in 2001 and with its mine shaft no XII, coking plant and mine shafts 1/2/8 it is one of the most significant industrial monuments in Europe. Surrounded by awe-inspiring architecture, towering blast furnaces and chimneys the museum is in a league of its own. This world heritage complex on the original colliery site is always worth a visit. Guided tours on specific themes are available from the visitors' centre.
Phenomania interactive experience
This interactive exhibition in the listed conveyor shed of Zollverein Colliery's shaft no. 3/7/10 where visitors can explore their senses has been open since 1996. Almost 100 exhibits in an area of nearly 2,000m² give visitors the opportunity to investigate, discover and be amazed by their senses. The Phenomania open-air experience has been part of the exhibition since 2006. Making sense of the world by using all your senses is the theme here. Visitors can explore the mysteries of science and undertake a range of experiments to test and sharpen all five senses Who has the best sense of smell? How can you use sound to blow out a candle? You can experience weightlessness, gaze into eternity and lose your balance with your feet firmly on the ground. All of this, and much more is on offer at this interactive exhibition for developing the senses. Open daily. Guided tours available.
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