Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know
The German Tank Museum, or Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster, is an absolute treasure trove of military armoured vehicles and artefacts from the First World War to the present. As my son is a huge military history fan, he begged me to take him to the town of Munster on our first visit to Hamburg. I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the visit as much as I did!
Even if you’ve never been remotely interested in tanks, I’m confident you’ll find the tank museum in Germany fascinating!
While there are about 150 tanks, assault guns and other vehicles from around the world, the highlight of the tank museum in Munster is the collection of 40 Second World War tanks in the heart of the exhibition.
In this article, I’m sharing exactly what you need to know about visiting this impressive armoured vehicle museum, including how to get there and what to see and do on your trip to this impressive German war museum site.
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German Tank Museum – What to Know Before You Go
How to get to the Deutsches Panzermuseum
Address: Hans-Krüger-Straße 33, 29633 Munster -not to be confused with Münster (Muenster) in North Rhine-Westphalia.
By car: 60 minutes from Hamburg or 90 minutes from Hannover, then 15 km from the Soltau-Ost exit on the Autobahn A7.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 3 The German Tank Museum Munster Germany](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Leopard-II-A4-in-the-background.jpg)
By Train to Munster (Örtze) station
- From Bremen: 90 minutes
- From Hamburg or Hannover: Around two hours.
- From Berlin: At least three hours.
We travelled by train from Hamburg. It’s a very straightforward journey, with trains running every other hour.
The Deutsches Panzermuseum is a pleasant one-mile walk (1.5 km) from Munster (Örtze) station.
Top Tip: Munster (Örtze) station is tiny! There are no facilities, except for toilets. There’s not even a bench to sit on, so make sure to stock up on any drinks/snacks you need before you travel.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 4 Panzer I tank. The German Tank Museum Munster Germany](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Panzer-I-German-Tank-Museum.jpg)
Opening Hours
- June to September: Daily from 10:00 to 18:00
- October to May: Closed on Mondays, except for national holidays. Closed from mid-December to early January.
If you visit the tank museum in Munster during the cooler months, don’t forget a warm coat! The 7,500 square metres of exhibition halls are draughty and unheated.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 5 The German Tank Museum Munster Germany. Sturmpanzerwagen A7V from WWI](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/AS7-WW1-German-Tank-.jpg)
Tickets
Admission: €8 for adults and €4 for children (Under 5s go free). A family ticket is €15. Check availability here.
Top Tip: Free audio guides are available (you may need to ask for one). If you don’t speak German, these guides are super helpful, as some of the exhibits don’t have a description in English.
A modest museum shop has a small selection of souvenirs, but the best souvenirs will be your own photos (unless you really want a book about tanks – in German).
While there’s a pleasant picnic area, the selection of drinks and snacks for sale is very basic – don’t forget to pack your own lunch!
About the Panzermuseum
The exhibition includes tanks and other large military vehicles, cannons and motorcycles, a small selection of uniforms, hand weapons, military orders/awards and toys.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 6 Early military equipment. The German Tank Museum Munster Germany](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Early-military-equipment-German-tank-museum.jpg)
While the German tank museum is enormous, the collection on display represents only a tiny fraction of the museum’s complete collection of 6,000 items!
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 7 Visiting the German Tank Museum Munster Germany. Panzerkampfwagen III](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Panzer-III-German-Tank-Museum.jpg)
The German Tank Museum deals sensitively with war and doesn’t shy away from the human cost of using tanks in battle. Rather than glorifying war, the museum focuses on how the technology of tanks has developed over the years.
Germany has few military museums, and this superb collection of military vehicles is a hidden gem. It’s well worth the trek to visit.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 8 Up close to tanks at the Deutsches Panzermuseum](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Up-close-to-tanks-at-the-Deutsches-Panzermuseum-1.jpg)
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 9 Getting close to the tanks at The German Tank Museum Munster Germany](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Climbing-up-to-get-closer-to-the-tanks-min.jpg)
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 10 Getting close to the tanks at The German Tank Museum Munster Germany](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Getting-close-to-the-tanks-min.jpg)
The museum is spotlessly clean and well-ordered, with most displays in chronological order. While most of the tanks are German models, these are complemented by armoured vehicles from other countries.
Detailed descriptions in German and English accompany many of the exhibits, and the audio guide provides lots of extra information, making it easy to understand the exhibition.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 11 The first German tank, Wotan at The German Tank Museum Munster Germany](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/AS7-WW1-Tank-min.jpg)
There is a copy of the first German tank, Wotan, plus a video of German engineers experimenting with captured British tanks.
What to See and Do at the German Tank Museum
Second World War Tanks in the Munster Tank Museum
Tanks were vital equipment in the Second World War, and they were mass manufactured at speed by each country involved in the war.
One of the reasons that Germany lost the war was because they could not manufacture tanks as fast as Russia and America, especially in the last year of the war.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 12 Panther Tank at the German Tank Museum](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Panther-Tank-German-Tank-Museum.jpg)
The display of tanks from the Second World War is impressive, and there are extra audiovisual displays to explain more about how these tanks were made and used.
Elements of War Exhibition
After the Second World War hall, don’t miss the small but interesting “Elements of War” exhibition. The uniforms, medals and decorations, smaller weapons, and toys in this area are poignant reminders of the impact of war on real people.
Don’t Miss: The rare Nazi-era medals, including German Crosses.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 13 Inside the Sturmpanzerwagen A7V at the Deutsches Panzermuseum (German Tank Museum)](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Inside-one-of-the-tanks-at-the-German-Tank-Museum-2.jpg)
Tanks from the Cold War
The next exhibition includes about 40 tanks from the Cold War Period – alongside some of the support vehicles needed to keep the tanks in full working order. Cut-out models of some tanks – once used for training purposes – show how these vehicles were built.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 14 Part of the vast exhibition hall at the German Tank Museum](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-exhibition-hall.jpg)
Don’t miss the exhibition of tanks from East and West Germany:
- The Bundeswehr (federal defence force of West Germany) tanks were based on American designs
- The Volksarmee (People’s Army – East Germany) had Soviet-designed tanks
There’s also an exhibition of armoured vehicles used for air defence systems.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 15 The enormous bridge laying vehicle - the Brückenlegepanzer M48 at the German tank museum in Munster](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Bruckenlegepanzer-M48-A2.-min.jpg)
We found even more tanks are on display in the outdoor area of the museum, including a massive bridge-building vehicle and a Leopard I tank that visitors can climb on and sit inside.
![Visit The German Tank Museum, Munster: All You Need To Know 16 Image of the Sturmpanzer VI or Sturmtiger "Assault Tiger" at the German Tank Museum Munster, Germany](https://greyglobetrotters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sturmtiger.jpg)
FAQs: The Munster Tank Museum
What is the largest tank museum in the world?
Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia is the largest tank museum in the world.
What is the most famous tank in Germany?
The Tiger I tank is the most famous German tank; however, the Panzer III was the most produced tank in Germany
What tank museum has the most tanks?
Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia has the most tanks, with over 50 in exhibits; however, hundreds of tanks are in store.
Is there a Maus in Bovington tank museum?
No, you would need to visit the Kubinka tank museum to see a Maus tank, as only two Maus tanks were ever produced.
Where is Tank Graveyard Germany?
Sogel in Lower Saxony is an old firing range used in the Cold War, where tanks were used as targets (for other tanks).
Where is the best tank museum?
This would depend on your interest and what you hope to see or experience. The best solution for tank enthusiasts is to visit them all!
What was the most feared German Tank in World War II?
The imposing Tiger I was a fearsome machine that was the most feared tank in WWII.
Wrap Up – How to Visit the German Tank Museum
As you can see, the German Tank Museum at Munster is a fascinating armoured fighting vehicle museum. It’s the perfect place to visit to delve deep into military history to understand more about some of the major conflicts of the 20th century.
The Tank Museum in Germany is the ideal quirky museum for a day trip from Hamburg – even if you only visit for a short break!
Love military history and visiting tank collections? You might also enjoy:
- How to visit the awesome Bovington Tank Museum in England
- Discovering the Jersey War Tunnels – A Labyrinth of Occupation Horror
- Visiting the U-Boot Museum in Hamburg
- The Best Tank Museums in the UK
If you want to see the German “super heavy” tank, known as the Mouse (Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus), you’ll have to travel to Kubinka, the Russian Tank Museum (the biggest tank museum in the world).
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