Deichtorhallen
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Deichtorhallen turns the edge of central Hamburg, between the old town, Oberhafen, and Speicherstadt, into one of the city's most striking art stops: vast steel-and-glass halls for contemporary shows, plus PHOXXI while the historic House of Photography is under renovation through a planned 2027 reopening.
For the clearest first booking on this page, start with the Hall for Contemporary Art ticket; it gives you the flagship Deichtorhallen experience and keeps the stop easy to fit into a waterside museum day.
For the clearest first booking on this page, start with the Hall for Contemporary Art ticket; it gives you the flagship Deichtorhallen experience and keeps the stop easy to fit into a waterside museum day.
There are currently no available offers.
Some experiences and attractions are seasonal and might close temporarily.
Some experiences and attractions are seasonal and might close temporarily.
Current exhibitions
Alliance, Infinity, Love
In the Face of the Other
The main exhibition of the 9th Triennial of Photography Hamburg brings together around 30 artistic positions across photography, video and film. It explores cultural difference, visibility and solidarity through stories rooted in places ranging from Australia and Japan to Lebanon, Palestine and Greenland.
Jun 5, 2026 – Sep 22, 2026, Hall for Contemporary Art
Cocktail Prolongé: F.C. Gundlach Special
Drawing on around 300 works from the F.C. Gundlach Collection, this exhibition examines how bodies are staged through photography and related image practices. Themes of extravagance, queerness, vulnerability and nonconformity run through the selection, which also serves as a tribute to Gundlach and his role in the Triennial.
Jun 5, 2026 – Sep 22, 2026, Hall for Contemporary Art
Abdulhamid Kircher – Rotting from Within
Abdulhamid Kircher uses analogue photography, archive images and biographical objects to examine intimacy, family history, patriarchy and the possibility of reconciliation. The Hamburg presentation is conceived as a site-specific installation and treats the darkroom as a space for reflection as much as image-making.
Jun 5, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026, PHOXXI
Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah – Residual Sky Under Contamination
Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah presents large-format analogue works that expand photography into an installation-like spatial experience. Her new Hamburg project reworks archival images from her father's birthplace in present-day Ghana, using manual and chemical processes to search for alternative narratives.
Jun 5, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026, PHOXXI
Inner Mornings, or Forms of Counterculture
This group exhibition looks at the history of counterculture through contemporary art and photography. Across four thematic sections, it brings together works from the Falckenberg Collection, the FRAC des Pays de la Loire and the Musee d'arts de Nantes to rethink power, resistance and alternative social imaginaries.
Jun 6, 2026 – Sep 13, 2026, Falckenberg Collection
Joyce Pensato
The exhibition traces Joyce Pensato's development from still lifes and Batman drawings of the 1970s to the large black-and-white enamel paintings that became central to her practice in the 1990s. Presented in cooperation with ICA Miami and the FRAC des Pays de la Loire, it is the first institutional solo exhibition of her work in Europe after her death.
Oct 10, 2026 – Apr 4, 2027, Falckenberg Collection
Hito Steyerl
With around 15 room installations from 1999 to 2025, this survey offers a broad introduction to Hito Steyerl's work at the intersection of art, technology and social analysis. Video essays, multimedia installations and performance-based pieces examine algorithmic control, technological exploitation, capitalism, climate collapse and war.
Oct 30, 2026 – Mar 29, 2027, Hall for Contemporary Art
7 tips for visiting the Deichtorhallen
1
Choose one hall or two
If this is your first visit, decide before you arrive whether you want only the Hall for Contemporary Art or both city venues with PHOXXI. The bookable product on this page covers the north hall, while the combined city ticket adds the photography stop on site. Making that call early keeps the foyer moment short and the rest of your Hamburg route cleaner.
2
Use Steinstraße first
If you want the lowest-friction arrival, ride U1 one stop from Hamburg Central Station to Steinstraße and walk the last 2 minutes. Meßberg works better only if you are pairing the visit with Chocoversum Hachez or a stroll into Speicherstadt. That way the art stop starts with the short approach, not with unnecessary city zigzags.
3
First Thursday is a tradeoff
If free entry matters more than quiet galleries, use the first Thursday of the month from 6 pm to 9 pm. If your priority is space, slower looking, or cleaner photos in the steel-and-glass halls, a regular weekday visit is the calmer choice. Pick the mood you want, and the stop feels far more deliberate.
4
Expect PHOXXI, not the old photo hall
If you are coming mainly for photography, reset the mental picture before you arrive. The historic House of Photography is under renovation until the planned 2027 reopening, so the current photo program runs in PHOXXI on the Deichtorhallen grounds. That avoids the classic wrong-building loop and gets you straight to the right entrance.
5
Travel light inside
If you are arriving straight from the train or folding Deichtorhallen into a longer museum day, keep bags small. Large backpacks, umbrellas, coats, and jackets need to go to the cloakroom or lockers before you enter the galleries. So you spend your attention on the art, not on rearranging straps in the doorway.
6
Pair it with one nearby contrast
After Deichtorhallen, add one strong neighbor, not three. Kunsthalle Hamburg keeps the day art-heavy, Chocoversum Hachez is the easiest sensory detour, and Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg works well if you want one more museum before the waterfront. One deliberate follow-up keeps the route energizing instead of museum-fatigued.
7
Give the halls real time
For most visitors, one city venue takes about 60 to 90 minutes, and both together land closer to 2 hours before coffee or shop time. If you book another timed entry too tightly after Deichtorhallen, the long steel-and-glass rooms start feeling rushed rather than generous. A small buffer is the easiest way to keep the visit rewarding.
How to plan a Deichtorhallen stop between the old town and HafenCity
Deichtorhallen is easy to slot into a central Hamburg day, but it lands much better when you decide in advance whether this should be a compact one-hall stop, a two-venue culture block, or one hinge in a longer waterfront route.
Start with the Hall for Contemporary Art
Best for first-timers and for the clearest bookable option on this page: the north hall gives you the flagship Deichtorhallen experience, with the broadest scale and the strongest feel for the architecture. If you only have one museum slot between Hamburg Central Station and the waterfront, this is the safest call. Book now.
Add PHOXXI only if photography matters
If contemporary photography or digital-image discourse matters more to you than sheer exhibition scale, add PHOXXI on the same grounds. Because the historic House of Photography is under renovation until the planned 2027 reopening, this is where that side of Deichtorhallen currently lives. Repeat visitors and photography-focused travelers get more from the two-venue plan; short-stay visitors usually do better keeping the stop tighter.
Use the Art Mile position to route your day
From the halls, you can keep the cultural tone going at Kunsthalle Hamburg, swing southeast toward Chocoversum Hachez, or continue through Speicherstadt toward Elbphilharmonie. Families usually enjoy the chocolate or canal direction more than a second long painting stop; art-heavy itineraries work better with Kunsthalle Hamburg. Choose one continuation, and the route stays crisp instead of blurry.
Use first Thursday only if the tradeoff suits you
Free entry on the first Thursday from 6 pm to 9 pm is genuinely useful if budget matters or you want an after-work culture slot. The tradeoff is atmosphere: the halls usually feel livelier, and quiet looking gets harder. If your ideal Deichtorhallen moment is slow pacing beneath the steel roof, a regular weekday slot is the better fit.
History and architecture of Deichtorhallen
What makes Deichtorhallen stick in the memory is not only the art. The complex still feels like old infrastructure that learned a new language, which is exactly why the steel, glass, and scale land so hard in Hamburg.
Built on a former station-market site
The complex stands on the historically important site of the old Berliner Bahnhof. After the new main station opened, the Deichtor market began here in 1906, and the enclosed halls followed from 1911 onward. That market-hall DNA is still readable the moment you enter: long spans, open steelwork, and room for art that needs air around it.
From flower market to cultural rescue
After the wholesale market moved away, the halls served as a wholesale flower market from 1963 to 1984 and then slipped toward disrepair. Their survival changed because the Körber Foundation financed the restoration and handed the renovated buildings to the city in 1988. Without that rescue, this would be a memory, not one of Europe's large exhibition addresses.
1989 changed the meaning of the halls
The international exhibition program opened on November 9, 1989, with Harald Szeemann's Einleuchten. Since then, Deichtorhallen has used industrial space for ambitious contemporary art instead of trade. That reversal is the whole magic of the visit: a place built for goods now stages ideas at monumental scale.
Photography became a second identity in 2005
The House of Photography opened in the south hall in 2005 and gave Deichtorhallen a second strong identity beside contemporary art. Today that legacy continues through PHOXXI while the main photo hall is renovated and expanded toward a planned 2027 reopening. If you know that story before you arrive, the current site layout makes much more sense.
The scale is part of the experience
Across three buildings at two locations, Deichtorhallen spans about 10,000 m² (107,639 ft²) of exhibition space, and the two Deichtorplatz halls still read as engineering first, museum second. That is why oversized installations, photography shows, and large thematic exhibitions feel unusually at home here. Even before you settle on a favorite work, the building has already started telling the story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is currently open at Deichtorhallen?
The current city venues are the Hall for Contemporary Art and PHOXXI. The historic House of Photography is under renovation, with reopening planned for 2027.
Read more.Does the regular Deichtorhallen ticket include PHOXXI?
Not automatically. Regular hall admission covers the Hall for Contemporary Art; PHOXXI has its own admission, and the combined city ticket covers both.
Read more.How much time should I plan for Deichtorhallen?
Most visitors spend about 60 to 90 minutes in one city venue and closer to 2 hours if they do both. If you want to pair the stop with Kunsthalle Hamburg or Chocoversum Hachez, leave some buffer instead of stacking timed entries tightly.
Read more.Are Deichtorhallen free on first Thursday evening?
Yes. Both city venues are free on the first Thursday of each month from 6 pm to 9 pm. It is a smart budget slot, but it is usually also the livelier one.
Read more.How do I get to Deichtorhallen from Hamburg Central Station?
The simplest route is U1 to Steinstraße and then a walk of about 2 minutes. If you are already moving through the Speicherstadt edge, Meßberg can also fit well.
Read more.Is Deichtorhallen wheelchair-accessible?
Partly, yes. Both city venues are step-free at the main access level, PHOXXI has a ramp, and accessible toilets are available. The main limitation is the second floor of PHOXXI, which is stairs-only.
Read more.Can I visit the restaurant or bookshop without a museum ticket?
Yes. The Berliner Bahnhof restaurant and the bookshop at the Hall for Contemporary Art are accessible without exhibition admission.
Read more.Can I take photos inside Deichtorhallen?
Private photos and short videos are allowed, but no flash, tripods, or selfie sticks. If you want to publish material online in a professional context, you should treat that as a permission case rather than ordinary private use.
Read more.Are guided tours available at Deichtorhallen?
Yes. Public tours are regularly offered through the current exhibitions in the Hall for Contemporary Art, and group tours can also be arranged. Because exact exhibition schedules change, check the current calendar when timing really matters.
Read more.General information
opening hours
The two city venues currently open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm, with long Thursday on the first Thursday of each month from 11 am to 9 pm. On public holidays, the usual closing time is 6 pm; New Year's Day runs from 1 pm to 6 pm. Both city venues close on Mondays, and the historic House of Photography remains under renovation.
tickets
City-venue prices:
- Combined city ticket: 17 EUR regular / 13 EUR reduced
- Hall for Contemporary Art: 14 EUR regular / 9 EUR reduced
- PHOXXI: 9 EUR regular / 6 EUR reduced
- Children and young people under 18: free
- First Thursday of the month, from 6 pm to 9 pm: free in both city venues
- Combined city ticket: 17 EUR regular / 13 EUR reduced
- Hall for Contemporary Art: 14 EUR regular / 9 EUR reduced
- PHOXXI: 9 EUR regular / 6 EUR reduced
- Children and young people under 18: free
- First Thursday of the month, from 6 pm to 9 pm: free in both city venues
address
Deichtorhallen Hamburg
Deichtorstr. 1-2
20095 Hamburg
Germany
On Deichtorplatz, between the old town, Oberhafen, and the edge of Speicherstadt
Deichtorstr. 1-2
20095 Hamburg
Germany
On Deichtorplatz, between the old town, Oberhafen, and the edge of Speicherstadt
cloakroom
Large backpacks, umbrellas, coats, and jackets are not allowed in the exhibition rooms and need to go to the cloakroom or lockers first. This runs more smoothly if you arrive a few minutes early, especially on wetter Hamburg days. Travel lighter than you think, and the entry feels calmer.
website
Official site: https://www.deichtorhallen.de/en
how to get there
From Hamburg Central Station, take U1 to Steinstraße and walk about 2 minutes. Buses 112 and 602 also stop at Steinstraße or Deichtorhallen; Meßberg on U1 is another easy option if you are coming from Chocoversum Hachez or the edge of Speicherstadt. If you drive, use the paid parking lot via Oberbaumbrücke.
accessibility
The two city venues are step-free for visitors with walking disabilities and partly accessible for wheelchair users. PHOXXI has a ramp, accessible toilets are available, and wheelchairs plus folding chairs can be borrowed. The exception is the second floor of PHOXXI, which is stairs-only, so if that matters for you, plan the visit around the accessible levels.
photography and filming
Private photos and short videos are allowed in the exhibition spaces, but tripods, flash, and selfie sticks are not. Online posting is not treated as private use, so for commercial, academic, or press shooting you need prior permission. That keeps casual snapshots easy while protecting the galleries and the works.
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