One of Berlin’s most visited cultural attractions will welcome tourists back after years of extensive renovation work, officials announced this week.
The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation revealed Monday that the Pergamon Museum will open its doors to the public on June 4, 2027, marking the end of the first phase of a comprehensive restoration project.
The museum’s most famous artifact is the ancient Pergamon Altar from the 2nd century B.C. This remarkable structure features intricate marble carvings and was originally constructed between 197 and 156 B.C. in present-day Bergama, Turkey.
Visitors have been unable to access the museum since October 2023, but the section housing the historic altar has been off-limits to tourists since 2014 due to ongoing restoration efforts.
Even after the 2027 reopening, certain areas will continue undergoing renovation work, including the section that displays Babylon’s famous Ishtar Gate. Complete restoration of the entire facility is expected to finish by 2037.
This restoration project is part of a broader initiative to renovate the historic Museum Island complex, a collection of neoclassical buildings constructed between 1830 and 1930 that holds UNESCO World Heritage status.
The museum complex suffered significant damage during World War II, and the former East German government lacked sufficient resources to complete full repairs. Renovation work has already been finished on three of the island’s five museums, and officials opened a new visitor center called the James Simon Gallery in 2019.
