Museums and galleries
Luxembourg may be small, but it has a good selection of museums and galleries to entertain the family. Many host events and tours in French, German, Luxembourgish and sometimes in English too.
Art
National Museum of History and Art (Luxembourg City)
European paintings, sculptures and photographs bequeathed, donated or bought by the gallery include masterpieces ranging from the Middle Ages through to the 20th century. The decorative arts section includes furniture, clocks, ceramics and silverware from the Renaissance to today's middle classes including art deco from the 1930s. Information on guided visits, workshops and lectures can be found here.
Entry is free to the permanent exhibition and for temporary ones costs €7 per adult or €10 for a family of two adults and two children. Opening times can be found here.
MUDAM (Kirchberg)
Housed in the Park Dräi Eechelen with views over the City, the museum of modern art has collection of permanent and temporary pieces reflecting current artistic trends and new practises. Workshops and guided tours are offered to all ages here.
Entry costs €8 for adults (free for under 21s or students under 26) and opening hours can be found here.
Casino Luxembourg (Luxembourg City)
Housing contemporary art exhibitions with an international programme of mainly younger-generation artists, the Casino combines contemporary art with a projection room, and an area dedicated to learning activities. It runs a varied programme of guided tours, conferences, music and children’s workshops. You can find the agenda of events and activities here, and opening times here. Entry is free.
Steichen collections
Family of Man (Clervaux Castle)
Resident in Clervaux Castle, this permanent exhibition comprises 503 photographs by 273 artists from 68 countries, compiled by Edward Steichen for the Museum of Modern Art in New York and first shown in 1955.
A manifesto for peace and equality of man post war, and including the works of Robert Doisneau and Ansel Adams, it has attracted more than 10 million visitors since it opened in 2003. Opening hours and tariffs are available here. Note that the exhibition closes from 2 January to 28 February 2023.
Villa Vauban (Luxembourg City)
Housing a collection of paintings from the City of Luxembourg with a focus on Dutch painting from the Golden Age (17th century) and 19th century French history and landscape paintings and sculptures, this gallery also hosts temporary exhibitions. The museum runs regular tours for adults and interactive children's tours and workshops. Find out what's on here. Entry costs €5 for adults, and is free for under 21s. Opening times can be found here.
History & Military
Luxembourg City museum (Luxembourg City)
In the heart of the old city, the museum displays a permanent collection that illustrates the history of the capital of the Grand Duchy spanning more than 1,000 years illustrating the city's evolution. Guided tours from Count Siegfried and magic backpacks as well as other events can be found here.
The museum had a four-year makeover which includes a new restaurant, whilst the 19th century recreation room has been completely restored. You can also visit the inner courtyard for views over Luxembourg.
The museum has introduced two apps that you can download to take a guided tour of The Luxembourg Story, including a version for kids. Entry costs €5 for adults (under 21s go free) and opening times are available here. It's free every Thursday evening from 18.00 to 20.00.
Museum Dräi Eechelen
Discover the history of this unique fortress through objects presented in its permanent collection and travel back in time to meet fascinating characters who have marked more than 500 years of Luxembourg history.
Guided tours of the museum are also supplemented by tours given in 3D. Details of workshops for adults and children and other events/talks can be found here. Entry is free and opening times are listed here.
National Museum of Military History (Diekirch)
Telling the story of the Battle of the Bulge (1944-45) using life-sized models detailing the struggles faced by soldiers and civilians, the museum has a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Luxembourgish Army, both World Wars and the Korean War. Military equipment, vehicles, photographs and documents as well as personal items are on display.
Entry is €5 for adults, €3 for children aged 10-18 years and free for under 10s. Opening times can be found here.
To find out more about other museums dedicated to military action and more specifically to the Second World War, read our article on Remembrance - memorials, walks and museums.
Tramways & Bus Museum (Hollerich)
Fancy climbing aboard a horse-drawn tram or an old-fashioned bus? Twenty-two scale models and a number of restored tramway motor coaches bring to life the transport of yesteryear. The museum is only open Thursday afternoons and at weekends but entrance is free. Note that the museum is closed on 7 May.
Museum "A Possen" (Bech-Kleinmacher)
Immerse yourself in the daily life of a family of 18th and 19th century winemakers, with living quarters and workshops reflecting life in that period. This Moselle museum specialises in folklore, vintage toys and wine history and has a shoemaking workshop, cooperage and weaving area as well as a collection of cast iron stoves. Entry is €5 for adults, kids go free, and opening times are listed here.
National Museum of History and Art (Luxembourg City)
Appearing twice on this list, if modern art is not your idea of fun, but history is, take a look at the excavations at this museum on a chronological and thematic tour across five floors that journeys from prehistory to the Middle Ages, Bronze and Iron ages and the Gallo-Roman times. (See earlier entry for opening times).
Museum of the Ardennes counter-offensive in Luxembourg (Clervaux Castle)
Lasting two months and possibly the biggest battle of the Second World War, this battle freed Luxembourg from German occupation. The museum illustrates this historical battle through documents, uniforms and authentic weapons. Entry prices and opening times can be found here (it's open only at weekends in the winter months).
Castles replica exhibition (Clervaux Castle)
This museum of scale models promises a travel through time and dimension for the whole family, and for history lovers, a multitude of scale model Luxembourgish castles explaining the living quarters, the defence strategy and commercial purposes of each structure. Opening times and entry prices can be found here (it's open only at weekends in the winter months).
For more ideas of things to do on a day out in Clervaux read our Inside Lux article.
European Museum Schengen
The term Schengen is a symbol for freedom of movement and the abolition of borders in Europe, even 30 years after the treaty was signed. This museum is dedicated to the history and significance of the agreement, retracing the development towards a more unified Europe. Open daily from 10.00 to 18.00, admission is free, but note it's closed from 24 December until 2 January.
National Museum of the Resistance & Human Rights (Esch-sur-Alzette)
This trilingual permanent exhibition (in French, German and English), covers a range of subjects around the period of the Second World War, including interwar life under dictatorship and repression, the reactions of the local population, Nazi strucures, concentration camps and the Holocaust. It traces the resistence movement during the war, and the fate of the Jews in Luxembourg, through reactions, photos, objects, and works of art. There is a commemorative space with urns containing soil recovered after the war from different concentration camps, and Lucien Wercollier's famous sculpture, the Political Prisoner.
The refurbished museum reopened last year, but there is still ongoing work on the permanent exhibition. You can currently only take one of several thematic tours with more information here.
Science and Nature
Natural History Museum (Grund)
Ten permanent exhibition rooms bring to life natural history. Find out how our planet formed, marvel at animal and insect specimens, or take part in talks or workshops. Information on events can be found here, with opening times here. Entry is €5 for adults, free for under 21s with some additional costs for workshops or children's clubs.
Luxembourg Science Center (Differdange)
An interactive science playground featuring 60 different hands-on science stations, laboratories dedicated to thematic science shows and animators on hand to demonstrate scientific experiments, the newly opened science centre costs €15 for adults, €9 for children with kitchen show tickets at an additional €4 (other shows are included in the price). Entry times and shows (plus which language they are in) are listed here.
Tudor museum (Rosport Castle)
Immerse yourself in all things electrical in the world of Henri Tudor, and see how its magic affected the quality of life from the 19th century to the present day. A pioneer in electricity Tudor's work has advanced agriculture, transport and even street lighting. Open Wednesday to Sunday 14.00 to 18.00 during the spring months, admission is free. You can find more information on workshops and interactive exhibits here.
Naturpark Our (Hosingen)
Look at a giant map, visit the "see" island and the "hear" island to discover the sounds and sights of the natural area as well as trip to the region’s past and a hands-on multi-touch table. Open Monday to Friday 9.00 to 17.00, free admission. More information can be found here.
Nature House (Kockelscheuer)
Donkeys, goats and pigs on the mini farm, a geological trail and wet gardens, the nature house often hosts events and festivals. More information can be found here.
Luxlait Vitarium (Roost/Bissen)
A “mooseum” with a difference, the Vitarium invites you to run as fast as a cow in an interactive indoor playground with activities around healthy eating and living. You can also take a tour of the diary or participate in a children's workshop. You can find out about opening times and entry prices here.
Park Sënnesräich (Lullange)
See, hear, touch, smell and taste – use your five senses at the different indoor and outdoor stations of this park. With a large garden, playground and labyrinth, a hands-on interactive indoor five senses area and a giant AirTramp air cushion for bouncing, entry costs €9 for adults and children over 12 years, €7 for children aged 5-12 years and is free for under 4s. Opening times are listed here.
More places...
Check out a full list of art galleries in Luxembourg you can visit here. For more on where to explore science, read this article.
If you want to get off the beaten track, try these places. And if your interested in castles - these are the ones you can visit.
Over the border
Read our articles on days out in the greater region for more museums, art galleries and other ideas for trips.
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