Long Night of Museums in Europe

On a Long Night of Museums (Lange Nacht der Museen / Nuit Blanche) cities in Europe schedule extensive cultural programs while museums stay open until late at night.

Museum Nights when museums remain open until late at night, is a recent but increasingly popular cultural phenomenon in Europe. In German it is usually referred to as Lange Nacht der Museen (Long Night of the Museums), while in French the term Nuit Blanche (White Night) is often used.

The first Lange Nacht der Museen was on February 14, 1997 when 12 museums in Berlin remained opened until after midnight. It was an instant hit. Nowadays, hardly a town in Germany with a museum misses the opportunity to stage a museum night.

The exact dates and composition of these museum nights differ from city to city but most involve a varied cultural program including music, lectures, and guided tours. Museums generally stay open from around 7 pm to 2 am. Sometimes museums are free but more common are special passes for the night that include admission to all events, shuttle buses between museums, as well as unlimited use of local public transportation.

Having annual museum passes for several German cities, I’m in for a busy couple of weekends. For me, the cultural programs are the bigger attraction as I prefer visiting museums on weekday mornings when both the museums and their coffee shops are quiet.

Some major German cities that will stage a Lange Nacht der Museen during 2008 include:

• Frankfurt – April 26 (and a “short night” on September 5)
• Hamburg – April 26
• Leipzig – April 26
• Dresden – July 12
• Berlin – August 30
• Munich – October 25
• Cologne (Köln) – November 1

Other European Museum Nights during 2008 will be in:

• Paris, most of France, Belgium, and Luxembourg – May 17
• Zurich – September 6
• Austrian cities including Vienna and Salzburg – October 4
• Liechtenstein – October 4
• Amsterdam – November 3