Important notice

Enjoy design while others celebrate Carnival: We will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Rose Monday (16 February 2026).

Welcome to the world of design!

Discover the world's largest exhibition of contemporary design.

Open: Tue-Fri 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sat & Sun 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Plan your visit now!

Vernissage: World’s Best Communication Design

Exhibition opening: Register now!

We cordially invite you to the opening of the special exhibition World’s Best Communication Design 2025 and Highlights from NRW on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free. » Registration

Unique: The Red Dot Design Museum in Essen

More than 1,500 products

Touch and try!

Design trail

Current product design in a historical setting

A museum of a special kind

Everything here is a little different from ‘normal’ museums. The Red Dot Design Museum is designed to give visitors the opportunity to learn some general principles of good design at the beginning of their visit.

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Ausstellungen

Coming soon: World’s Best Communication Design

Starting on 27 February 2026, we will be presenting books, commercials, posters, apps, websites and other winning entries from the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2025 in a special exhibition.

27 February – 31 May 2026

Red Dot Milestones 2025

The exhibition on the first floor presents the best products of 2025 – the current milestones in international product design, selected by an international jury in the 51 categories of the competition.

Until 31 May 2026

Design on Stage 2025

Spread over five floors, the exhibition gives visitors a comprehensive overview of current product design developments. It gives visitors the opportunity to familiarise themselves with some of the basics of good design at the beginning of their visit.

Until 31 May 2026

Our Tours

On a tour of discovery at the Red Dot Design Museum

On Sundays, we offer half-hour public tours (in German) at 2 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. respectively. Participation is free of charge (prior registration is recommended).

Free public guided tours Submenu for "Free public guided tours"
Individual guided tours Submenu for "Individual guided tours"
Schools in the museum Submenu for "Schools in the museum"
Universities in the museum Submenu for "Universities in the museum"

Visitor testimonials

A fantastic place for lovers of culture and aesthetics. An overview of design trends and an exhibition of design milestones. All in fascinating post-industrial interiors.
Adam, May 2024 via Google
Absolutely impressive, pure aesthetics at the highest level with great attention to detail. Recommendation level: 10/10.
Eskay C., June 2024 via Google

Outstanding design against a historic industrial backdrop

The fascinating atmosphere of the Red Dot Design Museum Essen is created by the contrast between old and new, industrial architecture and product culture. The museum is housed in the boiler house of the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex and is therefore located in the centre of one of the most important industrial monuments of the 20th century, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

Today, the building, which was remodelled by British star architect Lord Norman Foster, houses robots, coffee machines and furniture as well as bicycles, computers and a gyrocopter suspended from the ceiling.

Hands-on Museum

A special feature: many of the products on display can be touched and tried out.