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Red Dot Design Museum

Important notice

Please note: On Sunday, 5 October 2025, the museum will be closed to the general public due to the opening of our new exhibition.

Welcome to the world of design!

Discover the world's largest exhibition of contemporary design.

Plan your visit now!

Fun at the museum for families

Design quest through the museum

With detailed photos of exhibits in the form of postcards, you can now embark on a design quest through the museum. Your task: find the details shown on the eight postcards on the original objects in the museum! The postcard set (€8) and information are available at reception.

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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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).

Creative exams by RWTH Aachen University at the Red Dot Design Museum

RWTH Aachen at the museum

When aspiring automotive engineers learn about the work of vehicle designers, the final exam at the end of the semester can take on creative forms. » More

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.

FAQ

Design is not art!
Nor is design art that makes itself useful!

“Art produces originals. Design produces series. 
Art is there for its own sake. 
Design is an order-related service. 
Design needs plenty of objectivity. 
Art is subjective. 
Design makes intelligent compromises. 
Art excludes them. 
Design is geared towards the feasible. 
Art focuses on utopia. 
Design must be comprehensible and understandable. 
Art does not. 
Design is based on established conventions. 
Art leaves them behind.”

Kurt Weidemann
1922–2011, German graphic designer and typographer

Design experts from all over the world decide which products will be shown in the Red Dot Design Museum. They form the jury of one of the most important product competitions in the world, the Red Dot Award: Product Design. In lengthy meetings, they test and discuss the designs, scrutinise them for their innovative design quality according to their area of application and intended use on the basis of various criteria and finally decide which ones deserve the "Red Dot" or "Red Dot: Best of the Best" seal of quality and therefore a place in the museum.

You are welcome to take pictures of your visit to the Red Dot Design Museum. The only condition is that you show the necessary consideration and do not disturb other visitors. And that the photos and videos are for private use. You are also welcome to post them on social media - and of course we would be delighted if you mention or tag the museum (@reddotdesignmuseum).

Commercial photography requires at least an official photo authorisation from the press office. Fees may also apply for larger shoots. Contact: Astrid Ruta, museum@astridruta.de   

In the reception area of the Red Dot Design Museum, you can purchase coffee, tea, soft drinks and small snacks such as ice cream and chocolate bars, as well as cakes at weekends. However, consumption is only permitted in the entrance area, not in the exhibition areas.

There is no restaurant or café in the traditional sense at the Red Dot Design Museum. However, you will find various catering options on the World Heritage site. You can find an overview here.

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