Your visit
Here you will find all the important information about your visit. We look forward to seeing you!
If you would like to visit the NS-DOK with a group and book a guided tour, please find all information here.
Admission prices
Normal ticket: € 4.50
Concession ticket: € 2
Concession tickets for students and trainees, people with a disability of 50% or more (1 accompanying person goes free), those doing voluntary service and recipients of unemployment benefits and basic income support.
Free admission for school pupils, underage Cologne residents, Cologne Pass holders, members of ICOM or the Museum Association, members of the EL-DE-Haus friend’s association.
Adress
NS-Dokumentationszentrum der Stadt Köln
Appellhofplatz 23-25
50667 Köln
Tel.: +49 (0) 221 221-26332
If you have any questions, please use our contact form.
How to get there
Cologne Central Station is only 600 metres (approx. 8-minute walk) away.
Alternatively, you can reach us by taking the underground train lines 3, 4, 5, 16 or 18 to the station “Appelhofplatz”.
Parking options: We recommend that you use public transport or your bike to travel to us. If you arrive by car, you will find the "Opern Passagen" and the "Quincy / Breite Straße" multi-storey car parks in the immediate vicinity.
Accessibility in the NS-Documentation Centre
The NS-Documentation Centre is located in a listed building that cannot be made completely accessible.
How to get there
The “Appellhofplatz” public transport stop for lines 3, 4, 16 and 18 has lifts. Please note, that there are no lifts to the line 5 platforms. Disabled parking spaces are nearby (e.g. in Elisenstrasse).
Entrance to the museum and access to the relevant areas
The museum's entrance is not at ground level. There is a stair-free entrance through the courtyard at Elisenstrasse 1a from where a lift goes up to the mezzanine floor (entrance area). Please call our ticket office staff before your visit (0221 221-24340) or have the person accompanying you inform us at the ticket counter when you have arrived.
The exhibition floors can also be reached by lift. It cannot be accessed by large electric wheelchairs. However, the memorial in the basement of the building can be reached from ground level by using the courtyard entrance at Elisenstraße 1a.
Folding stools are available for visitors in the foyer. People with walking disabilities can always use their walking aids.
Toilets
A disabled toilet is in the entrance area and is accessible without any restrictions.
Cloakroom
The cloakroom in the entrance area is fully accessible.
Exhibition
Audio guides with hearing aids are available for your visit. Audio and media stations are all accessible for wheelchair users. We offer guided tours in sign language as well as tours for blind and visually impaired people. The building does not have a guidance system.
We would like to point out that the texts in our permanent exhibition are not available in an easy-to-read language.
When is the NS-Documentation Centre open?
The NS-Documentation Centre is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm. We are open until 10 pm on the first Thursday of every month (except for public holidays). Cologne residents do not have to pay for admission on this day.
The premises will be closed on the following days: Christmas Eve (December 24th), Christmas Day (December 25th), New Year's Eve (December 31st) and New Year's Day (January 1st)
Where can I buy a ticket?
Tickets are only available from the ticket counter in the NS-Documentation Centre's foyer. We currently do not offer online ticketing.
Should I book a group visit in advance?
Yes, we ask groups of 15 people or more to book in advance.
Is the NS-Documentation Centre easily accessible?
The NS-Documentation Centre is located in a listed building which cannot be made completely accessible.
Are the texts in the permanent exhibition also available in English?
The texts in the permanent exhibition are only available in German. We provide audio guides in the following languages: Dutch, English, French, Hebrew, Polish, Russian and Spanish.
Are there public guided tours of the exhibition as well?
Public guided tours of the exhibition take place on a regular basis. You will find the dates in our events calendar.
Can I pay with an EC or credit card at the ticket counter?
Yes, payment can also be made with an EC or credit card.
May I take photos?
Photography for private purposes is permitted in the exhibition rooms and the memorial. The use of flashlights, tripods and selfie-sticks is forbidden.
Is there a museum shop?
There is a small bookshop next to the ticket counter.
Do I have to register with you for an event?
We recommend that you register with us for our events. This will enable us to inform you of a possible cancellation.
A family member lived during the NS era and I would like to find out more about it. Where can I find information about this in the NS-Documentation Centre?
You should ask our library staff for advice and they will be pleased to help you select the relevant literature. Our collection staff are also available to help you if you would like to look through certain documents such as contemporary newspapers or photographs.
I have found documents, objects or photographs from the NS era. Would the NS-Documentation Centre be interested in them?
You are welcome to contact our staff in the collections department, who will be pleased to help you.
I have heard someone making derogatory remarks about Jews or seen an antisemitic slogan at a bus stop. What can I do?
If you have witnessed an antisemitic incident or have been personally affected by antisemitism you can report it to us. Our staff will advise and help you.