Cologne Radio Museum
A volunteer-run specialist museum in Cologne-Dellbrück that traces the history of broadcasting from the earliest crystal sets to modern transistor radios, with a collection of around 4,000 exhibits.
since 1999
The Cologne Radio Museum (RadioMuseum Köln) in the district of Dellbrück is dedicated to the technical and cultural development of radio broadcasting. Run by a support association, it uses an extensive collection of devices to show how today's radio grew out of the very first receivers.
At a Glance
- Location
- Waltherstraße 49, Cologne-Dellbrück
- Type
- Specialist museum of radio and broadcasting technology
- Founded
- Support association Radiomuseum Köln e. V. since 1999
- Collection
- around 4,000 exhibits from the beginnings to the present day
- Opening days
- the first Sunday of every month
- On offer
- guided tours on radio, broadcasting and their history and technology
Age comparison
Age compared with other places in Cologne.
History
The support association Radiomuseum Köln e. V. was founded in 1999 with the aim of building a museum and opening it to the public. It tells the story from the early local transmitters – whose signals could only be picked up through crystal sets with headphones – to the first devices using electron tubes, which at first still lacked a built-in loudspeaker.
Collection
The exhibition makes the path of radio technology across the decades tangible: early crystal and tube radios can be seen alongside unusual modern transistor sets. In total the holdings comprise around 4,000 exhibits. In 2016, 22 selected pieces from the museum were shown in the special exhibition "RADIO Zeit – Röhrengeräte, Design-Ikonen, Internetradio" at the Museum of Applied Arts Cologne.
Visiting
The museum opens on the first Sunday of every month, and regular guided tours explore topics around radio and broadcasting. Please note: as of 2026 the association is looking for new, affordable premises, since renovation work is pending on its current exhibition and storage rooms – so it is worth checking the website before a visit.
Gallery
Map
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Address
Waltherstraße 49
51069 Köln
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Sources & links
- Official website
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-07-14)
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-07-14)
- Official website (retrieved 2026-07-14)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-07-14
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