Olympiapark Munich: Olympic Tower, Olympiaberg and Tips for Your Visit

By Daniel Schulz, residir GmbH · Last updated: 13 October 2026

The Olympiapark in Munich is a freely accessible park of around 85 hectares in the north of the city, built for the 1972 Olympic Games. Highlights include the Olympiaberg (Olympic Hill), the Olympiasee (Olympic Lake), the Olympiahalle and SEA LIFE, with BMW Welt and the BMW Museum just across the road. Important for 2026: the Olympiaturm (Olympic Tower) is closed for renovation, and so is the Olympic Stadium.

We run a boarding house with 54 apartments at Ländstraße 6 in Lehel, opening in autumn 2027. From here it takes about 25 minutes by U-Bahn to Olympiazentrum, and that is exactly the trip we recommend to guests for their second or third day in the city. The following guide tells you honestly what is currently open at the Olympiapark, what is not, and how to fill your day well regardless. All information is as of October 2026.

In this article:

• Olympiapark Munich at a glance
• Getting there and parking
• Olympic Tower and Skylift
• Olympiaberg
• Olympic Stadium and tent roof
• Olympiahalle and events
• SEA LIFE Munich
• Olympic Lake, Theatron and summer festival
• Flea market at the Olympiapark
• The Olympiapark in winter
• BMW Welt and BMW Museum
• History: the 1972 Olympics
• A day at the Olympiapark from Lehel
• Conclusion
• Frequently asked questions

Olympiapark Munich at a glance: what is open and what is not

The park lies on the Oberwiesenfeld in the Milbertshofen-Am Hart district. Entry to the grounds is free, and you can walk across the lawns, around the lake and up the hill at any time. You only pay for individual attractions, concerts and the swimming pool.

There is currently construction work in many parts of the Olympiapark. Stadtwerke München (the municipal utility company) is renovating the Olympic Tower, the Olympic Stadium and, over the coming years, the entire tent roof. You should know this before planning a trip. The table shows the situation in October 2026.

Place in the Olympiapark	Status October 2026	Admission
Parkland, Olympic Lake	open	free
Olympiaberg	open	free
Olympic Tower	closed for renovation, reopening planned for 2027	–
Skylift (temporary observation tower)	due back in the park from mid-October 2026	charge
Olympic Stadium, roof tour	closed for renovation, reopening planned for May 2029	–
Olympiahalle	concerts and shows	tickets
Olympic swimming hall	open	charge
SEA LIFE Munich	open	charge
BMW Welt	open	free
BMW Museum	open	charge

If you are short on time and would rather see the classic sights in the old town, you will find them in our guide to things to do in Munich. The Olympiapark is particularly worthwhile if you want to spend half a day or a whole day outdoors.

Getting to the Olympiapark: U3 to Olympiazentrum and parking

The main stop is Olympiazentrum on the U3. From there it is a few minutes on foot to the Olympiahalle, SEA LIFE and, across the bridge, BMW Welt. Buses and trams also serve concerts in the stadium area, and the MVG (Munich’s transport operator) runs extra trains for major events.

From Lehel, take the U4 or U5 two stops to Odeonsplatz and change there to the U3 towards Moosach. It takes around 25 minutes in total to Olympiazentrum; that is a rough guide excluding waiting time. With central accommodation in Munich, you can therefore reach the park easily without a car.

If you come by car, you can park in the large car parks around the park, for example the multi-storey car park by the Olympic Tower or the Parkharfe in the west. Whether parking at the Olympiapark is free depends on the day: for the flea market, the organisers mention free spaces from parking block 5 of the Parkharfe, while concert days have their own rules and prices. Check the signs on site.

Munich’s Olympic Tower: height, restaurant and renovation until 2027

At 291.28 metres including its antenna, the Olympiaturm (Olympic Tower) is the tallest structure in the city. It opened in 1968, before the Games. According to the city portal, the viewing platforms are between 171 and 192 metres up, and two lifts went up to 185 metres. When the Föhn wind blows, the view from Munich’s Olympic Tower stretches all the way to the Alps. If you would like to see the mountains up close rather than just from above, our guide to a holiday apartment in the Alps covers regions within easy reach of Munich.

The tower has been closed since June 2024. Stadtwerke München is replacing the lifts, building services, kitchen and fire safety systems and checking its structural stability. Reopening is planned for 2027, but there is no exact date yet. That is why we do not give Olympic Tower prices and opening times here: both will only be published again when it reopens.

The revolving restaurant is at 181 metres, hence its name, Restaurant 181. The Olympic Tower restaurant is also closed during the renovation. The atrium building at the foot of the tower reopened in June 2026.

The Skylift at the Olympiapark as a replacement

As a replacement, the Skylift has stood in the Olympiapark since 2025, in front of the Olympia action sports centre on Spiridon-Louis-Ring. Four rotating gondolas, each holding up to 20 people, rise to a viewing height of 70 metres. According to muenchen.de, a ride costs 13 euros for adults and 8 euros for children aged three and over up to 1.40 metres tall. If you want to ride on the open gondola roof, it costs 16 euros.

The Skylift is open Monday to Friday from 11am to 8pm, Saturday from 10am to 9pm and Sunday from 10am to 8pm. During the Wiesn it moves to the Theresienwiese and is due back in the park from mid-October 2026. All information as of October 2026; please check beforehand.

Olympiaberg: the viewpoint hill made of rubble

While the tower is closed, the Olympiaberg is the best free viewpoint in the park. It is about 56 metres high, with its summit around 565 metres above sea level. From the top you get a panoramic view over the tent roof, the Olympic Lake and the city, and in clear air as far as the Alpine foothills.

The hill is not natural. Between 1947 and 1958, rubble from Munich’s war-damaged buildings was piled up here, and at the time it was simply called the Großer Schuttberg (Great Rubble Hill). For the 1972 Games, the landscape architect Günther Grzimek shaped it into the hill you see today.

The climb takes ten to 15 minutes, depending on the path, along wide, tarmac zigzag paths. It gets busy at the top around sunset, and on warm evenings lots of locals sit up there with a Brotzeit (picnic snack). When there are fireworks over the lake in summer, the hill is one of the most popular spots.

Munich Olympic Stadium: tent roof, tour and renovation

The Olympic Stadium is the park’s best-known building. The architectural practice Behnisch & Partner was responsible for the complex, and the sweeping tent roof is the work of Frei Otto. The opening and closing ceremonies were held here in 1972, and FC Bayern played in the stadium until 2005. Since the club moved to the Allianz Arena in Fröttmaning, Munich’s Olympic Stadium has mainly been used for concerts.

The stadium has been closed for extensive renovation since October 2025. According to Stadtwerke München, it is due to reopen for the Internationales Deutsches Turnfest (German Gymnastics Festival) in May 2029. Until then there will be no concerts there, but you can take photos from outside and from the Olympiaberg at any time.

Roof tour and Flying Fox: currently suspended

The stadium was famous for its roof tour: around an hour and a half harnessed and roped across the roof, more than 50 metres up. As an extra, participants could zoom down to the pitch on the Flying Fox along a steel cable over 200 metres long. According to Munich Tourism, the tour will not be offered until further notice because of the renovation.

The tent roof itself is also being renewed. Stadtwerke München is replacing around 78,700 square metres of acrylic glass panels and cleaning the support cables, and the city council has approved 298.4 million euros for the work. It will be carried out in sections over several years. The Olympiahalle and the swimming hall are due to remain open throughout.

Olympiahalle Munich and events at the Olympiapark today

Today the Olympiahalle is where most of the action in the park takes place. Big bands play here, and there are shows, musicals and sporting events. The arena was modernised between 2007 and 2020. Next to it is the partly underground Kleine Olympiahalle (Small Olympic Hall), which holds up to 3,600 people.

You can find out what is on at the Olympiapark today in the events calendar on the Olympiapark website, which lists concerts, sporting events and festivals by date. One example this autumn is the LOOP ONE Festival on 17 and 18 October 2026. If you want to see how busy it is beforehand, muenchen.de has an Olympiapark webcam.

For concert-goers, the journey home is often the most tiring part. After big shows at the Olympiahalle, the U-Bahn trains from Olympiazentrum are packed. That is why people coming for just one evening often book an aparthotel in Munich on the U-Bahn line rather than a hotel out by the park.

Olympic swimming hall

The Olympia-Schwimmhalle is a public indoor pool under the tent roof, with a sports pool, classes and a sauna area. It was modernised from 2016 to 2019. For visitors it is a good plan for a rainy day; current opening times are listed by Munich’s public pools operator, the Münchner Bäder.

SEA LIFE Munich at the Olympiapark

The SEA LIFE Munich aquarium is on Willi-Daume-Platz, a few steps from Olympiazentrum U-Bahn station. According to a city magazine, around 2,500 animals live here on two floors, and sharks and rays swim over visitors’ heads in an underwater tunnel. Allow about an hour and a half to two hours to see everything.

For families with younger children, the aquarium is a safe bet, especially on rainy days. Prices and time slots change, so check them on the operator’s website. We have gathered more ideas for families in our guide to Munich with kids.

Olympic Lake, Theatron and summer festival at the Olympiapark

In summer, life in the park centres on the Olympiasee (Olympic Lake). Around the water there are lawns where locals picnic, play badminton or simply lie in the sun. You can hire a rowing boat on the lake. In spring the cherry trees on the shore are in blossom, a popular photo motif.

Theatron Munich: concerts with free entry

On the south shore lies the Theatron, a lakeside stage with stone tiered seating like a small amphitheatre. Culture was already staged here during the 1972 Games, and the first music festival followed in 1974. At the Theatron Musiksommer, bands play every year with free entry; in 2026 it ran from 31 July to 22 August. There is room for up to 1,400 people.

Our tip: arrive early and sit on the upper steps. From there you can see both the stage and the sunset over the water. A blanket for the stone steps is a good idea.

Summer festival, Tollwood and fireworks

In summer, Munich’s showmen set up a Ferris wheel, carousels and food stalls around the lake for the Sommerfestival at the Olympiapark. Entry to the grounds is free; the 2027 dates have not yet been set. In summer, Olympiapark Süd also hosts the Tollwood Munich summer festival with concerts and a market.

The Olympiapark fireworks over the lake are part of the Münchner Sommernachtstraum (Munich Midsummer Night’s Dream), for which you need tickets. Without a ticket, you can often see the fireworks from the Olympiaberg. At the time of our research, no date had yet been published for 2027.

Flea market at the Olympiapark: Fridays and Saturdays

At the Olympiapark flea market, private sellers offer whatever has piled up at home every Friday and Saturday from 7am to 4pm. It is organised by the Munich branch of the Bavarian Red Cross. The market takes place in the car park at Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21, around the Parkharfe, and entry is free.

The flea market does not take place on public holidays or during major events at the Olympiapark, so dates are only fixed a few weeks in advance; dates up to January 2027 are currently listed. Bring cash, as many sellers do not have a card reader. In fine weather it pays to arrive early.

The Olympiapark in winter: sledging, ice skating and the Märchenbazar

When there is enough snow in Munich, families gather on the Olympiaberg to go sledging. The slopes vary in steepness, and there is a snow tubing run on the northern slope. You need to bring your own sledge. On New Year’s Eve the summit is a popular viewpoint; you will find tips in our guide to New Year’s Eve in Munich.

For decades, locals went ice skating at the Olympia-Eissportzentrum (Olympic ice sports centre). It operated from 1967 to 2024 and is being demolished. Since September 2024, the SAP Garden right next door has also taken over public skating. Session times are on the arena’s website.

During Advent, the Märchenbazar (fairy-tale bazaar) sets up a Christmas market with circus tents, music and handicrafts in Olympiapark Süd. In 2025 it ran from 27 November to 28 December with free entry; the 2026 dates had not yet been published at the time of our research. We introduce the big markets in the old town in our guide to the Munich Christmas markets.

BMW Welt and BMW Museum right opposite

A footbridge takes you from the park to BMW Welt in just a few minutes. The building with its sweeping roof opened in 2007, and entry is free. Inside you will find current models, motorbikes and exhibitions, and from a bridge inside the building you can watch customers collecting their new cars.

The BMW Museum next door shows historic cars, motorbikes and engines and charges admission. Allow about two hours for the museum. Business travellers in particular like to combine an appointment at BMW with a stroll through the park. If you are in the city for several weeks, serviced apartments in Munich are often more relaxed than a hotel.

History of the Olympiapark: the 1972 Games

Before the park existed, the Oberwiesenfeld was Munich’s airport until 1938, and after the war it served as a rubble dump. In 1966 Munich was awarded the Summer Olympics, and earthworks began in 1968. By the opening in August 1972, around 3,100 large trees had been planted. The concept was called “Games in the Green”, and that is exactly what you can still see today.

North of the park, the Olympic Village was built to house the athletes. Today it is an ordinary residential area, and its colourful student bungalows are well known among architecture fans.

The Games were overshadowed by the Olympic attack on 5 September 1972, in which eleven members of the Israeli team and a police officer were murdered. Since 2017, the Erinnerungsort Olympia-Attentat (memorial to the Olympic attack) in the park has commemorated the victims. It lies between the Olympic Village and the stadium.

Today, Stadtwerke München is responsible for the renovation and running of the park. Anyone who lives in Munich for a while gets to know the park as a running route, concert venue and weekend destination. We expect it to be one of the most popular outings for guests at our boarding house in Munich too.

A day at the Olympiapark from Lehel: our suggestion

This is how we would plan a day at the Olympiapark in Munich while the tower and stadium are closed:

• 10:00 U4 or U5 from Lehel, change to the U3 at Odeonsplatz, arriving at Olympiazentrum around 10:30
• 10:30 BMW Welt (free), followed by the BMW Museum if you like
• 13:00 Lunch and a walk across the bridge into the park
• 14:00 Climb the Olympiaberg, then stroll along the Olympic Lake
• 15:30 Skylift, or SEA LIFE if it rains
• Evening the Theatron in summer, otherwise a concert at the Olympiahalle or back to Lehel

On Fridays and Saturdays you can also start the day early at the flea market and then head straight up the hill.

Conclusion: the Olympiapark is worth a visit even during the renovation

With the Olympiaberg, the lake, the Theatron, SEA LIFE and BMW Welt, the Olympiapark in Munich still makes for a full day out, even though the Olympic Tower and stadium are closed until 2027 and 2029 respectively. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Munich with a short U-Bahn ride to the park, you will find our apartments in Lehel from autumn 2027.

Frequently asked questions about the Olympiapark Munich

Is the Olympic Tower open?

No, the Olympic Tower has been closed for renovation since June 2024. According to Stadtwerke München, reopening is planned for 2027. As a replacement, the Olympiapark has the Skylift with a viewing height of 70 metres.

How tall is the Olympic Tower?

Including its antenna, the Olympic Tower is 291.28 metres tall, making it the tallest structure in Munich. The viewing platforms are between 171 and 192 metres up, and the revolving restaurant is at 181 metres.

Is there an entry fee for the Olympiapark?

No, the Olympiapark itself is freely accessible, and the Olympiaberg and Olympic Lake are free too. You only pay for attractions such as SEA LIFE, the Skylift, the swimming hall, the BMW Museum and events.

How do I get to the Olympiapark?

Take the U3 to Olympiazentrum. From Lehel, take the U4 or U5 to Odeonsplatz and change to the U3 there; it takes about 25 minutes in total.

When is the flea market at the Olympiapark?

The Olympiapark flea market takes place every Friday and Saturday from 7am to 4pm, except on public holidays and during major events. It is organised by the Bavarian Red Cross, and entry is free.

Can you visit the Olympic Stadium?

Not at the moment: the Olympic Stadium has been closed for renovation since October 2025 and is due to reopen in May 2029. The roof tour with the Flying Fox is also not being offered until further notice.

How high is the Olympiaberg?

The Olympiaberg is about 56 metres high, with its summit around 565 metres above sea level. It was built up from war rubble after the Second World War and is freely accessible.

What is on at the Olympiapark today?

The events calendar on the Olympiapark website shows which concerts and events are taking place at the Olympiapark today, including dates for the Olympiahalle, the Theatron and festivals.