Erfurt’s cultural history is reflected in its churches and towers, in its city houses and monuments, in the streets and squares, in concerts and special events, and in its societies and associations. Erfurt is distinguished by its historical old centre covering an area of more than 150 hectares. Erfurt was awarded a gold medal in 1994 for its achievements in a nationwide competition for achieving the best preservation of historical city structures. The museums of Erfurt have been converted from protected historical.

• Angermuseum (with important medieval collections, landscape painting of the 19th and 20th centuries and Thuringian fayences of the 18th century)
• Stadtmuseum (museum of the city and history of Erfurt)
• Naturkundemuseum (museum of natural history and natural geography)
• Museum für Thüringer Volkskunde (museum of Thuringian ethnology and cultural history)

In addition, both the Barfüßerkirche (Franciscan Church) and the Neue Mühle (New Mill) technical museum are well worth a visit.

The most important sites for temporary exhibitions include the Art Gallery "Kunsthalle Erfurt housed at the Haus zum Roten Ochsen" ("Hall of fine arts Erfurt - House of the Red Ox") and located at the Fischmarkt, the FORUM KONKRETE KUNST on the Petersberg, as well a permanent exhibition as temporary exhibition specialised in works of Constructive Art, the Krönbacken Kulturhof, an architectural ensemble used for exhibitions, performances and other cultural events, and finally, Haus Dacheröden, Erfurt’s cultural forum. These publicly endowed and subsidized institutions are complemented by a host of privately run galleries, artist cafes and pubs as well as small stages for various performing arts including theatre and cabaret productions.

The Kaisersaal (Emperors’ Hall) recently reopened its doors again in 1994 as a centre for cultural events and conferences. Both the Thuringian Zoo Park at Erfurt and the Erfurt Aquarium are extremely popular with visitors to the city.

Theatre in Erfurt covers the genres of opera, operetta, musical, ballet, symphony concerts, and plays as well as theatre productions for children and adolescents. This wide range of dramatic arts is further supplemented by the Puppentheater (Erfurt puppet theatre) and the political cabaret "Die Arche".