Global Series postcard: Berlin
NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers stumbles on museum dedicated to Ramones, punk rock icons
by Tracey Myers @Tramyers_NHL / NHL.com Staff Writer
There are a few things I expected to experience when I came to Berlin, Germany, for the 2019 NHL Global Series: schnitzel in its various forms, great brews and outstanding mass transit.
But when I travel, unexpected adventures are often the most memorable. So, when it rained (again) on Sunday afternoon, I wandered into the Ramones Museum.
Yes, you read that correctly. There's a museum, in Berlin, dedicated to the punk rock band that formed in New York City in the 1970s. It was founded in 2005 by Flo Hayler, who, according to the museum website, was told by his girlfriend, "it's either her or the Ramones junk on the walls." The museum has gone through a few moves and is now located at Oberbaumstr. 5, about a 10-minute walk from Mercedes-Benz Arena.
It really is part museum, part café. The museum entry fee of five Euros includes a pin, which guarantees you free lifetime access to the museum. For two more Euros, you can also get a drink (my choice on this work day was a cup of coffee). I resisted getting one of the delicious-looking slices of cake they also offered, and I regret that decision.
The museum consists of only four rooms, three of which are probably more the size of large walk-in closets. But those little rooms are loaded with memorabilia including press clippings, pages of handwritten song lyrics, concert posters and photos. In one room, "Rock 'n' Roll High School," a 1979 movie featuring The Ramones, plays on a continuous loop.
I love seeing as much as I can whenever I travel. And while I am by no means an aficionado of The Ramones, venturing into a Berlin museum created in their honor was a great Sunday afternoon treat.