Philara Collection

Set in the hip Flingern neighborhood just east of the city center, this sprawling new gallery is a must-see for fans of cutting-edge art. Local businessman Gil Bronner converted a former glassworks factory into a sleek 20,000-square-foot space for his personal collection, which focuses on the work of contemporary Düsseldorf artists. Along with top talents like Andreas Gursky, Thomas Grünfeld and Thomas Struth, plenty of real estate is given over to emerging local artists, like abstract painter Silke Albrecht and photographer Sebastian Riemer. There’s also a 6,000-square-foot rooftop sculpture garden, open seasonally. You can visit the collection Thursday from 4 to 8pm (without a guided tour) and Friday to Sunday, when a guide is required. However, there’s only one tour given in English (on Friday at 4pm), so be sure to book ahead online. The gallery’s vintage-industrial style bar and café, Glas Lennarz, stays open even after the museum closes, until midnight on Thursday and even later on Friday.