In 1973 the author was assigned to visit all important museum laboratories in Europe and the U.S.A. in order to plan a museum laboratory forthe Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz at Berlin. The existing laboratories were classified into six groups: 1. the central conservation laboratory, 2. the central archaeometry laboratory, 3. the museum laboratory, 4. the inter-museum laboratory. 5. the laboratory connected with archaeological institutes,6. the laboratory connected with scientific institutes. The important laboratories, the direction of research and their size and equipment are described. J.R. -- AATA