[en] This review discusses the principal particle candidates for the galactic dark matter, and summarizes the basic principles of the various ideas which have been proposed for their detection. The detectors fall into several classes, principally (a) electromagnetic detectors for light axions (b) low temperature nuclear recoil detectors for heavy neutral particles such as photinos, and (c) heavy particle nuclear recoil detectors based on ionization. Progress in the development of each of these is summarized, together with prospects and plans for specific experiments in the near future. (author)