National Museum (Prague)

The National Museum in Prague is a public museum dedicated to the natural scientific and historical collections of the Czech Republic. Its main building, built in neo-Renaissance style in 1891, dominates the upper end of Wenceslas Square in downtown Prague. Inside, you can explore permanent exhibitions on minerals, evolution, prehistory, and the history of the Czech lands from the 8th century to World War I.

Don't miss

• The main building's neo-Renaissance architecture, designed by Josef Schulz
• The Halls of Minerals permanent exhibition, opened in June 2020
• The Miracles of Evolution natural science exhibition, opened in September 2021
• Windows into prehistory, an exposition of life from the Protozoic era to the Quaternary era
• The History exhibition covering the Czech lands from the 8th century to World War I
• The dome, opened in February 2019, offering a view of Prague

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit National Museum (Prague)

Cheapest way inSkip-the-Line Prague National Film Museum Ticket4.9★ · 225 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$14 per personSee dates →Most bookedPrague Old Town, Medieval Underground and Dungeon Historical Tour4.7★ · 4,830 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$31 per personSee dates →Private & flexiblePrague: National Museum Ticket & Online Audioguide City Tour4.2★ · 25 travelers2-3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$33 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The main building is located at the upper end of Wenceslas Square in downtown Prague.
• The museum was damaged during construction of the Prague Metro in the 1970s; the underground corridor connecting the Historical Building to the New Building became accessible in November 2019.
• Bullet holes from the 1968 Warsaw Pact intervention are still visible on the facade, repaired with lighter sandstone.

A bit of history

The museum was founded in 1818 by Count Kašpar Maria Šternberg, with historian František Palacký also strongly involved. Originally located in the Sternberg Palace, it moved to the Nostitz Palace before the current main building was constructed between 1885 and 1891. The building was damaged by a bomb in 1945 during World War II and by Soviet machine-gun fire during the 1968 Warsaw Pact intervention. It underwent major reconstruction from 2011 to 2018, reopening in October 2018.