Hermitage Museum

The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, holds the largest collection of paintings in the world. It occupies a complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, the former residence of Russian emperors. Its collections comprise over three million items, though only a small part is on permanent display.

Don't miss

• The Winter Palace, the former winter residence of the Romanov Tsars and center of the Russian Imperial government
• The Kolyvan Vase, a 2.57 m (8.4 ft) high jasper vase weighing 19 t (42,000 lb), installed before the walls were erected
• The Peacock Clock, an 18th-century golden clock by James Cox in the Pavilion Hall
• The Knights' Hall, featuring a collection of Western European arms and armour from the 15th–17th centuries
• The world's oldest surviving knotted-pile carpet, from the 4th–3rd centuries BC, in the prehistoric art collection
• Works by Leonardo da Vinci, including the Benois Madonna and Madonna Litta

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Hermitage Museum

Cheapest way inImagine Museum of Contemporary Glass Art General Admission4.2★ · 24 travelers1-2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$5 per personSee dates →Most bookedBoston Tea Party Ships and Museum Admission4.7★ · 2,763 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$36 per personSee dates →Private & flexiblePrivate Golf Cart Tour - The History of St. Petersburg5★ · 13 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$49 per personSee dates →

Know before you go

• The museum is closed on Mondays.
• Entrance is free the third Thursday of every month for all visitors, and free daily for students and children.
• The entrance for individual visitors is located in the Winter Palace, accessible from the Courtyard.

A bit of history

The museum was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired a collection of paintings from Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. The collection consisted mainly of Flemish and Dutch works, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Van Dyck. The museum has been open to the public since 1852.