Why go

The National Museum closes the top of Wenceslas Square like the backdrop of a stage. Its neo-Renaissance palace, finished in 1891, was built as a temple to the Czech nation at a time when the Czechs were reviving their language and culture within the Habsburg empire. After a long renovation it reopened in 2018, and today it is one of the most impressive buildings in the city to walk through, as well as a museum of natural history and Czech history.

Even visitors who are not keen on museums enjoy the grand staircase, the marble halls and the view from the dome. Families do especially well here, as children under 15 go free. The building itself carries history too: Wenceslas Square below was the scene of the great gatherings of 1968 and 1989, and the museum’s facade has stood over many of the defining moments of modern Czech history.

What to see

  • The Pantheon. A domed hall of honour under the cupola, with statues and busts of great Czech figures.
  • The dome. Climb up for a view straight down the length of Wenceslas Square.
  • The natural history halls. Fossils, minerals, skeletons and a large collection of animals, including the skeleton of a fin whale.
  • The history galleries. The story of the Czech lands from prehistory to modern times.
  • The New Building. The museum’s modern building next door, reached by an underground passage, hosts major temporary exhibitions.

Plan your visit

The National Museum opens every day from 10am to 6pm. Over the holidays it closes on 24 December and 1 January but opens as normal on 25 and 26 December.

A ticket to the museum complex costs 360 CZK for adults and 260 CZK reduced, which covers over-65s, young people aged 15 to 18 and students up to 26. Children under 15 enter free with an adult. The ticket is valid for the whole complex and all current and long-term exhibitions, except the Czech Press Photo exhibition and the Children’s Museum. Buy online, in the museum app, at a self-service machine or at the box office. E-tickets are valid for one entry within 30 days, so you can buy before you travel and go straight to the turnstiles.

When the building is full, entry is paused for a while. This usually happens at weekends around noon and on holidays, with a typical wait of 30 to 45 minutes, so weekday mornings are the best time. Allow two to three hours to see both buildings without rushing. There is a café and a shop inside, and a cloakroom for coats and bags.

Nearby

Wenceslas Square runs downhill from the museum’s steps towards the Old Town, and the State Opera is next door. The main railway station is about five minutes’ walk east, and the Mucha Museum about ten minutes north. At the top of the square, in front of the museum, stands the bronze statue of St Wenceslas on horseback, the traditional meeting point for Praguers. Walking down the square takes you past Art Nouveau hotels and arcades to Můstek and the Old Town in about ten minutes.