18 Best & Unique Museums in Prague to Visit

Czechia’s capital, Prague, is a jewel of Europe with its stunning architecture and museum that tell a story of its rich history, engineering masterpieces, and tragic communist and nazi past. It is also home to some of the world’s famous minds, including composers, novelists, filmmakers, and painters, to name a few. This list of museums in Prague, compiled with other travel bloggers, covers a wide range of topics that can be interesting for any traveler.   

Museums in Prague for history lovers

National Museum

The National Museum is an institution with more than 200 years of history. It’s the largest museum in the Czech Republic and acts as the central state museum.

It covers more than ten buildings. The main and the oldest one, referred to as the historic building, is located at the top of Wenceslas Square. This Neo-Renaissance building, beautiful both out- and inside, should be on everyone’s list of museums in Prague to visit.

Typically, the historical building houses permanent expositions spanning history and arts. But since its reconstruction in 2019 and the hiatus that followed in 2020, there are no permanent exhibitions on display. Temporary exhibitions tend to cover the most critical events in the country’s history, especially those with significant anniversaries.

Since the extensive reconstruction, the museum’s dome is accessible to the public for the first time ever. It offers a unique view over the Wenceslas Square below.

Usually, there are seven free entrance days throughout the year. They don’t fall on any particular day of the month, so you need to keep checking the museum’s website for more info on the dates. Visiting this museum is one of the top activities when you’re left wondering what to do in Prague on a rainy day.

• Opening Hours: every day: 10 am – 6 pm
• Entrance Fee: 250 CZK for adults; 350 CZK with a visit to the dome

Recommended by Travel Geekery

Jewish Museum of Prague

The Jewish Museum is a collection of six impressive Jewish monuments located in Josefov, making it one of Prague’s most emotional museums. One admission ticket grants access to all six main monuments found in the museum. 

The gorgeous Pinkas Synagogue holds paintings and drawings created by children in the Terezin concentration camp during WWII. From here, guests can access the Old Jewish Cemetery – Europe’s oldest surviving Jewish graveyard. Visitors will exit the cemetery through a gate between the Klaus Synagogue and the Ceremonial Hall. These landmarks house exhibitions on Jewish worship, ceremonies, and traditions.

A block away sits the neo-Gothic Maisel Synagogue, which houses an exhibit on Bohemia and Moravia’s Jewish history. Finally, two blocks east of the Maisel are the striking Spanish Synagogue. This fascinating monument features a Moorish interior illustrating the story of Jewish people in the Czech Republic.

Renovations in recent years have drastically improved visits to the Jewish Museum. Those possessing a Prague Card receive free access year-round.

• Opening Hours: varies through season. Check here
• Entrance Fee: 350 CZK for adults; 250 CZK for students, children &  seniors. Buy tickets online and skip the lines.

Recommended by Ellies Travel Tips 

Spanish Synagogue Museum in Prague

Prague is a city steeped in history and culture and has many incredible synagogue museums to visit for a glimpse into both its past and present.

The Spanish Synagogue Museum in Prague’s Jewish Quarter is one such place. Its external Moorish styling taken from the Alhambra in Spain is the newest synagogue in Prague but built on the city’s oldest one. Its internal decoration is Islamic in design, with walls covered in a rich gold coating interspersed with deep- jeweled colors. It is breathtaking to see and a stark contrast to the other Jewish synagogue museums in Prague that retain more muted appearances.

The museum houses Prague’s most extensive collection of Jewish artifacts, including more than 200 of the most valuable silver pieces from the collective Jewish synagogue museums. 

A permanent exhibition takes you on a historic journey using photographs, letters, and drawings that highlight the suffering of the Jews during the occupation. It focuses on life in the Terezin concentration camp and the Prague ghetto, leaving you both saddened and humbled. 

A visit to the Spanish Synagogue museum is a must-visit landmark to learn more about Prague’s history and its people.

• Opening hours: every day 9 am – 4:30 pm; Closed on Saturdays (sabbath)
• Entrance fee: 120 CZK for adults. Buy a combined ticket to access all synagogue museums in Prague. 

Recommended by Where Angie Wanders

The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror

It may not be as well known as some of the other museums in Prague, but The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror is well worth visiting.

Located underneath St. Cyril and Methodius’s cathedral in Resslova Street, the museum is just a few minutes’ walk from the Dancing House. It was established in 1995 to honor the memory of members of the Czech Resistance movement in World War II.

The museum depicts the story of the capture and torture of seven Czech paratroopers sent from London to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, the primary architect of the German Holocaust, who was stationed in Prague. After successfully carrying out their mission, the paratroopers took refuge in the crypt beneath the cathedral, only to be discovered and tortured.

Exhibits and audiovisual displays – in both Czech and English – tell the story of the brave paratroopers. Each of the seven heroes’ busts is also on display in the crypt where the soldiers spent their final hours.  

A visit to the museum is a sobering experience but should be included in your Prague itinerary.

• Opening Hours: Tue-Sun: 9 am – 5 pm
• Entrance Fee: FREE

Recommended by Holidays to Europe

Museum of Communism

For over four decades, the then-country of Czechoslovakia (Now Czechia and Slovakia) was under the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic’s totalitarian rule from 1948 to the Velvet Revolution in 1989. As one of the primary museums in Prague, the Museum of Communism offers a vivid and interesting view of life during the Communist era. It is a must-visit for anyone interested in the Czech/Slovak political history and the Soviet Union. 

While relatively small in size, the modern museum is home to several exhibitions that retell the history in audio clips and engaging multimedia installations, covering topics such as education, the army, and historical events to the everyday censored life of a citizen during the Communism era. There are many fascinating photographs to see, a replicated interrogational room, and a plethora of propaganda posters and artifacts. 

• Opening Hours: Everyday: 9 am – 8 pm
• Entrance Fee: 380CZK for adults.

Recommended by The Wandering Wanderluster

Museums in Prague to learn about local culture 

Franz Kafka Museum

Prague is known for its fantastic museums, and the Kafka Museum should be at the very top of your list. If you’ve ever read Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis or one of his other famous works, this is the perfect place to spend an afternoon and learn more about his life. 

The museum’s exhibits show how Prague shaped Kafka’s life, and you can even admire some of his personal letters and diaries. 

Located in an old brick factory, this museum prides itself in owning almost every first edition of Franz Kafka’s works as well as photographs and drawings made by the world-famous author. 

Kafka’s tragic life is highlighted and exhibited uniquely and touchingly. This is not just a place for literature lovers but also for those who want to learn more about this fascinating person and why his many works are still beloved today. While this museum might not be the best fit for small children, families shouldn’t miss it with kids over 12.

• Opening Hours: everyday: 10 am – 6 pm
• Entrance Fee: 200CZK for adults, 150 CZK for students or seniors, 520 CZK for family tickets

Recommended by Guide Your Travel 

Bedřich Smetana Museum  

Prague’s Old Town, or Staré Město, is one of the world’s most beautiful places. Among all the beautiful buildings and historical sites, the Charles Bridge is a must-see attraction, and it also connects to Prague Castle. Before walking across the bridge, though, stop by the Bedřich Smetana Museum, located right next to the Charles Bridge at the riverfront. 

It’s a charming Renaissance-style mansion formerly owned by Prague Water Company and later become a Smetana Museum since 1936. The museum is dedicated to a renowned Czech composer, Bedřich Smetana, best known for his opera The Bartered Bride and the symphonic cycle Má vlast.   

The museum takes about 30 minutes to complete as it’s mainly focused on his life in the 19^thcentury, with informative memorabilia, letters, photos, and instruments on display. Here, you will learn more about his work, including how he became famous and how he continued to compose despite his deafness in his final years.  

The museum is an excellent stopover in your old town’s itinerary, and don’t forget to enjoy and take in the fantastic view of the bridge and the River Vltava at the waterfront viewpoint outside the museum.   

• Opening Hours: every day: 10 am – 5 pm  
• Entrance Fee: 50 CZK (Entry is included in Prague City Pass) 

Recommended by Knycx Journeying  

Karel Zeman Museum 

Karel Zeman was a Czech filmmaker, producer, and animator. He became famous for his unique combination of live shooting with animation.

It is said that during his time, he was admired by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Charlie Chaplin, and Salvádor Dalí. He inspired many famous people in the filmmaking industry – e.g., Tim Burton described Zeman’s creative process as “extremely inspirational” to his own animated movies.

Some of Zeman’s best-known films include the Journey to the Beginning of Time, The Fabulous World of Jules Verne, and The Fabulous Baron Munchausen.

Karel Zeman found unique creative ways to make objects move on camera, long before computers took over the world of animation. The museum showcases that in a series of interactive exhibits.

The museum is relatively small, and you can be done with it within 30 minutes if you don’t find it fascinating enough. It’s one of a few museums in Prague and worldwide, where taking photos and videos is encouraged. It’s great fun to ride a particular bike with wings, for instance, and make it look like you’re flying up in the night sky.

• Opening Hours: everyday: 10 am – 7 pm
• Entrance Fee: 250 CZK for adults

Recommended by Jigsaw Puzzle Queen

Museums in Prague for art lovers

Alphonse Mucha Museum

The Mucha Museum is one of the most outstanding museums in Prague. It is entirely dedicated to the iconic Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha, who lived between 1860 and 1939. 

Mucha was born in the Czech Republic (then Moravia) and rose to fame in the late 1890s when he was commissioned to create a Parisian theatre production poster. The poster was an instant success and set him on the path to becoming one of the most influential Art Nouveau painters of all time.

Mucha was so influential that his art style soon became known as ‘Mucha Style.’ He became most well known for his posters, decorative panels, and other graphic designs, which often depicted young women in nature.

The Mucha Museum is small but well worth a visit. It does a good job of chronicling Alphonse Mucha’s life and his journey as an artist. 

You don’t need long to visit. Most people visit in less than an hour, and there is a documentary to watch and signposts describing the works. However, for more context, you can also hire a tour guide. 

• Opening Hours: every day 10 am – 5 pm
• Entrance Fee: 300 CZK for adults 

Recommended by Great Ocean Road Collective

DOX

It is exciting to experience something entirely different for an afternoon after a hearty Czech lunch in a city so full of history. To catch a glimpse of Prague’s art future, you need to stand on the cutting edge, and that is where a visit to DOX comes in. 

Located in the trendy 7th district, the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art hosts an ever-changing series of installations, performances, and events. There are three main exhibition spaces, displaying sizeable modern art pieces or collections interspersed with smaller creations. Take your time to explore the rooms, center and if you need a quick break, you can relax on the evergreen terrace or grab a decent coffee in the on-site cafe. 

Plus, if you are lucky enough to visit the roof, then take a close look at the event space, a giant wooden airship. Cool, kooky, and undoubtedly impressive. 

• Opening hours: Mon-Tues closed; Wed 2 pm – 9 pm; Thurs-Sun 12 pm – 6 pm 
• Entrance fee: 210 CZK for adults; students & senior 65-120 CZK; Art Student – 15 CZK

Recommended by Flying Fluskey

Unique and fun museums in Prague

Astronomical Clock Museum

First installed in 1410, Prague’s Astronomical Clock is the world’s third oldest clock in operation. The clock’s intricate design, history, and hourly display have made it a top attraction in Prague’s Old Town for centuries. Most people visit the clock and clock tower from the outside, standing along with the crowd. 

Few people go inside to climb the tight space up in the tower. The climb is worth the spectacular views of Prague’s Old Town square, the church, and the red rooftops.

But there’s more. Few people realize a small museum with displays and exhibits that tell the story of the astronomical clock. The story makes the clock so fascinating because it talks about the technology and exquisite craftsmanship that keeps marvel working so accurately to this date. 

• Opening Hours: Mon 11 am – 8 pm, Tue-Sun: 10 am – 8 pm
• Entrance Fee: 250 CZK for adults; 150 CZK for students. Combine the visit with Prague Old Town Hall

Recommended by Story at Every Corner

Charles Bridge Museum

One of Prague’s most iconic monuments is the Charles Bridge, with its impressive statues. It is so well known that there is a museum focusing on the history, development, and other artifacts housed in the Charles Bridge Museum. 

Located at Krizovnicke Namesti 3 in Prague, it also houses a tourist information center in the bridge’s central plaza. 

The museum of the oldest bridge in Prague contains a detailed model with people scaled appropriately in this large model. You’ll find the statues and other artifacts from the bridge, as well as other collections donated to the museum. There is a section of the museum dedicated to the Red Star’s crusaders’ military order.

This small museum with an easy to digest self-guided tour is ideal for those who’d like to learn more about its history. And if you are checking out the other main sites of the city, take a look at the 15 stunning views around Prague to visit and capture the city’s best views.

• Opening hours: every day: 10 am – 6 pm 
• Entrance Fee: 10 CZK for adults; 320 CZK for families

Recommended by Travel Photo Discovery

Museum of Miniatures

The Museum of Miniatures is home to the most extensive collection of microminiature art in Europe, featuring  29 exhibits. Microminiature art is defined as pieces of art that are impossible to see with the naked eye. It follows that all exhibits must be viewed via a magnifying glass or microscope. This particular style of art was first developed in the 1980s.

Many of the pieces in the museum feature a tiny piece of art on a recognizable object. Whether it’s a group of animals marching across a mosquito’s leg or an inscription on a human hair – the intricacy and proportions are genuinely breathtaking.

A trip to this unique museum is a must when visiting Prague to appreciate the exceptional skill and patience of the artists who have created these microminiature works of art. As an example of this devotion, the artists could only work between heartbeats – or else the slightest tremor could ruin their work!

• Opening Hours: every day: 9 am – 5 pm
• Entrance Fee: 130 CZK for adults; 70 CZK for students and kids 

Recommended by Pocket Wanderings

Alchemy Museum

Prague is just the right size for wandering around and stumbling upon great finds. The small Museum of Alchemy in Prague’s Old Town is one such discovery, especially if you are looking for the most unusual museums in Prague.

The rooms beneath a home at Haštalská #1 were only recently re-discovered, following the floods of 2002 when clean-up workers found the entrance to the lab rooms and catacombs.

In the underground lab, dozens of formulas for elixirs were found intact, as were glass vials and tubes made on site. The experiments and potions involved dozens of herbs suspended in alcohol or opium and various metals that the alchemists attempted to change to gold. The preparations promised eternal youth, love, long memory, and more.

Over the years, the rooms above ground served as a home and shop. Today, the entrance room, a few steps down from street level, is lined with elixirs made according to the original recipes (but without opiates) for sale. You can access the laboratory only with a guide. 

Inside, various symbols of the occult decorate the primary salon, original items found in the area and styled as a 17th Century drawing-room. It includes a bookcase loaded with skulls, feathers, carvings, test tubes, and powders. 

• Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 10 am – 8 pm
• Entrance fees: 220 CZK for adults; 160 CZK for students; 90 CZK for children & seniors. 

Recommended by Travel Past 50

Beer Museum

The Beer Museum Prague is the first beer museum in the Czech Republic celebrating Czech beer. If you love beer, don’t miss visiting this museum. 

And unlike other museums in Prague, a visit here is an experience of its kind. For the price of admission, you get a 90-minute guided tour and beer tasting. You can also bottle your own beer for an additional 200 CZK. However, you need to pre-book that experience.

During the tour, you will learn about the history and secrets behind making Czech Beer. Along the way, you will learn from hundreds of historical artifacts and video presentations. 

The Beer Museum is located in the beautiful cellars of a 13th-century building. Beer tasting occurs either in a 19th-century pub or in a setting from the modern era of socialism. 

Once you are done, you should check out a Beer Spa nearby. If you have ever wanted to soak in a large tub of beer hops while drinking as much cold beer as you want, now is the chance!

• Opening Hours: every day: 11 am – 8 pm 
• Entrance Fee: 280 CZK for adults

Recommended by Go Far Grow Close

Lego Museum 

If you’re visiting Prague with kids, or it’s a rainy day, and you’re looking to find somewhere to escape, then head to the Lego Museum – the most extensive private collection of the “most beloved toy” in the Czech Republic and the entire world! 

Situated in the historic center on Narodni Street, the museum is actually hidden in the floors below what looks like a regular lego shop from the outside. With over 3,000 lego models, it will surely be a big hit with children (and adults) of all ages. 

See the themed exhibitions of Harry Potter and Star Wars with sets that span over decades, making it a fascinating visit for collectors of Lego and press buttons to move locomotives across the tracks in a full city life model. You can even see colossal lego models of some of the world’s most famous monuments, including a five-meter long model of the Charles Bridge and the National Museum! 

If that wasn’t enough, there is even a small lego play corner for kids to sit and make their lego creations using lego bricks and tables. To finish the museum tour, you can browse the latest lego sets in the shop, which sometimes feature rare scenes that are hard to find anywhere else! 

• Opening Hours: every day: 10 am – 8 pm
• Entrance Fee: 250 CZK for adults & 70 – 150 CZK for children depending on age. Family tickets are also available. 

Recommended by The Wandering Wanderluster

Museum of Senses

If you love the weird and wonderful, then the Museum of Senses should be on your list of the best things to see in Prague!

The museum is all about experiencing your senses and learning about how your mind and body interpret the world. You’ll experience mind-blowing optical illusions and gain a deeper understanding of how your body adjusts itself to various environments. If you’re not into history and culture, this is the perfect place for you to spend some time away from Prague’s busy streets!

There are over 50 exhibitions in the museum, all of which will challenge your mind in a different way. The optical illusions are usually the most popular and make it onto many visitors’ Instagram feeds. If you really are a dare devil or just want to show off, then try out the bed of nails! 

 Get ready to challenge your body and mind in ways you never thought imaginable!

• Opening Hours: every day: 12 pm –  7 pm 
• Entrance Fee: 299 CZK for adult; 179CZK for children

Recommended by Danny Explores

Prague Sex Machines Museum

The Prague Sex Machines Museum is an eye-opening (and eye-watering!) collection of gadgets, clothing, toys, and machines related to sex throughout history. It claims to be the only museum devoted to sex machines in the world, and with three floors and 350 exhibits, you can well believe it!

The museum features everything from a movie theatre showing 19th-century black and white silent porn films on a loop, to Victorian sex toys made of wood, metal, rubber, and just about everything else, to the earliest sex dolls, porcelain dildos, titillating peep-shows, a steam-powered vibrator, a butt-clenching display of torture devices designed to prevent erections and subdue lustful thoughts, and much, much more. 

The museum was built up over many years by Italian-born Oriano Bizzocchi, who saved up for 20 years and searched antique shops worldwide to complete his collection. Popular with stag and hen parties and a great way to spend a rainy hour or two on a cold day in Prague, the Sex Machines Museum provides a fascinating, amusing, and thought-provoking insight into our perversions, creativity, and attitude towards sex across the ages. Find it in a 17th- century building just two minutes’ walk from Prague Old Town Square. 

• Opening hours: every day: 10 am – 7 pm
• Entrance fee: 250 CZK for adults; 150 CZK – student with a valid student card. Note: entry is not allowed for persons under 18 years of age (Identity card required)

Recommended by Passport & Pixels

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