6 Hidden Museums to Visit in Prague

Breezy time – museum time! When the cold winter winds start hitting Prague, having a beer outside becomes less and less attractive. Sitting at home – despite it being cozy and warm – can get boring after while, too. Luckily, Prague offers a wide range of things to do – even when temperatures drop.

The Czech capital is home to countless museums. Enough to keep you entertained throughout the upcoming winter. But queuing for a well-known exhibition or museum involves freezing; and in order to prevent you from that, we set out to find 6 interesting and hidden museums to visit this winter.

 

The Museum of Minerals – Geosvět

Dive into the fascinating world of minerals and fossils of the Czech Republic and beyond. Just off the busy I.P. Pavlova square, a magical exhibition offers a wide range of minerals to marvel at and learn about how they come to be. Geosvět and its precious stones will take you in its ban and give you an insight into mineralogy. The small and atmospheric museum is the ideal afternoon activity for young, old and mineral lovers. 

Location: Londýnská 55, Prague 2
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10.00 – 17.00 / Sat-Sun 10.00 – 15.00
Cost: CZK 100.00 (adults), CZK 50.00 (students)

 

Hrdlicka Museum – Museum of Man

Who are we? How have Homo Sapiens evolved? Why have they evolved how they did? And did climate have something to do with it? A billion questions arise when we think about human evolution and Hrdlicka Museum has the answers. Spread out over two rooms, the permanent exhibition about the human being sucks you into evolution’s history. Whether you choose to go on a tour (90 minutes) or explore the skull collection, death masks or Pygmies by yourself: Hrdlicka offers a captivating and educational journey to our roots and ancestors.

Whether your are interested in African origins, Egyptian mummies or Paleopathology – Hrdlicka museum has something to tell you about every aspect of Homo Sapiens. Furthermore, you can visit workshops and – besides other – make a death mask! Thrilling – and a little spooky! The museum is located in the Faculty of Science CU, in Prague 2. Be sure to call in or write an email before you arrive.

Location: Viničná 7, Prague 2 
Opening hours: Wed-Fri 10.00 – 18.00 (September – June)
Cost: CZK 40.00 / Guided Tour: CZK 80.00

 

Scarabeus – Coffee Museum Prague

The golden elixir of happiness and productivity got its tribute when Kateřina Ebelová opened the Coffee Museum. It is located right next to an amazing coffee and cake place, where you can think about the collection and history of coffee while sipping a good cup in the magical garden; Kavárna Alchymista.

Photographs, objects and documents tell the story of now often forgotten coffee alternatives such as fig coffee and coffee made of chicory. Explore long forgotten curiosities and machines used for roasting, grinding and serving coffee.

The exhibition also offers insight to the coffee roasting and harvesting world. It introduces you to the different varieties of coffee beans, which countries they come from and how the roasting temperature influences their taste. Furthermore, the lovely lady operating the museum will give you a tour and tell you how the coffee scene bloomed back in the days and what trends there used to be. This is a must-see museum for all coffee lovers and history fans alike.

Location: Jana Zajíce 7, Bubeneč
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 12.00 – 18.00, Sat-Sun 11.00 – 18.00
Cost: CZK 80.00 (adult)

 

 

Invisible Exhibition – Neviditelná výstava

Ever wondered how a blind person ‘sees’ the world? When visiting the Invisible Exhibition, be prepared to lay all of your trust in someone else’s hands. Entering a pitch black world, walking into things, you will definitely want to rely on your guide; for he or she is the expert when it comes to orientating oneself without seeing anything.

 

 

The guides at the Invisible Exhibiton are blind people and fascinate the visitors by how effortlessly they direct you through the maze of things, rooms and more. A skill that has been well developed over a lifetime. Not only touching things and experiencing a blind person’s daily life is part of this extraordinary adventure; you also get to have a drink at the end of the tour and truly: When you do not see what you are consuming, it takes on a whole different taste. A thrilling and interesting experience within the walls of Novoměstské radnice.

From 27th November till 18th December, the Invisible Exhibition offers a blind beer tasting experience, too. What better way could there be to experience the Czech national drink than tasting it without the limitations of your own eyes?

Location: Karlovo nám. 23, New Town
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 12.00 – 20.00 / Sat-Sun 10.00 – 20.00
Cost: CZK 220.00, on Sat and Sun CZK 240.00

 

 

Trabant Museum

Loud, slow, poorly designed, badly built, uncomfortable, confusing and inconvenient; what selling arguments to buy a Trabant vehicle, right? Back in the late 1980’s, Trabant cars were the vehicle to have, despite them having all of the characteristics a car should not possess. 

It is often assumed that the demand for the rather questionable cars started to grow, because they were seen as a symbol of the former East Germany. In 1989, thousands of East Germans loaded their Trabants with as much as the vehicle allowed them to and set out for the ‘Trabi Trail’ towards Hungary or the former Czechoslovakia via the route through Western Germany. Not many of them were granted access to the trail going through Western Germany, since their cars did not meet the emissions standards of West Germany. The ‘Trabi’ polluted the air four times the European average! 

Today, some of the retired Trabants have found their final resting place in this museum in Prague 5, where visitors can read everything about the crazy years of the ‘Trabi’ and marvel at some especially nice pieces!

Location: Plzeňská 290, Prague 5
Opening hours: 09.00 – 17.00 (01.10. – 30.04.) / 09.00 – 18.00 (01.05. – 30.09.)
Cost: CZK 99.00 (adult)

 

Planetum – Planetarium and Observatories

Got a heart for the moon, the stars and the universe? Then you might want to jump on a tram to Výstavište Holešovice. The premises of Výstavište are home to the Planetarium, which joined forces with the two observatories (Štefánikova and Ďáblice) to host shows and give insights to the massive orbit we are living in.

On the biggest screen of the Czech Republic, you get to observe the stars virtually. Whether it is dark or light, blue skies or cloudy outside: Prague’s Planetarium lets you have a glance into the orbit. Using 8K Skyscan definition, they are one of only 11 museums in the world that operate on such a high resolution. Next to glancing at the stars and planets, the institution also screens movies that will – due to the dome structure it inhabits – suck you into another dimension.

If you want to see the real thing in real time, the observatories in Petřín and Ďáblice offer views into the orbit via their telescopes. The observatories are the perfect place to visit if you want to see a solar or moon eclipse or transitions of planets over the sun. A thrilling and educating experience to be had when the temperatures drop!

Location Planetarium: Královská obora 233, Prague 7
Opening hours Planetarium: Mon 08.30 – 12.00, Tue-Fri 08.30 – 20.00, Sat 10.30 – 20.00, Sun 10.30 – 18.30
Cost Planetarium: CZK 50.00 (exhibiton only), CZK 150.00 (exhibition and show)

Location Observatories: Pod Hvězdárnou 768, Prague 8 / Strahovská 205, Prague 1
Opening hours Observatories: Ďáblice/Štefánikova
Cost Observatories: Ďáblice: CZK 45.00 (observation), CZK 55.00 (show) / Štefánikova

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Ready to set out for some culture? Layer up and get into these gems with no waiting time! Happy exploring!

Have you been to any of the museums above? Do you have hidden museums to share with other explorers? Let us know in the comments!