The National Museum in Prague is the largest museum in the Czech Republic. It was founded more than two hundred years ago and today, you will find the Museum in the centre of Prague, at St. Wenceslas Square. Both the historical building and the collections have been thoroughly overhauled in the last decade. One of the most modern natural history expositions in Europe, The Miracles of Evolution, opened in the historical building of the National Museum in September 2021. Come with us on a journey of discovery!
Historical Building Reconstruction
The Museum had several different locations in its history, until the building at St. Wenceslas Square in Prague opened on 18 May 1891, where the National Museum is seated to this day. The historical building of the Museum at St. Wenceslas Square has been completely restored in the last decade. The repaired and upgraded building opened in 2018. Soon after the opening, various expositions and temporary exhibitions were moved there. And what is new after the reconstruction? For example, there is now an underground passage between the historical and the new museum buildings, about fifty metres apart and separated by an intersection. Also, indoor playgrounds for children and operating facilities have been added. The cupola now offers an amazing view of the Prague skyline! Almost the entire building is now opened, in all its beauty.
The Best Current Exhibitions
Numerous exhibitions take place in the National Museum. Some change on a monthly basis. Currently, you can visit the Olympic Tokyo (until 31/12/2021) at the occasion of the XXXII Olympic Games. You should not miss the exhibition entitled Museum from the Cellar to the Attic (until 30/06/ 2023) that maps the history and present of the National Museum. Take a look at the life of the Museum as an institution, a historical building, a place where priceless artefacts are stored, as well as a space linked to many interesting personalities. Third and last, we recommend visiting the Famous Czech Composers (from 03/11/2021 to 30/06/2022). The exhibition introduces four great names in Czech music that became global phenomena – Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček and Bohuslav Martinů.
A New Exposition – The Miracles of Evolution
It took the employees of the National Museum five years to prepare the new exposition on The Miracles of Evolution, on which they cooperated with experts, taxidermists, artists and IT specialists from all around Europe. The exposition tells interesting stories from the world of animals, not typical for museums – without shelves and racks. Birds will fly above your head and fish will swim under your feet. You will see animals in their natural environs and on the move. The unique and rare exhibits are complemented with brand-new models of animals, including the great white shark, the common minke whale, or the largest model of the Atlantic giant squid in the world, seventeen metres long. The exposition is situated in six halls entitled Stepping Out in All Directions; Water, Our Element; From Water to Land; Conquering the Air; Conquering the Earth and The Planet of Animals. The individual halls present some of the major evolutionary steps that animals have taken on their way to occupying and dominating almost every corner of our planet. Take a glimpse into the world of invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and, last but not least, mammals. You will see the smallest exhibit of the Varroa mite with dimensions under 1 mm to the largest one, the popular, 22.5 metre fin whale. The exposition also includes modern multimedia technologies. The first hall introduces the exposition using video-mapping. The light and sound elements in the individual halls give the space a unique atmosphere that draws visitors into the fascinating world of animals.
The exhibition also includes interactive elements that will undoubtedly captivate both children and adults. Naturally, there are items that you can touch yourself. Thanks to this, you can look directly into the mouth of an enlarged viper's head, try the force needed to close an open giant clam, or guide a millipede through narrow underground passages. Simply said, an experience for children and adults alike. There are captions both in Czech and English, so you will not miss anything if Czech is not your first language.
