★★★★★ 5.0
Discover
National Museum
You know what's wild? You're standing in front of a museum that's older than photography itself – this place opened its doors in 1818, a full twenty-one years before the first photograph was ever taken! Look up at that neoclassical facade... see those columns? They're actually hollow – the original architect ran out of money for solid marble, so he built them from brick and covered them in stucco. Nobody notices unless you tap on them! Before this grand building went up, this exact spot was Prague's horse market for three hundred years. Can you imagine? Where you're standing right now, medieval merchants were haggling over stallions. Step through those massive doors – they weigh two tons each – and you'll find yourself in a hall that holds the skeleton of a fin whale that literally couldn't fit through any entrance. They had to partially demolish a wall in 1891 to get it inside, then rebuild around it! Here's what the tourist guides won't tell you: come on Thursday evenings after five – it's free admission and the locals know the crowds are gone. Plus, if you head up to the mineralogy section on the third floor, you'll find meteorite fragments that are literally older than Earth itself... four point six billion years old. Makes that 1818 founding date seem pretty recent, doesn't it?
Did You Know?
- The Historical Building of the National Museum, completed in 1891 in Neo-Renaissance style, is not only a museum but also a symbol of Czech national revival—its dome offers a unique panoramic view of Prague, and the building itself has served as a focal point for major public events and protests throughout Czech history, cementing its role in the nation’s collective memory.
- Beneath its grand façade, the museum houses a hidden underground corridor connecting the historical building to the modern New Building, where families can explore interactive exhibits like the Children’s Museum and a dedicated 20th Century History Exhibition, making it a dynamic space that bridges centuries of Czech heritage under one roof.
- The National Museum’s origins trace back to 1818, when it was founded as ‘The Patriotic Museum in Bohemia’ with a focus on natural sciences, largely due to its founder Count Kašpar Maria Šternberg, a renowned botanist; it wasn’t until the rise of Romanticism decades later that historical artifacts became a major part of the collection, reflecting the museum’s evolution alongside Czech cultural and national identity.