Museums of Prague - Prague's Museums

Dvorak Museum (Muzeum Antonina Dvoraka)

Celebrating the life and achievements of one of the Czech Republic's most famous sons Antonin Dvorak, the museum is set in a beautiful Baroque summer house dating from 1720. Designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, and now known as the Villa Amerika, it houses memorabilia about the famous composer - who lived between 1841 and 1904 - including documents detailing his time spent in the United States.
The museum captures the life and work of Antonin Dvorak, and provides a superb overview of the composer's achievements and I unreservedly recommend the experience to all music lovers...

Franz Kafka Museum (Expozice Franze Kafky)

Franz Kafka (1883 - 1924) is the best known and world-renowned representative of Prague German literature, one of the most significant prose writers in 20th-century world literature.

This long-term exhibition, presented in this museum, takes us into the world of Franz Kafka, the exhibition presents:
- most of the first editions of Kafka's works
- letters, diaries, manuscripts, photographs and drawings never before displayed in Prague
- 3-D installations
- five audiovisual pieces and a soundtrack specially created for the exhibition ...

Jewish Museum (Zidovske Muzeum)

Having been taken over by the State during the Communist era, the Jewish Museum was handed back to the Jewish community in 1994. In total, the museum is made up of five historic sites , giving visitors a real picture of Jewish life and culture in Prague over the centuries - including the dark years of Nazi occupation and World War II.

The exhibitions of the Jewish Museum in Prague are located in six historic sites:The Maisel Synagogue, The Pinkas Synagogue, The Spanish Synagogue, The Old Jewish Cemetery, The Klausen Synagogue, The Ceremonial Hall
More about those sites:The Maisel Synagogue
This exhibition presents a cross-section of the history of the Jews in Bohemia and Moravia, from the foundation of the Jewish communities there (10th century) up to the period of their emancipation (18th century).

The Spanish Synagogue
An exhibition devoted to the history of the Czech and Moravian Jews, following chronologically the exhibition in the Maisel Synagogue.

The Old Jewish Cemetery
Founded in the first half of the 15th century. The Old Jewish Cemetery and the Old-New Synagogue are the most important preserved historical monuments in Prague's Jewish Town.

The Klaus Synagogue
Located at the entrance to the Old Jewish Cemetery, the current exhibition contains objects related to Jewish religious traditions and customs.

The Ceremonial Hall
Exhibition entitled Jewish Customs and Traditions.

Lapidarium

The Lapidarium Museum presents an interesting collection of over 400 Bohemian sculptures - dating from the 11th to 19th centuries - that have, over the years, been replaced either by copies, or saved from destruction and pollution. Taken from all over Prague, they include original statues from the Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square's Marion Column. Located in the Prague Pavilion of the city's exhibition ground (Vystaviste).

Mucha Museum (Muchovo Muzeum)

The world´s first Mucha Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the world-acclaimed Czech ART NOUVEAU artist Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939), is housed in the Baroque Kaunicky Palace in the very heart of Prague.

Mucha, who was part of the Art Noveau movement, became a leading exponent of the visual arts field in Prague and you can see examples of his work in the Obecni Dum (Municipal House) and St. Vitus's Cathedral. Most famously known for the posters created for Sarah Bernhardt, Mucha also diversified into other art genres, most notably designing a number of stamps for the first Czechslovak Republic. Exhibits here include paintings, drawings and lithographs by the artist as well as personal effects.

Museum of Decorative Arts (Umelecko - Prumyslove museum v Praze)

The museum of Decorative Arts of Prague has an extensive collection of decorative glass (for which, of course, Bohemia has a world famous reputation), ceramics, textiles, furniture and fashion ( more than 250 000 pieces).

The Museum of Decorative Arts collects and preserves for future generations — in both national and international contexts — examples of historical and contemporary crafts, as well as applied arts and design.

The National Museum ( Narodni Muzeum)

The Narodni Muzeum, which looms large over the eastern end of Wenceslas Square, is home to a comprehensive, but gloomy collection of stuffed animals, coins, medals, minerals, bones and fossils. Indeed, with the exception of some fascinating temporary exhibits, the most interesting aspect of a visit here is the building itself.

Founded by Count Kasper Sternberg in 1818, this neo-Renaissance structure dates back to 1884, when Josef Schulz's design won the competition for a larger, more fitting National Museum. The façade, supported by Corinthian columns and topped by allegorical statues on the balustrade are set off by a gilded central dome - the building's most prominent feature.

Inside, the stunning main staircase - combining green, white and cream marble - is a truly beautiful affair and provides access to exhibitions on the 1st and 2nd floors. Of particular interest is the richly decorated Pantheon, built between 1885 and 1890. Boasting sumptuous stucco relief work and an ornate marble floor, it also features wall paintings by some of the most revered artists of the age, namely Václav Brozik and Vojtech Hynais.

Prague Municipal Museum (Muzeum hlavniho mesta Prahy)

Prague Municipal Museum proposes exhibition on the development of Prague from the 9th century to the present day. Probably the most fascinating display is a scale model of Prague created by Antonin Langweil using paper. This model took 11 years to complete and depicts Prague around the period it was made (between 1826 and 1837).