The Czech Museum of Music
The Czech Museum of Music is officially part of the collections of the National Museum in Prague, but it is located in a separate building – in the former Baroque Church of St Mary Magdalene in the Lesser Town, which was built in the 17th century. The exhibition includes ancient and precious musical instruments, the scores of selected composers, old gramophone records and other materials related to music and instruments.
Useful information for visitors
Public transport connections
Opening hours and admission
For up-to-date information about the admission fees and opening hours of the Czech Museum of Music, visit the official website.
Every year, there are days when the museum is open to the public free of charge. For an up-to-date list of these days, visit the official website (above).
Interesting facts about The Czech Museum of Music
The building that serves today as the headquarters of the Czech Museum of Music was used by Prague’s police regiment from 1855. After WWII, the church was assigned to the State Central Archive. Between 2002 and 2004, it was reconstructed to serve the needs of the museum. Musical artefacts first began to appear in the collections of the National Museum in 1818. However, the historical-musical collection was founded in 1913 and the museum itself was not established until 1976. Nowadays, the funds of the Czech Museum of Music consists of 700 000 items that document the history of music and several world curiosities, such as glass harmonicas and a collection of instruments called “schediphones” – two-headed brass instruments that were a popular component of Russian military bands.
OBJECTS UNDER MANAGEMENT OF CZECH MUSEUM OF MUSIC
The Czech Museum of Music officially manages several buildings and separate expositions in Prague – the Bedřich Smetana Museum (on the Novotný Bridge in the Old Town), the Antonín Dvořák Museum (in the Michna Summerhouse “Amerika” in Karlov), the Jaroslav Ježek Memorial (10 Kaprova Street) and several others outside Prague.
