Are you a fan of classical music and wish to visit the Smetana Museum in Prague? You have come to the right place.
In this article, let’s find out all the information about the Bedřich Smetana Museum together, including hours, ticket prices, what’s there to see, and what’s the best time to visit.
Are you ready? Let’s get started
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Smetana Museum Prague: description
The Smetana Museum is housed in an elegant neo-Renaissance building located in close proximity to Charles Bridge.
The building stands in the Old Town district and is part of a circuit of national museums.
In these rooms, with the help of objects, writings and scores owned by him, the entire career of Czech composer Bedřich Smetana is traced.
History of the Smetana Museum Prague
The museum opened its doors in the early 1900s (1936) at the time when the city waterworks donated its office buildings to the Smetana Foundation.
For the building to be restored, however, it was necessary to wait until the 1960s.
The museum was thus better able to organize and display its rich collection, which in the meantime had been put on display by taking advantage of the former aqueduct’s unreclaimed spaces.
However, the current configuration of the museum was not achieved until 1998 and has not been changed since then.
What to see at the Smetana Museum in Prague
The Smetana Museum is an almost obligatory stop for anyone who loves classical music.
In fact, the small building houses scores and objects dear to the composer that allow fans to learn more about the artist and fully understand his poetics.
The museum is divided into three different areas:
- one has a purely biographical vocation,
- the other examines the connection between Smetana and his country
- yet another showcases the musical instruments owned by the master.
Autograph sheet music and manuscripts are prominently displayed in these rooms.
The rooms are filled with the sound of some of the melodies composed by the Czech musician.
It is not uncommon for the museum to also host small temporary exhibitions in which objects that belonged to Smetana and are normally kept in the facility’s storage rooms instead are displayed.
Inside the museum are interactive sections where you have the opportunity to enjoy Smetana’s masterpieces using an electronic baton and play the grand piano located in the center of the room.
Muzeum Bedřicha Smetany: useful information
Smetana Museum ticket prices
Full tickets for admission to the Smetana Museum are priced at 50 CZK (about 2 euros), reduced tickets (15-18 years old, over 65) at 30 CZK (about 1.20 euros), while children under 15 years old can enter for free.
Students aged 15-26 can access the museum at a cost of 30 CZK per person.
If you plan to visit more attractions in Prague, I recommend purchasing the Prague Card, which includes free access to the Smetana Museum and more than 30 attractions and museums in the Czech capital.
Prague CoolPass: access to more than 60 attractions and discounts
Buy Prague’s official tourist card and get access to over 60 attractions for free or at a discounted price.
Smetana Museum Opening Hours
Prague’s Smetana Museum of Classical Music is open every day except Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. I recommend that you don’t enter later than 4:30 p.m., as you may have to rush through everything to see it all.
| Month | Opening days | Opening hours | Closing time |
| January | every day except Tuesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| February | every day except Tuesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| March | daily except Tuesdays | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| April | daily except Tuesdays | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| May | daily except Tuesdays | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| June | daily except Tuesdays | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| July | daily except Tuesdays | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| August | every day except Tuesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| September | every day except Tuesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| October | every day except Tuesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| November | every day except Tuesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| December | every day except Tuesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
Length of visit
How long is the visit to the Smetana Museum in Prague? You don’t need much time to visit it. It is a rather small building and you can see everything in less than 1 hour.
How to get to the Smetana Museum
The Bedřich Smetana Museum is located on the bank of the Vltava River, in the neo-Renaissance building of the former Oldtowner Water Station from the 1880s, in the nearest neighborhood of Charles Bridge, in a place with a beautiful view of the Vltava River and Prague Castle.
To reach the museum by public transportation, you can take the subway, streetcar, or cab:
- Subway A: Staroměstská station stop
- Streetcar 17: Staroměstská station stop
- Cab: Taxis are widely available in Prague, and the Dancing House is a short distance from the city center.
Bedřich Smetana Museum: frequently asked questions
The museum is not very famous, but for classical music lovers it is worth visiting the collection inside. Most of the reviews are positive. The only downside that most visitors have found is the presence of an exaggerated amount of walls with explanatory texts. Other than that, the museum has interactive and fun parts: you can enjoy Smetana’s masterpieces using an electronic wand and play the grand piano in the center of the hall. In conclusion, the Smetana Museum remains a must-visit for those who want to delve into the world of classical music, if only because of the presence of the composer’s original sheet music.
There is a fee for admission to the building, but the cost is really minimal (about 3€ for full ticket and 1.20€ for reduced). This attraction is included among the free museums on the Prague Card. Therefore, if you wish to visit many attractions, it is recommended that you purchase the official Prague Tourist Card.
Yes, guided tours of the public take place only on weekdays and after booking by phone and email. If you wish to make reservations, you can contact +420 222 220 082 or send an email to mbs@nm.cz. Guided tours are in English, German, and Czech only, and the cost is that of the ticket plus a supplement of CZK 70 per person (for German and English) and CZK 50 per person (for Czech).
The museum is open every day except Tuesdays from 10 am to 5 pm. I advise you not to enter after 4 p.m., as you may need about 1 hour to visit the whole museum.
To avoid crowds of tourists, it is advisable to visit the museum during opening hours (from 10 am) or from 3 pm onwards. Avoid lunchtime: the hours 12 – 3 p.m. are in fact when the museum is most crowded.
You can purchase admission tickets online or at the official ticket office. To purchase the Prague Card, on the other hand, click here.
Conclusions
The Smetana Museum is undoubtedly a must see for classical music lovers. Only by visiting it can one truly understand what impact Smetana’s music has had on Czech Culture.
The central location, just off the Charles Bridge, provides excellent views to photograph.For more information on other museums in Prague, you can read the post on the Jewish Museum, Prague, the National Museum, the War Museum, the Mucha Museum, the Museum of Communism, and Prague Castle.
