12 best museums in Moscow

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Moscow is the cultural and historical center of our country, where millions of tourists from all over the world come to see with their own eyes the unique objects that have survived to this day. In the capital, you can see museums of different directions. Everyone can choose exactly what interests him the most. These are museums of history and natural history, astronautics and automobile construction, galleries of fine arts and art crafts.

Many excursion programs include visits to the most significant places. But which of them, first of all, should be seen by the guests of the capital who have arrived for several days and do not have a lot of time left? This question will be answered by experts who will become guides to local attractions in the capital. Our review includes 12 museums that are recommended to visit in the first place.

Rating of the best museums in Moscow

Nomination	a place	Museum	rating
The best historical museums in Moscow	1	State Historical Museum	5.0
	2	Moscow City Museum	4.9
	3	Armouries	4.8
The best art museums in Moscow	1	State Tretyakov Gallery	5.0
	2	State Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin	4.9
	3	Museum of Russian Impressionism	4.8
The best science museums in Moscow	1	State Darwin Museum	5.0
	2	Space Museum	4.9
	3	Paleontological Museum. Yu.A. Orlova RAS	4.8
The best museums-reserves of Moscow	1	Tsaritsyno	5.0
	2	Kolomenskoye	4.9
	3	Estate Kuskovo	4.8

The best historical museums in Moscow

State Historical Museum

Rating: 5.0

The first place is given to the largest national museum in the country. It is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is a unique historical landmark of Russia. The first stone was solemnly laid by Emperor Alexander II personally. The building in the pseudo-Russian style was erected over 8 years: from 1875 to 1883. It has become an important part of the architectural ensemble of the main square of Moscow. Many elements are used in the design: icon cases, kokoshniks, tents, flys, arches, weights, arcature belts.

The fund has more than 5 million storage units. The permanent exhibition is only 0.5% of the total amount of valuable materials. To date, all 40 halls are open, and the expositions cover the period from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century. A unique opportunity is presented to those who cannot personally visit the exhibition. A virtual tour on the site will acquaint you with all the sights of the historical museum.

Annual traffic – more than 1.2 million visitors. On the occasion of the 145th anniversary of the facility, a massive tea party was organized in the Main Hall, where all guests were treated to cakes baked according to old recipes, the total weight of which was half a ton. Figures-copies of sculptures of the exposition served as decorations. The complex is located on Red Square. It is open from 10 am to 7 pm. On Thursday, it works until 20.00. Ticket price: from 150 to 500 rubles. Phone number: 8 495 692 40 19.

Moscow City Museum

Rating: 4.9

On the second line is the museum association, which presents exhibits related to the history of the capital of our country. It was founded in 1896. The institution is part of a unique ensemble of Provision warehouses. The exhibitions are located in the main building and seven branches. The collection numbers 790 thousand items dating back to different times. The personal archives of modern city historians are kept here. Also widely presented are family and clan collections of household items and documents of famous Moscow merchants.

The halls display items of decorative and applied arts, furniture of 19th century craft workshops, oil lanterns, crystal and porcelain, and textile scarves that were produced for any significant event in the city. The exhibitions feature works by famous artists of various genres dedicated to the main city of Russia.

The complex is located at 2 Zubovsky Boulevard. It is open every day except Monday from 10 to 20 hours. Closes one hour late on Thursday. A full ticket to all exhibitions costs 650 rubles, a reduced ticket – 325. All proposals for collective services are posted on the official website. You can order a tour by phone: +7 495 739 00 08.

Armouries

Rating: 4.8

The third prize-winner in this nomination is the museum, which is housed in a building built in 1851. The architecture attracts attention with carved white stone columns with floral ornaments. The interior decoration is no less rich and solemn than the facade. Exhibits are items made in the Kremlin workshops, as well as donated by the embassies of foreign states. At the exhibition you can get acquainted with the masterpieces of weaponry, see the ceremonial royal and coronation clothes, the vestments of clergymen, the dresses of maids of honor, the armor of knights.

Visitors are invited to view the largest collection of silver and gold items by Russian craftsmen and Western European artists. The collection is varied and dates from the 4th century to the 20th century. The exhibition features Faberge products, personal artifacts of emperors and empresses, carriages and carriages, thrones, dishes and other priceless exhibits. The entire exposition is located in 9 thematic halls.

Acquaintance with storage units takes place with a tour guide or audio guide. The museum does not leave indifferent either adults or children. Here you can immerse yourself in history and feel like a part of it. The chamber is located on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. Ticket price: 1000 r. – for adults, 500 rub. – for students and pensioners, for children under 16 – free of charge. Opening hours: from 10 to 18 hours, Thursday – day off. All questions of interest can be asked by calling: +7 495 697 03 49.

The best art museums in Moscow

State Tretyakov Gallery

Rating: 5.0

The leader in our review is the pearl of the world's artistic heritage. The first exhibits began to collect in 1856 by the famous merchant and philanthropist Pavel Tretyakov. To do this, he expanded his own house and after improvement, together with the collection, which already numbered 1841 storage units, he donates it to the city. Today, 62 rooms display the works of artists from the 11th to early 20th centuries. These are Old Russian icon painting, graphics, painting, sculpture. A separate room is devoted to items made of precious stones and precious metals for secular and church purposes.

Here you can see with your own eyes the canvases of Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev, Ilya Repin and Ivan Shishkin, Isaac Levitan and Viktor Vasnetsov and many other artists who glorified our Fatherland. More than 1.5 million people visit the exhibition annually, and this number is constantly growing, as is the number of valuable items in the collection.

The gallery is located in Lavrushinsky lane, 10. It is open every day except Monday from 10 to 18 hours. Closes at 21.00 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Electronic tickets can be purchased on the official website. The cost depends on the category of citizens. Adults will pay 500 rubles, pensioners and students – 200 rubles. Children under 18 visit the exhibition free of charge. To order group excursions, please call: +7 495 951 07 27.

State Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin

Rating: 4.9

Another museum worth visiting in Moscow is included in our review. It was opened in 1912, but the beginning of construction dates back to 1898. The building was built in the neoclassical style and looks like an ancient temple. In 1937, it was decided to name the institution after the great Russian poet. Today, the Pushkin Museum is a particularly valuable cultural heritage site of our country.

The exposition includes over 700,000 items. It is a collection of foreign art, including works of sculpture, painting, arts and crafts, graphics from Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The collection contains a large number of antique casts. In 2012, the museum celebrated its 100th anniversary. This grandiose event was celebrated on a large scale; medals and a postage stamp were also issued for the anniversary.

The Center for Aesthetic Education of Children and Adolescents was opened at the institution. More than 1.3 million people get acquainted with the exhibition every year. In 2018, it was ranked 47th among the most visited art museums in the world. Location: st. Volkhonka, 12 Opening hours: daily from 11 to 20 hours. On Thursday and Friday, it has been extended by an hour. Closed on Monday. Ticket prices range from 100 to 500 rubles. You can find out about preferential programs on the official website. Contact phone number: 8 495 697 95 78.

Museum of Russian Impressionism

Rating: 4.8

In third place is the young exhibition complex, opened in 2016. For a short time of its existence, the value of his collection was appreciated by many Russian and foreign admirers of an ambiguous and mysterious artistic direction. The building was built with his own money by the famous patron of art Boris Mints, who began collecting paintings by artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries in 2001. It includes several floors and stands out from other buildings.

The earliest work is dated 1879 and belongs to the brush of Vasily Polenov. Also on display are paintings by N. Dubrovsky, I. Grabar, N. Bogdanov-Belsky, B. Kustodiev, Y. Pimenov. Many works of art were bought from foreign collectors and returned to their homeland. To enhance the experience, flasks with flowers and herbs are placed next to the landscapes, creating a fragrant cloud. Composer D. Kurlyandsky composed 5 musical compositions based on the works that sound while watching the masterpieces.

The museum is located on the territory of the former Bolshevik factory at the address: Leningradsky Prospect, 15. The purchase of an adult ticket through the ticket office will cost 400 rubles, when buying online – 300 rubles. Many categories of citizens visit the exhibition free of charge. The complex is open from 11 to 20 hours, on Wednesday and Thursday: from 12 to 21.00. Reference phone number: +7 495 145 75 55.

The best science museums in Moscow

State Darwin Museum

Rating: 5.0

The first place is taken by the museum, recognized as the most visited family-oriented object. It is also the largest natural science repository in Europe. The huge exposition arouses genuine interest among parents, kids and teenagers. It began to grow in 1907, when a young zoologist Alexander Fedorovich Kots came up with the idea of ​​opening a museum of natural sciences. He remained faithful to his idea to the end, rejoicing at the new items in the collection.

The exposition is located on three floors. At the first one, visitors get acquainted with the history of the museum itself and see an exhibition of objects on the theme 'The diversity of life on Earth'. The second and third floors will answer many questions about the evolution of animals and the origin of man. Guests will be able to see live insects that live on five continents. All stages of life take place in transparent terrariums. Before the eyes of visitors, the pupa turns into a butterfly, and the predatory plant catches small flies.

Modern multimedia equipment will help you traverse the labyrinth of evolution and travel back in time 3.5 billion years ago. Experienced guides will tell you about the exhibition. For self-study, there are “Guides-Guides” programs in the computers installed on the territory. Ticket price: 400 rubles. For beneficiaries it is 100 rubles. The institution is open from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday is a day off. It is located at: st. Vavilova, 57. Phone number: +7 499 132 10 47.

Space Museum

Rating: 4.9

The second prize-winner is no less popular than the first one, the object of scientific development of our country. Its history begins in 1964 with the installation of the Monument to the Conquerors of Space. Since then, a unique collection has been assembled that attracts tourists with rare exhibits. The largest scientific and technical museum in the world has undergone a large-scale reconstruction, and in 2009 an exhibition was opened with a 4 times larger area. Today the collection includes 93 thousand items. This is rocket and space technology, numismatics, philately, decorative and applied art, painting and graphics.

The territory includes 8 exhibition halls, a cinema and conference hall. The layout of the Mir space station compartment, the first spacesuits and artificial earth satellites are of great interest. In the museum's Flight Control Center in real time, you can observe the work of astronauts in orbit. Interactive equipment makes it possible to study distant galaxies in more detail.

The building is located at: Prospect Mira, 111. Working hours: from 10 to 19.00 every day except Mondays. For a regular ticket you will have to pay 250 rubles, for a reduced ticket – 50. A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children will cost 550 rubles. To organize a group visit, you can call: 8 499 750 23 00.

Paleontological Museum. Yu.A. Orlova RAS

Rating: 4.8

In third place is the largest museum dedicated to the evolution of the organic world of the Earth. The first exhibits began to be collected in 1714. By the time it opened in 1937, the museum possessed an impressive collection. But due to the small area, it was not possible to host the entire exhibition. Then it was decided to build the building, which dragged on for two decades. The project was developed specifically for this research facility.

The unique architectural ensemble made of red brick resembles an old fortress with adjoining towers and a wide courtyard. Paleontological material was collected by scientists during expeditions through the territory of the former USSR, in China, Mongolia and other countries. Six interestingly designed halls with a total area of ​​5000 sq. m shows the stages of evolution from ancient plants and animals to modern representatives of flora and fauna. One of them is dedicated to the geological history of Moscow and the Moscow region.

Paleoquests have been prepared for visitors, and there is a paleocircle for schoolchildren. Photo and video filming is allowed free of charge. Ticket price: full – 400 rubles, reduced – 200 rubles. Location: st. Profsoyuznaya, 123. Working hours: Wednesday-Sunday from 10 to 18.00. All information is provided on the official website. For more information, call: 8 495 339 45 44.

The best museums-reserves of Moscow

Tsaritsyno

Rating: 5.0

In the first place is a world-famous attraction that annually attracts foreign tourists and our compatriots. The construction of the grandiose palace ensemble began by order of Catherine II. The architectural style is a combination of Old Russian architecture and Moscow Baroque. The project envisaged a large-scale construction of five palaces, rooms for guests and servants, decorative structures, greenhouses, and utility pavilions.

The museum complex has undergone several large-scale renovations. After the last one, which ended in 2007, it gets a new life. The park territory delights no less than the buildings themselves. Well-groomed alleys, comfortable resting places, fountains, ponds – everything is created for the convenience of visitors. Greenhouses began to function as early as 1740. Until now, the museum workers grow exotic plants, the same as they did 250 years ago. Environmental workshops and educational excursions are held in three pavilions.

Tsaritsyno has become a favorite vacation spot for Muscovites. In summer, a dance floor with a retro program is open here, and sports equipment rental is available. A complex subscription costs 800 rubles. It is noteworthy that on every third Sunday of the month the visit is free for everyone. The exhibition is open every day except Monday from 11 to 18.00, on Saturday it closes at 19 hours, on Sunday at 20.00. It is located at: st. Dolskaya, 1. Detailed information is available by phone: +7 495 322 44 33.

Kolomenskoye

Rating: 4.9

The second line is occupied by the State United Museum-Reserve, which is an artistic, historical, architectural and natural landscape attraction of the capital. It is the most ancient place of residence of people on the territory of Moscow. This is evidenced by the surviving monuments dating from the 5th-3rd millennia BC. e .. The oldest temple in 1532 is the Church of the Ascension of the Lord.

The architectural ensemble consists of stone and wooden buildings, which are recognized as the pinnacle of Russian architecture. When visiting the museum, special attention should be paid to the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, which belongs to the mansion buildings. The House of Peter I is popular among visitors. Recently, objects that reconstruct the life of distant times have been actively rebuilt: water mills, stables, an apiary, a smithy. Interactive compositions allow you to learn more about the history of the capital and immerse yourself in its past.

Mass celebrations are often held here, and there is also an opportunity not only to celebrate a wedding in the old style, but also to register a marriage directly in Kolomenskoye. The entrance to the territory is free. The cost of tickets for the exposition varies from 100 to 400 rubles. for adults, from 50 to 100 for beneficiaries. You can visit the estate every day from 9 to 20.00. In the summer, the working hours are extended until 00.00. Address: Andropov Ave., 39. Contact phone number: +7 499 782 89 17.

Estate Kuskovo

Rating: 4.8

The third prize-winner is an architectural object that received the status of a museum-estate in 1918. It is considered the favorite brainchild of Count Sheremetev, who spent a lot of effort and money on its construction. The complex includes a palace and several pavilions: the grotto, the Italian, Dutch, Swiss houses, the Air Theater, the Hermitage, a temple with bell towers, as well as outbuildings: greenhouses and peacock enclosures.

The count's residence is surrounded on all sides by a forested area with a small pond with a boat station. Antique sculptures are installed on the territory, and an old larch tree, which is 200 years old, grows. You can go around the main house in a circle, thanks to the special layout of the main building. In one of the rooms there is an art gallery, paintings in which Count Pyotr Borisovich himself collected. Most of the craftsmen are from France and Italy. The oldest canvases date from the beginning of the 16th century, the rest were painted in the 17th-18th centuries.

Guests are invited to fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere of that era by renting historical costumes and a horse carriage. You can visit the facility on any day of the week except Monday and Tuesday from 10 am to 6 pm. It is located at: st. Yunosti, 2, p. 1. Ticket prices depend on the selected pavilions. A complex subscription costs 750 rubles. All questions can be asked by phone: +7 495 375 31 31.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.