Museums in Croatia
37 museums in Croatia. Most visited: Modern Gallery.
Top museums in Croatia
Modern Gallery
Art museum · 76,060 visitors a year
The most comprehensive collection of 19th- and 20th-century Croatian art is held by Zagreb's Modern Gallery (Moderna galerija), which since 2021 has carried the name National Museum of Modern Art...
Croatian Natural History Museum
Natural history museum · 23,143 visitors a year
The remains of the Neanderthal from Krapina are kept at the Croatian Natural History Museum (Hrvatski prirodoslovni muzej), the oldest and largest natural history museum in Croatia and the country's...
Croatian Museum of Naïve Art
Art museum · 12,000 visitors a year
Over 1,900 works by naïve artists of the 20th century fill the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art (Hrvatski muzej naivne umjetnosti), a collection devoted entirely to a genre usually associated with...
Archaeological Museum of Zagreb
Archaeology museum
The longest Etruscan inscription in existence survives here, written on the Liber Linteus, the linen bandages of a 3rd-century BCE mummy. The Archaeological Museum of Zagreb (Arheološki muzej u...
Art Pavilion in Zagreb
Art museum
Founded in 1898, the Art Pavilion in Zagreb (Umjetnički paviljon u Zagrebu) is the oldest gallery in Southeast Europe. It is also the only purpose-built gallery in Zagreb designed specifically for...
Croatian History Museum
History museum
Two palaces in Zagreb's historic Gornji Grad district house the Croatian History Museum (Hrvatski povijesni muzej): the Vojković palace on Antun Gustav Matoš Street and the Ludovik Jelačić palace on...
Croatian Museum of Contemporary Art
Art museum
The largest and most modern museum in Croatia, the Museum of Contemporary Art (Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, often shortened to MSU on signs) is devoted to contemporary art. It stands on Dubrovnik...
Ethnographic Museum of Zagreb
Ethnographic or open-air museum
A Secession building of 1903, designed by the architect Vjekoslav Bastl as the city's Trades Hall, houses Zagreb's ethnographic museum on Ivan Mažuranić Square. The façade's central section carries...
Glyptotheque
Art museum
Run by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Glyptotheque (Gliptoteka HAZU on signs) is a glyptotheque, the term for a museum devoted to sculpture. It was founded in 1937 and is listed on...
Klovićevi dvori
Art museum
A former 18th-century Jesuit monastery in Gradec, the historic quarter of Zagreb's Upper Town, houses Klovićevi Dvori Gallery (Galerija Klovićevi dvori). The art gallery opened in 1982 and takes its...
Meštrović Pavilion
Designed by Ivan Meštrović and built in 1938, the Meštrović Pavilion (Meštrovićev paviljon) has served as an art gallery, a mosque and a museum of the revolution. It stands on the Square of the...
Mimara Museum
Art museum
Ptolemaic glass from Alexandria, Qing-dynasty jade and ivory, and paintings attributed to Rubens, Giorgione, Velázquez, Goya and Degas all come from the private collection of one couple, Ante Topić...
Museum of Arts and Crafts
Art museum
Founded in 1880 to give master craftsmen and artists models for reviving the production of everyday objects, Zagreb's Museum of Arts and Crafts (Muzej za umjetnost i obrt) drew on England's Arts and...
Museum of Broken Relationships
Every object in the Museum of Broken Relationships (Muzej prekinutih veza) represents a personal story of a relationship that has ended. Shown together, these varied pieces build a broader narrative...
Nikola Tesla Technical Museum
Historic aircraft, cars, machinery and equipment fill the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum (Tehnički muzej Nikola Tesla), Zagreb's museum of technology. Its collection brings together the scientific and...
Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters
Art museum
Paintings by Raphael, El Greco, Carpaccio and Fra Angelico hang in the gallery founded on Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer's gift to Zagreb in 1884. The Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters...
Zagreb City Museum
Zagreb City Museum (Muzej grada Zagreba) occupies the restored former Convent of the Poor Clares, dating from 1650. The monumental complex also takes in the 12th-century tower known as Popov toranj,...
Zagreb Zoo
Zoo or aquarium
Zagreb Zoo (Zoološki vrt Grada Zagreba) occupies 7 hectares inside Maksimir Park and is one of only three zoo parks in Croatia. Founded in 1925 by Mijo Filipović, it belongs to both the European and...
Museums by city in Croatia
Croatia’s museum scene reflects the country’s layered past, from Roman, Illyrian, and medieval heritage to modern art and film culture. Zagreb is the main museum hub, with institutions such as the Archaeological Museum of Zagreb, the Modern Gallery, the Croatian Natural History Museum, and the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art. On Mooseum, visitors can browse these collections more easily and plan visits around the capital’s compact, walkable center.
Along the Adriatic coast, museums in Split and other historic cities connect closely to the region’s maritime and classical past. The Archaeological Museum Split offers important material from Roman Dalmatia, while coastal museums often sit near old town streets, fortifications, and harbor fronts. This makes museum visits in Croatia especially rewarding for travelers who want to combine exhibitions with historic urban landscapes and nearby archaeological sites.
In Slavonia and eastern Croatia, cities such as Osijek add another dimension through regional archaeology and local history. Across the country, smaller galleries and specialist collections help explain Croatian identity through folk traditions, religious art, natural history, and 20th-century visual culture. Mooseum helps visitors discover this range, whether they are interested in prehistoric finds, Habsburg-era city life, or distinctive Croatian artistic movements.
Map of museums in Croatia
Museums in Croatia: questions
- How many museums are there in Croatia?
- Mooseum lists 37 museums in Croatia. Zagreb has the most, with 20.
- Which cities in Croatia have the most museums?
- Zagreb (20), Osijek (5) and Split (5).
- What are the most visited museums in Croatia?
- By annual visitors reported on Wikipedia: Modern Gallery (76,060), Croatian Natural History Museum (23,143) and Croatian Museum of Naïve Art (12,000).
- What kinds of museums are in Croatia?
- Of the 27 whose type we know, the most common are art museums (14), archaeology museums (3), history museums (2) and transport museums (2).
- Archaeology is a major strength, with museums in Zagreb, Split, and Osijek covering prehistoric, Roman, and early medieval Croatia.
- Zagreb’s art institutions include the Modern Gallery, the Art Pavilion, and the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art, which introduces the country’s well-known naïve painting tradition.
- Natural history collections help explain Croatia’s geology, fossils, biodiversity, and karst landscapes, especially through the Croatian Natural History Museum.
- Coastal museums often connect exhibitions with the Adriatic setting, including Roman Dalmatia, maritime trade, and the urban history of old port cities.
- Specialist institutions such as the Croatian Film Archive add depth for visitors interested in cinema, photography, and modern cultural history.
- Many museums in Croatia, especially in Zagreb and Split, close earlier than major tourist sites, so check same-day opening hours before planning an afternoon visit.
- Some state and city museums offer reduced or free entry on specific days, and combination tickets may be available for related archaeological or historic sites.
- Historic centers in Zagreb, Split, and other older cities are best explored on foot; parking can be limited, so use trams in Zagreb and walk within old towns.
- Summer brings longer queues in coastal cities, while spring and autumn are often more comfortable for museum visits combined with outdoor sightseeing.
All museums in Croatia
Every museum in Croatia listed on Mooseum. Search by name or type.
| Name | Type | Website | Links | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Archaeological Museum of ZagrebThe longest Etruscan inscription in existence survives here, written on the Liber Linteus, the linen bandages of a 3rd-century BCE mummy. The Archaeological Museum of Zagreb (Arheološki muzej u... | Archaeology museum | www.amz.hr |  | — |
Archaeology museum | arheoloskimuzejosijek.hr | | — | |
Archaeology museum | www.mdc.hr/split-arheoloski | | — | |
Art Pavilion in ZagrebFounded in 1898, the Art Pavilion in Zagreb (Umjetnički paviljon u Zagrebu) is the oldest gallery in Southeast Europe. It is also the only purpose-built gallery in Zagreb designed specifically for... | Art museum | www.umjetnicki-paviljon.hr | | — |
Music, film or theatre museum | www.arhiv.hr | | — | |
Croatian History MuseumTwo palaces in Zagreb's historic Gornji Grad district house the Croatian History Museum (Hrvatski povijesni muzej): the Vojković palace on Antun Gustav Matoš Street and the Ludovik Jelačić palace on... | History museum | www.hismus.hr/en | | — |
Maritime museum | www.hpms.hr/index.php | | — | |
Croatian Museum of Contemporary ArtThe largest and most modern museum in Croatia, the Museum of Contemporary Art (Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, often shortened to MSU on signs) is devoted to contemporary art. It stands on Dubrovnik... | Art museum | www.msu.hr | | — |
Croatian Museum of Naïve ArtOver 1,900 works by naïve artists of the 20th century fill the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art (Hrvatski muzej naivne umjetnosti), a collection devoted entirely to a genre usually associated with... | Art museum | hmnu.hr | | — |
Croatian Natural History MuseumThe remains of the Neanderthal from Krapina are kept at the Croatian Natural History Museum (Hrvatski prirodoslovni muzej), the oldest and largest natural history museum in Croatia and the country's... | Natural history museum | www.hpm.hr | | — |
Transport museum | www.hznet.hr/hz_muzej | | — | |
Ethnographic Museum of ZagrebA Secession building of 1903, designed by the architect Vjekoslav Bastl as the city's Trades Hall, houses Zagreb's ethnographic museum on Ivan Mažuranić Square. The façade's central section carries... | Ethnographic or open-air museum | emz.hr | | — |
Transport museum | www.otk-ferdinandbudicki.hr | | — | |
— | froggyland.net | | — | |
Art museum | www.ggo.hr/GALERIJA%20WALDINGER.html | | — | |
GlyptothequeRun by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Glyptotheque (Gliptoteka HAZU on signs) is a glyptotheque, the term for a museum devoted to sculpture. It was founded in 1937 and is listed on... | Art museum | gliptoteka.mdc.hr | | — |
Art museum | www.mestrovic.hr | | — | |
Klovićevi dvoriA former 18th-century Jesuit monastery in Gradec, the historic quarter of Zagreb's Upper Town, houses Klovićevi Dvori Gallery (Galerija Klovićevi dvori). The art gallery opened in 1982 and takes its... | Art museum | gkd.hr | | — |
— | www.kaznionica-u-lepoglavi.hr | | — | |
Art museum | www.muzej-marton.hr | | — | |
History museum | mmc.hr | | — | |
— | lipapamti.ppmhp.hr | | — | |
Meštrović PavilionDesigned by Ivan Meštrović and built in 1938, the Meštrović Pavilion (Meštrovićev paviljon) has served as an art gallery, a mosque and a museum of the revolution. It stands on the Square of the... | — | www.hdlu.hr | | — |
Mimara MuseumPtolemaic glass from Alexandria, Qing-dynasty jade and ivory, and paintings attributed to Rubens, Giorgione, Velázquez, Goya and Degas all come from the private collection of one couple, Ante Topić... | Art museum | www.mimara.hr | | — |
Modern GalleryThe most comprehensive collection of 19th- and 20th-century Croatian art is held by Zagreb's Modern Gallery (Moderna galerija), which since 2021 has carried the name National Museum of Modern Art... | Art museum | www.moderna-galerija.hr | | — |