Klempíř: Selected state museums and galleries will be free on the first Sunday of the month

Prague/Brno/Olomouc – The permanent exhibitions of the National Gallery in Prague, the Moravian Gallery in Brno, and the Museum of Art in Olomouc, which are funded organizations of the Ministry of Culture, will be accessible for free on the first Sunday of each month. This measure takes effect from April, so it will first apply to the upcoming Sunday, April 5. Culture Minister Oto Klempíř (for Motorists) announced this today on X. However, the Moravian Gallery has already allowed free visits to its permanent exhibitions for nearly 13 years, or rather for a voluntary entrance fee.

Klempíř described the changes today as a pilot project that aims to fulfill the commitment of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's (ANO) government to make culture accessible to everyone. "The introduction of regular free admission days is in line with common practice in Europe," wrote Klempíř. "The Ministry will continuously evaluate the pilot phase of the project. Further updates will be presented next week," added the minister.

Every first Sunday of the month, French and Italian state museums are open for free. A similar model is in place in Germany, a somewhat different one in Spain, and in Poland, museums determine free admission days, the minister stated.

In the case of the Prague National Gallery, the pilot project applies to the permanent exhibitions at the Trade Fair Palace in Prague 7, as well as to exhibitions in the Salm Palace, Sternberg Palace, and Schwarzenberg Palace at Hradčanské Square and medieval art at the Convent of St. Agnes.

Visitors can also freely visit the "Havířská balada" exhibition, which the gallery operates at Fryštát Castle in Karviná, or an exhibition of paintings by Jan Zrzavý at the castle in Telč every first Sunday.

In Brno, according to Klempíř, the pilot project concerns the permanent exhibitions of the Moravian Gallery, namely the Museum of Applied Arts, the Governor's Palace, the Pražák Palace, and the exhibition about architect Dušan Jurkovič in his villa in Brno-Zabovresky. Additionally, the project includes an exhibition at the museum of architect and designer Josef Hoffmann in Brtnice in the Jihlava region.

However, the Moravian Gallery has been providing access to its permanent exhibitions in all three Brno palaces for a voluntary entrance fee since 2013. Therefore, people can already visit the Museum of Art for free if they do not wish to pay the voluntary contribution. The change would therefore only affect Jurkovič's villa and the Josef Hoffmann Museum, where the standard admission fee is currently 100 and 80 crowns, respectively. However, gallery spokesperson Eva Kadlčáková did not want to comment on this yet.

In Olomouc, people will be able to visit the permanent exhibitions dedicated to the visual arts of the first half of the 20th century and also the exhibition at the Archdiocesan Museum in Olomouc about spiritual culture in Moravia for free for the first time this Sunday. "It's new, from this week onwards, there will always be free admission to all permanent exhibitions of the museum on the first Sunday of the month. This is a pilot project until summer, then it will be evaluated, and we will see what happens next," said Tomáš Kasal, spokesperson for the Museum of Art in Olomouc, to ČTK.

The Babiš government stated in its program declaration that it will advocate for accessible culture for everyone: "We will establish a system of discounts for cultural activities. We will ensure free admission to state museums and galleries for youth, seniors, and disabled citizens."