Museum of Arts and Crafts

The Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb is one of Europe's oldest institutions dedicated to applied art, and a must for anyone drawn to design, craftsmanship, or period architecture.

How did the museum come to be?

The museum was founded in 1880 on the initiative of the Arts Society and its president at the time, Izidor Kršnjavi. The concept grew out of England's Arts and Crafts movement and the ideas of German theorist Gottfried Semper: the goal was to build a collection of models and reference pieces that would inspire local craftsmen and raise the standard of everyday design. Eight years later, in 1888, the museum moved into a purpose-built home designed by architect Hermann Bollé — one of the first buildings in Europe conceived from the ground up to combine a museum with an art school, built as a grand historicist palace in the German Renaissance style.

What will you find inside?

The collection holds more than 160,000 objects spanning the 4th to the 20th century. The permanent display fills three floors and over 2,000 square meters, showing roughly 3,000 exhibits at a time. Holdings range across furniture, ceramics, glass, clocks and watches, textiles and fashion, musical instruments, graphic design and prints, photography, sculpture, metalwork and ivory, and a dedicated Anka Gvozdanović collection. Together they trace the history of Central European applied art, from functional household objects to pieces of genuine artistic weight.

How do you get there?

The museum sits at Trg Republike Hrvatske 10, on the same square as the Croatian National Theatre — right in the heart of Zagreb, a short walk from Ban Jelačić Square and the Main Railway Station. Most visitors reach it on foot from the city centre in 10–15 minutes; several tram lines also stop nearby, so getting there from elsewhere in the city is straightforward.

When should you visit?

The museum opens Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 to 19:00, and Sunday, 10:00 to 14:00. It's closed on Mondays and public holidays. Weekday mornings tend to be quietest and let natural light show off Bollé's interiors at their best. Plan for roughly an hour and a half to two hours to see the permanent collection at a comfortable pace.

Who is it for?

The museum rewards anyone interested in design history, decorative arts, or interior architecture, but the variety on show — from clocks to musical instruments — also keeps it engaging for families and casual visitors. Even without a special interest in the collections, the building itself, with its grand staircase and historicist detailing, is worth the visit.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a visit take? Expect around 1.5–2 hours to see the permanent exhibition properly, depending on how much time you spend with each collection.

Are there discounted tickets? Yes — reduced-price tickets are available for seniors and students, along with a family ticket. Entry is free for ZagrebCard holders.

Is the building itself historically significant? Yes. Completed in 1888 to a design by Hermann Bollé, it was one of the first buildings in Europe purpose-built to combine museum and school functions, executed in a German Renaissance historicist style.

Can you combine this with other nearby sights? Easily. The museum stands next to the Croatian National Theatre, and Ban Jelačić Square and Zagreb's city centre are within a fifteen-minute walk.