Muzeum jihovýchodní Moravy ve Zlíně

The Museum of Southeastern Moravia in Zlín is a regional museum based in Zlín, a city famous across Central Europe for its functionalist industrial architecture. The institution has existed under various names since 1953, and since 2013 it has occupied Building No. 14 of the former Baťa/Svit factory complex — one of the defining landmarks of industrial Zlín.

Where is the museum located?

The museum forms part of the 14|15 Baťův institut complex, sharing its premises with the Regional Gallery of Visual Arts in Zlín and the František Bartoš Regional Library. The location is far from random: Building No. 14 belonged for decades to the Baťa shoe factory, and today it stands as one of the city's cultural hubs. Before the move, the museum spent many decades housed in Zlín Castle, relocating to its current home only in 2013.

What can you see inside?

The flagship exhibition is "Princip Baťa: Dnes fantazie, zítra skutečnost" ("The Baťa Principle: Today Fantasy, Tomorrow Reality"), spread across almost 1,500 square metres. It weaves together three main themes:

• The history of the Baťa shoe company — including a dedicated shoe museum and a reconstructed production line, showing how one of Central Europe's most famous footwear factories actually worked.
• The history of Zlín film — tracing the story from Baťa's early cinema efforts through the work of Karel Zeman and Hermína Týrlová to productions of the 21st century. Zlín was, for decades, a major centre of Czech animation and puppet film.
• The travels of Hanzelka and Zikmund — the legendary Czech explorers and journalists whose expeditions across Africa and the Americas in the 1940s and 1950s captivated generations of readers back home.

Beyond its main site in Zlín, the museum also administers several other properties across the region: Malenovice Castle, the Zálesí Museum in Luhačovice, and the National Cultural Monument at Ploština, a memorial site connected to tragic events of the Second World War.

Who is this museum for?

The "Princip Baťa" exhibition appeals to visitors interested in industrial history and design, as well as anyone curious about animated film or classic travel stories. It also works well for families — interactive elements tied to shoe manufacturing and the atmosphere of a genuine former factory building make a visit both educational and entertaining. Zlín itself functions almost like an open-air museum of functionalist architecture, so a stop at the museum pairs naturally with a walk through the surrounding streets, laid out according to Tomáš Baťa's "garden city" concept.

How do you get there?

Zlín lies in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, in the Zlín Region, and is well connected by road and rail to both Brno and Ostrava. Building No. 14, home to the museum, sits in the heart of the former Baťa factory complex, easily reached and close to the city's other cultural attractions — the regional art gallery and library.

Frequently asked questions

Is the museum still located in Zlín Castle? No — since 2013 the museum's main premises have been in Building No. 14 of the former Baťa factory complex, as part of the 14|15 Baťův institut. Before that, for many decades, the museum was indeed based in Zlín Castle.

What is the museum's main exhibition? It's "Princip Baťa: Dnes fantazie, zítra skutečnost," covering almost 1,500 square metres and combining the history of the Baťa company, the history of Zlín film, and the travels of Hanzelka and Zikmund.

Does the museum operate other branches outside Zlín? Yes — it also manages Malenovice Castle, the Zálesí Museum in Luhačovice, and the National Cultural Monument at Ploština.

What else is worth seeing nearby? The museum shares its building with the Regional Gallery of Visual Arts and the František Bartoš Regional Library, so a single visit to the 14|15 Baťův institut complex lets you take in several cultural institutions at once.