Museum of Communism

The Museum of Communism in Prague (Praha 1) documents the post-World War II era and the decades of communist rule in Czechoslovakia, with a strong focus on everyday life in the capital.

What can you see inside?

The exhibition covers what daily existence looked like behind the Iron Curtain — propaganda, the centrally planned economy, education and sport, the machinery of state surveillance, and the chronic shortages of goods in ordinary shops. It combines original period artefacts with informational panels and multimedia presentations, so the visit reads more like a guided narrative than a simple walk past display cases. The context it provides also helps visitors understand the background to later events, including the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

Where exactly is it located?

The museum sits in the heart of Prague, close to Wenceslas Square — one of the city's busiest and most central spaces. Since 2017 it has occupied a building known as the Old Customs House, near Republic Square. Before that move, for many years, the exhibition was housed in the Savarin Palace on Na Příkopě street, directly above a McDonald's restaurant and next to a casino — an unusual pairing that itself became a talking point among visitors, given the contrast between the commercial surroundings and the museum's subject matter.

How do you get there?

Thanks to its central location, the easiest approach is on foot from Wenceslas Square or Republic Square, both of which are well connected to the rest of the city by metro and tram lines. Praha 1 is the district with the highest concentration of sights in the whole capital, so a visit here fits naturally alongside a walk through the Old Town or stops at other attractions within a few hundred metres.

How much time should you set aside?

The exhibition itself is not enormous, but given the volume of text panels and multimedia material, it's worth allowing at least an hour — visitors with a strong interest in 20th-century history may want up to two. That's enough time to work through each thematic section without rushing.

Who is this museum for?

It appeals particularly to anyone interested in recent Central European history, as well as visitors who simply want to understand what life under Eastern Bloc rule looked like from an ordinary citizen's point of view. Topics such as consumer shortages, surveillance, and propaganda in schools and media are presented in a way that's accessible even without prior background knowledge.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Museum of Communism in Prague located? Since 2017 it has been housed in the former Old Customs House building, near Republic Square, in the central Praha 1 district.

Is it true the museum used to be located above a McDonald's? Yes — for years the exhibition occupied the Savarin Palace on Na Příkopě street, in a building whose lower floor housed a McDonald's, with a casino next door. The museum relocated to its current site in 2017.

What does the exhibition cover? It presents the era of communist rule in Czechoslovakia after World War II — everyday life, propaganda, the economy, and state repression — largely from the perspective of Prague residents.

How long does a visit take? A standard visit takes around an hour; visitors who want to read through the text and multimedia material in detail should plan for up to two.