The historic building of the NM will open with a dome and a relaxing zone

Prague - The viewpoint from the dome, a visit to the newly roofed courtyard with a relaxation zone, and barrier-free access for guided tours will be offered by the historic building of the National Museum in Prague starting in March. It will reopen after a month-long break during which operational technology testing and maintenance were carried out in the building. The museum's spokesperson Kristina Kvapilová announced this today. The historic building on Wenceslas Square is closed in February; the previous partial access from October 28 to the end of January was utilized by approximately 350,000 people, according to the spokesperson.

Starting in March, the building will once again open the Czech-Slovak and Slovak-Czech exhibition about the shared life of Czechs and Slovaks in one state, as well as an exhibition of two hundred of the most significant objects from the collections of the National Museum. Visitors will again be able to view the restored historic interiors, including the Pantheon. "A new feature is the barrier-free access of the building. For the first time, the public will also be allowed to enter the dome," Kvapilová stated.

The entire historic building is now barrier-free, except for the dome; wheelchair access is available from Vinohradská Street. Visitors will also now be able to see the eastern courtyard. "This space has never been accessible to visitors before, and now a unique relaxation zone has been created here thanks to its roofing," the spokesperson noted.

In June 2019, according to Kvapilová, an exhibition about Czechoslovak pilots in Great Britain titled Knights of the Sky will open in the historic building. An exhibition on Tutankhamun is being prepared for the summer. "Starting in the autumn of 2019, some new permanent exhibitions will also be opened to visitors," she added.

The historic building was partially opened this year on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of Czechoslovakia after a three-year reconstruction and seven years of closure. The renovation cost 1.8 billion crowns. After the ceremonial opening at the end of October, entry was free until the end of the year. Long lines formed in front of the building at that time; according to Kvapilová, 274,000 people took advantage of the free entry.