Croatian National History Museum: Renovation and New Interesting Content

The Croatian Natural History Museum in Zagreb, whose renovation and extension are about to start, received the largest cultural investment in Zagreb and one of the capital investments in Croatia.

The Croatian National History Museum in Zagreb, whose building was assessed as unusable following the earthquake in March last year, presented a project worth more than 69 million Kuna. Owing to the investment, the vast museum holdings will be housed in a renovated, extended facility with more content. The major part of the investment, more than 57 million Kuna, comes from the European Regional Development Fund while the remaining part was provided by the City of Zagreb.

The project entitled Heritage Guardian as a Catalyst for Development, Research and Learning - New Croatian Natural History Museum is conducted in partnership with the City of Zagreb and the Zagreb Tourist Board.

The aims of this demanding project, which is of utmost importance for cultural life of Zagreb and of entire Croatia, are the renovation, extension and preservation of the Amadeo palace, which is a part of Croatian heritage and a facility where the museum was housed until the devastating earthquake. A multimedia hall, a souvenir shop, a catering venue and a children’s playroom will all be added to the museum, in addition to renovation and arrangements to be made for the housing of the permanent collection. This will be the start of a unique museum of natural history which is appealing both to Croatian and foreign visitors. Additional space, new equipment and laboratories will help to strengthen scientific and research activities of the museum. The said additional possibilities will contribute to employment and economic growth.

The completion of the project, which will greatly contribute to the development of cultural tourism in Zagreb, is expected in 2023.

The Croatian National History Museum is one of the largest museums in Croatia. Today’s valuable natural history collections date back to 1846, when the National Museum was founded.

Today the collections of the Natural History Museum hold more than 2 million specimens of minerals, rocks, fossils, taxidermied plants and animals from Croatia and neighbouring countries as well as other continents. With the completion of this project, all of them will be returned to the renovated and improved museum facility. Owing to the valuable collections, but also innovative methods of presenting them, the museum will become a valued attraction for numerous visitors of Zagreb.