Romania’s annual Night of Museums event returns on Saturday, May 23, bringing together museums, galleries and cultural institutions across the country for late-night exhibitions, immersive experiences and special public programs.
According to organizers, a total of 319 museums and cultural entities from 39 counties will participate in the 22nd edition of the event, including 48 venues in Bucharest alone. Many institutions will offer free access or reduced ticket prices throughout the evening.
Bucharest museums prepare extended programs and special exhibitions
In Bucharest, several major cultural institutions have announced expanded visiting hours and dedicated Night of Museums programming. Among the participating institutions are the National Museum of Art of Romania, the Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History and MINA – Museum of Immersive New Art.
The National Museum of Art of Romania (MNAR) will run a special program between 14:00 and 22:00, with last entry at 21:30, both at its central headquarters inside the former Royal Palace on Calea Victoriei and at the Museum of Art Collections.
Access will be based on a single ticket priced at RON 32, with reduced prices available for pensioners, pupils and students. The ticket also includes access to the temporary exhibitions “Cotoșman & co. Lecția lui Livius Ciocârlie” and “BDF Young,” organized by the Bucharest Design Festival.
MNAR opens permanent galleries and historical spaces to visitors
Starting at 18:00, museum specialists will hold presentations across the exhibition spaces.
At the MNAR headquarters, visitors will be able to explore: the European Art Gallery, the Modern Romanian Art Gallery, the Medieval Romanian Art Gallery, the European Decorative Art Gallery, the Oriental Art Gallery, and the Historical Spaces of the Royal Palace.
Meanwhile, the Museum of Art Collections will showcase more than 30 permanent collections alongside the temporary exhibition “Old Map and New Art. 500 Years of History and Contemporary Art in 100 Exhibits from the Emilian Radu Collections.”
The K.H. Zambaccian Museum and the Th. Pallady Museum will remain closed on May 23.
Antipa Museum hosts nocturnal science activities and live artistic moments
The Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History will once again participate in the Night of Museums with free access to its permanent exhibition and a series of activities dedicated to nature, research and nocturnal biodiversity.
The special Night of Museums program at Antipa will begin on Saturday, May 23, at 18:00 and continue until 01:00 on Sunday, May 24. Visitors will also have free access to the exhibition “Antipa and Racoviță – Explorers of Legend.”
Between 21:30 and 22:30, researchers from the museum will organize a nocturnal insect collection activity using light sources, while also presenting information about bats and nighttime ecosystems. Outdoor activities will take place only in favorable weather conditions.
Between 22:00 and midnight, the vocal ensemble ArtpulseVox will perform a series of artistic moments for visitors.
Major cities across Romania join the nationwide cultural celebration
Outside Bucharest, museums and cultural institutions in Iași, Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu, Brașov, Timișoara and Constanța are preparing extended visiting hours, guided tours, concerts and educational activities as part of the annual cultural event.
The Night of Museums is organized each year around International Museum Day, celebrated globally on May 18 under the coordination of the International Council of Museums.