The Croatian Museum Association is organizing the twentieth edition of the Croatian Night of the Museums, the largest museum even in the country. Starting back in 2005, as a pilot project featuring a handful of Zagreb museums, the event now includes around 250 cultural institutions from whole Croatia. Usually very popular, the event has earned its place as perhaps the most popular cultural event in the country.
This year’s theme ‘visible and invisible’ aims to highlight the importance of museum institutions and all other heritage organizations that collect, research, preserve, and present valuable materials and cultural heritage to the general public, from the youngest visitors to senior citizens. The visibility of museums today is extremely important, especially in an era of high technology and digital possibilities that push the boundaries of traditional museums. It is also important to recognize everything that happens “behind the scenes” of museums—things that are not visible to visitors but are of great contribution and significance to the final museum exhibition.
The twentieth anniversary of the Night of Museums will take place on January 31, 2025, from 6 PM to 1 AM, across the entire country of Croatia, when visitors will have the opportunity to visit all participating museums, galleries, and heritage institutions free of charge.
As usual, all non-commercial museums an galleries in Split will participate in the event, with visits being free of charge for all visitors. Bear in mind that City Museum of Split has still not reopened after renovations that are now 2-years overdue.
Some of the museums will also feature free guided tours at specific time slots:
Cellars of the Diocletian’s Palace – Guided Archaeological Tour – 7 PM to 8 PM; 9 PM to 10 PM
This free archaeological tour will take you back to the distant past, when the Cellars were part of the imperial palace. This tour is an opportunity to learn more about how the Romans built, how they organized their construction projects, how the cellar research has progressed, and what is currently being done to fully explore and protect these areas for future generations
Old City Hall – Expert Curator’s Tour – 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM; 9 PM to 10 PM
During a tour of the unique space of the newly opened Old City Hall, the curator will guide visitors through the “Steps” exhibition. The Old City Hall showcases national treasures of Croatian modern art, featuring works by the best Croatian artists from the late 19th century to the 1930s.
Emanuel Vidović Gallery – Expert Tour- 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM; 8 PM to 9 PM
The Emanuel Vidović Gallery is dedicated to the life and work of Emanuel Vidović, designed as a place for gathering, researching, preserving, and presenting the painter’s material and spiritual heritage. Its current and potential collection consists of works that outline Vidović’s artistic development, along with various museum materials that complement his biography.
Medieval Military Patrol along the Northern Wall of Diocletian’s Palace – Expert Tours
Mandatory registration: muzej.grada.splita@mgs.hr (Details and instructions on meeting points will be sent via email after registration).
First tour: 6:00 PM, second tour: 7:00 PM, third tour: 8:00 PM, fourth tour: 9:00 PM, fifth tour: 10:00 PM.
All tours are in Croatian.
More more information, please see the official website of the event.