Gradski muzej Bjelovar

About the museum

Gradski muzej Bjelovar was founded in 1949 as the Oblasni muzej (Regional Museum) and has borne its present name since 1962. It is located in the centre of the town, in the former town hall building from 1832, which was thoroughly renovated in 2009. Besides the exhibition spaces, the building houses a restoration workshop, a library, a multimedia hall and an atrium where concerts and other events are held.

The museum’s holdings are divided into departments: archaeological, cultural-historical, historical, ethnological, gallery, music and restoration. The archaeological department researches the whole area of Bjelovar-Bilogora County, from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. The cultural-historical department keeps a sacred collection with two 18th-century altars, furniture, glass and objects from former Bjelovar institutions. The gallery department has more than a thousand paintings, prints, sculptures and art photographs, including the collections of Nasta Rojc and Vojin Bakić.

The permanent display is being developed step by step: the display on the Homeland War (Croatian War of Independence) opened in 2012, in 2018 the period from the Middle Ages to the abolition of the Military Frontier in 1871 was presented, and in 2022 the section on Bjelovar’s transition from a military to a civilian town was completed. The museum also has a branch, the Spomen-muzej Barutana, dedicated to the Bjelovar veterans of the Homeland War who fell in the war.

Highlights

• Exhibition on the Homeland War and a historical overview of Bjelovar’s development
• Sacred collection with two 18th-century altars from Gornja Zdjelica
• Collections of Nasta Rojc and Vojin Bakić in the gallery department
• Archaeological material from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages from the county area
• Spomen-muzej Barutana as a branch of the museum

Permanent exhibitions

• Postav Domovinskog rata – Part of the permanent display, opened in 2012, dedicated to the Homeland War and the Bjelovar military units.
• Povijesni postav Bjelovara – Overview of the town’s development from the Middle Ages and the Military Frontier to socialist Yugoslavia, including the transition from a military to a civilian town.
• Zbirke Naste Rojc i Vojina Bakića – Works by two artists associated with Bjelovar, an important part of the permanent display of the gallery department.

Founded

1949

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Night of Museums, International Museum Day, the Terezijana event, the Day of the Town of Bjelovar and of the Bjelovar veterans, and exhibition openings.

Free admission is also granted to Croatian Homeland War veterans, journalists, residents of special institutions accompanied by a parent or carer, and unemployed persons with a certificate from the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ), on presentation of an identity card. Guided tours must be announced at least seven days in advance; guided tours outside opening hours cost 50% more. A guided tour in a foreign language for a group of up to 40 people costs €100. Educational workshops: art workshop (eight sessions) €50 per person, thematic one-day workshop €15 per person.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The multimedia hall on the second floor and the atrium are accessible to people with disabilities.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Gift shop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 200 guests.

The multimedia hall “Željko Sabol” on the second floor has 150 seats, and the museum’s atrium has 200 seats; both spaces are accessible to people with disabilities.

Plan your visit