Memorijalni centar Nikola Tesla

About the museum

Nikola Tesla was born on 10 July 1856 in Smiljan, in a house next to the Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul from 1765, which was probably built as a parish house. The house was restored in 1956 by the Konzervatorski zavod (Conservation Institute) and turned into a memorial museum; in 1964 it came under the management of the Muzej Like Gospić (Lika Museum Gospić). The whole memorial area was declared a cultural monument in 1976, and in 2005 it was entered in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia.

For the 130th anniversary of Tesla’s birth the birth house was reconstructed in 1986 and handed over to the Muzej Like as a museum object. The present Memorial Centre consists of the restored birth house with a new museum display, the surrounding area with stone monuments, and newly built structures: a porch, a test station and a multimedia centre with a children’s playground. The City of Gospić opened it on 10 July 2006, on the 150th anniversary of Tesla’s birth.

The birth house contains a permanent multimedia display prepared by the Hrvatski povijesni muzej (Croatian History Museum) and the Tehnički muzej (Technical Museum) in Zagreb. On the ground floor, Tesla’s life and work are presented in pictures, words and sound, with historical events woven into a timeline. In the attic are replicas of Tesla’s inventions. The test station is a replica of the laboratory in Colorado Springs, where Tesla carried out experiments with high-frequency currents and wireless energy transmission in 1899 and 1900.

Highlights

• Nikola Tesla’s birth house with a multimedia display
• Replicas of Tesla’s inventions in the attic of the house
• Test station with a demonstration of wireless transmission of electrical energy
• Film about Tesla in the multimedia hall
• Church of Saints Peter and Paul and stone monuments in the surroundings

Permanent exhibition

• Stalni multimedijalni postav u rodnoj kući Nikole Tesle – On the ground floor, Tesla’s life is presented in pictures, words and sound along a timeline; in the attic are replicas of his inventions.

Founded

2006

Operated by

Muzej Like Gospić

Admission & discounts

The right to a guided tour is available to groups of 15 or more people. Commercial photography and filming are charged according to the price list (€30 and €40 respectively).

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• 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

People with disabilities can visit the birth house with an escort; visiting the attic is difficult because of the original architecture and narrow stairs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

In addition to the interactive exhibits and the demonstration at the test station, there is a children’s playground next to the multimedia centre, and a family ticket.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Souvenir shop, rest and picnic area with wooden benches and tables, and a children’s playground.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Hire of the space (conference hall) according to the price list: €35 per hour without technical equipment, €65 with equipment.

Plan your visit