Městské muzeum Chotěboř

About the museum

The Městské muzeum Chotěboř (Chotěboř Town Museum) was founded on 26 April 1885 as a town local-history museum. The collections were first housed in the building of the Občanská záložna (Citizens’ Savings Bank) and later in other buildings in the town, including the former Jewish prayer house in Palackého Street. From 1952 the museum was housed in the Chotěboř château, which it left in January 2022. Since 1994 it has been a municipal contributory organisation, and since 2009 it has belonged to CEKUS – Centrum kultury a služeb Chotěboř (Culture and Services Centre Chotěboř).

In 2019 the town bought the Art Nouveau former post office building at Trčků z Lípy street, house no. 55, on the square as a new home for the museum. Reconstruction took place in 2024–2026, and the new museum, together with the information centre, opened on 2 September 2026. The collection has more than thirty thousand objects, divided into six subcollections: documents and prints, numismatics, history, books, geology and fine art. Works by Jindřich Prucha, Karel Opatrný and Zdeněk Rykr are represented, for example.

The permanent exhibition occupies the first and second floors of the building and focuses on the history, geology and nature of the region. The museum also has a space for short-term exhibitions, an educational room, a library and a research room; the Tourist Information Centre is on the ground floor.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition Podél řeky Doubravy with a projection onto a model of the river valley
• Exhibition Dějiny Chotěboře with a large-scale animation of the town’s development projected onto the floor
• Collection of fossils, rocks and minerals, and samples of drill cores
• Interactive stations Kufříky a šuplíky for the youngest visitors
• VR glasses showing the Chotěboř square fifty years ago
• Art Nouveau former post office building, rebuilt in 2024–2026

Permanent exhibitions

• Podél řeky Doubravy – Exhibition on the geology and nature of the Doubrava valley: a projection onto a model of the river and landscape, a flight over the valley, a selection of fossils, rocks and minerals, archive film and a game about animals and plants.
• Dějiny Chotěboře – The exhibition in the attic follows the development of the town and its surroundings from prehistory to the present, using collection objects and animations, including a large-scale animation projected onto the floor.

Founded

1885

Operated by

CEKUS Chotěboř – Centrum kultury a služeb Chotěboř, příspěvková organizace města

Admission & discounts

The ticket is valid for one entry, covers the whole museum building and allows a visit to the current exhibition and the permanent exhibition. Holders of ICOM, AMG, NPÚ and RGČR cards also enter free.

Accessibility

• 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

The museum has step-free access to all parts of the exhibitions (except the lookout tower).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

The interactive stations Kufříky a šuplíky are intended mainly for the youngest visitors: at the ticket office a child collects a small case, whose contents are needed for the activities in the drawers. There is a children’s corner on the ground floor, and a family ticket is available.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Tickets and souvenirs are sold at the Tourist Information Centre on the ground floor. There is also a children’s corner and a relaxation zone.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum rents out a meeting hall for CZK 600 per hour.

Plan your visit