Museum Kampa

About the museum

Museum Kampa is housed in Sova's Mills on Kampa Island. The oldest mention of the mills dates from 1393, but their origin is even older. The present name comes from Václav Sova of Liboslavi, who received a plot of land from the town in 1478. In the 19th century the mills were rebuilt by the entrepreneur František Odkolek, who turned them into a large steam mill with a bakery; the Neo-Gothic façade, designed by Josef Schulz, also dates from that period. After a fire in 1896 and further changes, various institutions were housed here, among them the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences.

At the end of the 1990s the complex was acquired by the collector and patron Meda Mládková and her foundation. In 2000 and 2001 the buildings underwent a demanding reconstruction under the architect Helena Bukovanská, which created a modern gallery space with glass elements. In 2002 the museum was hit by a centennial flood, but thanks to the efforts of staff and volunteers it was reopened in a short time.

The collection focuses mainly on 20th-century art. Its core is the collection of Jan and Meda Mládek, with works by František Kupka, Otto Gutfreund and Jiří Kolář, and an extensive set of Central European art. Museum Kampa complements it with other holdings, for example the collection of Jiří and Běla Kolář or the collection for Jindřich Chalupecký, and regularly organises exhibitions.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition of František Kupka with around seventy works
• Kupka's paintings Amorfa – Teplá chromatika, Katedrála and Tvar žluté
• Collection of 20th-century Central European art
• Works by Otto Gutfreund, Jiří Kolář and Jan Kotík
• Neo-Gothic façade of the mills with a view of the Vltava and Charles Bridge

Permanent exhibition

• František Kupka – Mistr světového umění – The permanent exhibition in seven chapters shows František Kupka's work chronologically, from the mid-1890s to the mature works of the 1950s. More than seventy works are displayed; alongside the paintings from Meda Mládková's collection there are also works from public and private collections.

Founded

2003

Operated by

Museum Kampa – Nadace Jana a Medy Mládkových

Director

Jan Smetana

Visitors per year

approx. 81,613

Admission & discounts

The stated price applies to the whole museum (permanent exhibition and exhibitions). Free admission is also granted to members of AMG, UHS, ICOM/ICOMOS and AICA; holders of the Art&Antiques card receive a reduced admission. Regular workshops for families with children cost CZK 100 per child; one accompanying adult goes free.

Accessibility

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

The exhibition spaces are accessible to wheelchair users, except for one part of the first above-ground floor. Guide dogs are welcome in the museum; other animals are not.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly

Families can use the family admission and regular family workshops at CZK 100 per child (one accompanying adult free). Children under 6 enter free. Children must not be in the museum unsupervised; baby carriers worn on the back or shoulders are not used, for the safety of the artworks. Pushchairs are permitted; double pushchairs must be stored in lockers.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Lockers

Lockers are on the ground floor of the main building (deposit CZK 5 or 10). The museum shop offers specialist literature, exhibition catalogues and books for children. Eating and drinking are not allowed in the exhibition rooms.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

The premises are rented for talks, corporate presentations, chamber concerts, press conferences and lectures, combined with a guided tour of the exhibitions.

Plan your visit