Muzeum bratří Čapků
The museum in the birthplace of Karel Čapek in Malé Svatoňovice has three permanent exhibitions on Karel, Josef and Helena Čapková.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Muzeum bratří Čapků (Museum of the Čapek Brothers) in Malé Svatoňovice was founded in 1946 on the basis of a successful exhibition on the life and work of the two artists. It is housed in the building where the writer Karel Čapek was born on 9 January 1890, in the service flat of the physician MUDr. Antonín Čapek. The original exhibitions underwent extensive reconstruction from 1972 to 1978. The museum is run by the municipality of Malé Svatoňovice.
The Karel Čapek exhibition on the first floor describes the family’s stay in Malé Svatoňovice and Úpice, the siblings’ childhood, Karel’s studies in Hradec Králové, Brno and Prague, and his literary work. It includes books, correspondence, family photographs, samples of manuscripts, his journalism and original drawings from his travel writing, as well as works for children and photographs from theatre and film adaptations of his plays. It ends with a panel on the Pátečníci (Friday Club) and a bust of Karel Čapek.
The Josef Čapek exhibition on the second floor is a representative collection of twenty oil paintings, showing his work from its beginnings through the Cubist period to the anti-fascist cycles Oheň (Fire) and Touha (Longing). They are complemented by drawings, prints and documents from his childhood to his imprisonment in concentration camps.
The third permanent exhibition, dedicated to the older sister Helena Čapková, was solemnly opened on 27 June 2026 to mark the 140th anniversary of her birth and the 65th anniversary of her death. It is the first separate exhibition on the writer, and it charts her life chronologically from childhood to old age.
Highlights
- Karel Čapek’s birthplace and an exhibition on his life and work
- Twenty oil paintings by Josef Čapek, including the Oheň and Touha cycles
- First separate exhibition on Helena Čapková, opened on 27 June 2026
- Manuscripts, correspondence and original drawings from Karel Čapek’s travel writing
- Bust of Karel Čapek by František Prosecký
Permanent exhibitions
- Expozice Karla Čapka – The first-floor exhibition on the writer’s life and work, with manuscripts, correspondence, family photographs and drawings from his travel writing.
- Expozice Josefa Čapka – Twenty oil paintings from the beginnings up to the anti-fascist Oheň and Touha cycles, complemented by drawings, prints and documents.
- Expozice Heleny Čapkové – The first separate exhibition on the writer Helena Čapková, following her life chronologically from childhood to old age.
- Founded
- 1946
- Operated by
- Obec Malé Svatoňovice
- Director
- Vladimíra Jiránková Odrobiňáková (vedoucí muzea)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 50 Kč |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 30 Kčchildren from 6 years, students, seniors (pensioners) and holders of a ZTP card |
| Children & teens | 30 KčChildren from 6 years. |
| Seniors | 30 KčSeniors (pensioners). |
| Visitors with disabilities | 30 KčHolders of a ZTP card. |
| Students & apprentices | 30 Kč |
| Groups (10+ people) | –School groups: pupils and students of primary, secondary and vocational schools (ZŠ, SŠ, SOU) pay CZK 30, children from nursery schools CZK 10. Guided tours can be arranged five days in advance for groups of 10 or more people. |
Free admission for holders of AMG cards, NPÚ staff and ICOMOS members upon presentation of a valid card. Payment in the museum and in the information centre is by cash only.
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 exhibitions are on two floors (first and second); the Helena Čapková exhibition begins on the ground floor.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
For nursery schools there is a shorter tour with a reading of a fairy tale, and in the adjoining park there are thematic interactive boards. Children’s admission applies from 6 years.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum building also houses a tourist information centre.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visitors may enter the museum without a guide. Guided tours last about one to one and a half hours; they are arranged five days in advance and are available for groups of 10 or more. For schools and nursery schools the museum offers a guided tour of both exhibitions of about 1.5 hours (shorter for nursery schools, with a reading of a fairy tale), or a working lesson in the exhibition rooms. The thematic interactive boards in the adjoining park by the square can also be used. |
