Loški muzej Škofja Loka

About the museum

The idea of a museum for the Loka area was born in the 1930s in a circle of Škofja Loka teachers. The Škofja Loka Museum Society was founded in 1937, and in 1939 the first museum, with around 900 objects, was ceremonially opened in the town hall on Mestni trg. After the war the museum was housed in Puštal Castle, and it received its professional head in 1948.

In 1959 the museum moved to Loka Castle, where it still has its premises. The castle stands above the town and was once the seat of the Loka lordship, which the Prince-Bishops of Freising administered from 973 to 1803. Today the museum presents the cultural and natural heritage of the former lordship, which comprises the municipalities of Škofja Loka, Gorenja vas–Poljane, Železniki and Žiri.

The permanent collections in the castle comprise archaeological, historical, cultural-historical, art-historical, ethnological, natural history and sports collections, the collection of the Škofja Loka Passion Play, and an open-air museum in the Škoparjeva hiša (Škoparjeva House). Besides the castle, the museum also runs several outside units: the Gallery of France Mihelič, the Visoko manor in the Poljane Valley, the Beekeepers’ House in Brode, the Cankar Battalion House in Dražgoše and the Žiri Museum.

Highlights

• Permanent collections in Loka Castle: archaeology, history, art, ethnology, nature and sport
• Collection of Ivan and Franja Tavčar
• Collection of old books and a natural history collection with animals
• Škoparjeva hiša as an open-air museum
• Castle chapel
• Museum living room with interactive content for families

Permanent exhibitions

• Stalne zbirke v Loškem gradu – The archaeological, historical, cultural-historical, art-historical, ethnological, natural history and sports collections and the collection of the Škofja Loka Passion Play present the heritage of the former Loka lordship.
• Zbirka Ivana in Franje Tavčar – The collection is dedicated to the writer and mayor Ivan Tavčar and his wife Franja.
• Škoparjeva hiša – muzej na prostem – The open-air museum presents life and work in the Loka countryside.

Founded

1939

Operated by

Loški muzej Škofja Loka (javni zavod)

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for the unemployed, holders of ICOM and SMD cards, KUV coordinators, conservators of the ZVKDS Centre for Conservation, and members of the Škofja Loka Museum Society and the Lonka Stara Loka Cultural-Historical Society. Members of other domestic and international professional associations and journalists receive a 50 per cent discount. Reduced prices apply upon presentation of the appropriate document.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: not available
• 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

There is a ramp at the entrance; the collections on the ground floor of the castle are accessible, and with prior notice and temporary ramps the gallery in the castle, the chapel, the Ivan and Franja Tavčar collection, the Visoko furniture and the Round Tower are also accessible. The toilets are not suitable for wheelchair users. Audio descriptions of selected works are prepared for blind and partially sighted visitors, easy-read summaries for people with reading difficulties, and videos have subtitles. The museum is dog-friendly: guide dogs and other well-behaved dogs on a lead may accompany visitors through the exhibition rooms.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Families can explore the museum with Koki’s backpack and workbook. The museum living room has a children’s corner with drawing and wooden toys, tablets for exploring objects and a video viewing area. The animal collection is particularly popular.

Getting there & parking

Access to the castle by bus is not possible.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Castle café (in addition to coffee it offers ice cream, desserts and cocktails), the museum shop with products related to the collections, and a wall of artworks.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The castle garden, castle courtyard, chapel, Round Tower and an educational workshop are available for hire; prices are published on the museum’s website.

Plan your visit