National Technical Museum

The National Technical Museum in Prague is the largest Czech institution dedicated to preserving technical and technological artifacts. Its main site has been located near Letná Park since 1941. The museum's history goes back to 1908, when it was initiated in what was then the Bohemian provincial capital. The first exhibition opened in 1910 at the Schwarzenberg Palace, before the museum moved in 1941 to the Baroque war veterans' home in Karlín. The current building on Letná was constructed between 1937 and 1940 to a design by Milan Babuška. After a partial opening in 1948 and nationalization in 1951, a new permanent exhibition was developed through 1953. Following extensive renovation work beginning in 2009, the museum reopened in March 2011.

Visitors can marvel at a diverse collection of technology, including automobiles, airplanes, locomotives, motorcycles, ships, bicycles, and carriages. Other themes include mining, photography, metallurgy, navigation, timekeeping, and astronomy. Although only a small portion of the total holdings is on public display, the highlights include two Renaissance sextants by Jost Bürgi and Erasmus Habermehl as well as an astronomical clock from 1791, all of which are designated National Cultural Monuments. A particular focus is on vehicles manufactured in the former Czechoslovakia, such as models by Laurin & Klement.

The museum also operates several branch sites, including a postal museum in Prague and Vyšší Brod and a museum of construction and architecture at Plasy Monastery. A dedicated railway museum is planned at Praha Masarykovo nádraží station to showcase the extensive collection of more than 150 railway vehicles. Until this new building opens, which is scheduled for 2030, parts of the collection are on display at the Lužná u Rakovníka Railway Museum. Among its exhibits is a rare Engerth-type steam locomotive from 1855.