curatorial / Art / Top 12 must-see museums and galleries in Cluj-Napoca

10 Ianuarie 2025 /

Top 12 must-see museums and galleries in Cluj-Napoca

The varied tourist attractions make Cluj-Napoca a must-see destination in Romania and Europe. Besides Union Square, the Citadel Park and the Tailors’ Tower, there are many other places to visit in the city, such as museums. If you want to get to know the history of these lands, to delight yourself with new or hundreds of years old works of art, read this article and enter the world of museums in Cluj-Napoca.

National History Museum of Transylvania (MNIT)

The National Museum of Transylvanian History is one of the most important museums in Cluj-Napoca. With a heritage of over 450,000 pieces, through interactive educational activities, high-quality restoration and innovative temporary exhibitions, the museum invites its public to explore the past and reflect on the present. The institution hosts temporary exhibitions with different themes and permanent exhibitions such as the Roman Lapidarium, the Medieval and Pre-Modern Lapidarium (with 603 pieces), Ancient Egyptian Gods and Mortals (including a human mummy).

Contact National Museum of the History of Transylvania

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00-18:00; Address: Constantin Daicoviciu, nr. 2, 400020 Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca Location: National Museum of Transylvanian History Phone: 0752.108.705

Art Museum Cluj-Napoca

The Cluj-Napoca Art Museum is housed in the Bánffy Palace, the most important baroque building in the city. This museum is one of the most prestigious in Romania, being internationally recognized by being nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award – EMYA in 1997. The museum collects, preserves and exhibits Romanian and universal works of art, including fine arts, design, photography, architecture, architecture, film and new forms of creation resulting from contemporary artistic activity. Its heritage includes works by Nicolae Grigorescu, Nicolae Tonitza, Camil Ressu, Ștefan Luchian, Gheorghe Petrașcu, Theodor Pallady and many other Romanian, Hungarian and European artists.

Contact Art Museum Cluj-Napoca

Program: Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00-17:00; Address: 30 Unirii Square, 400098 Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca Location: Art Museum Cluj-Napoca Phone: 0264.596.952, 0753.066.791

Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania

The Transylvanian Ethnographic Museum started operating on January 1, 1923 and is the first ethnographic museum in Romania. Over a century of activity, the institution has collected tens of thousands of objects and photographs tracing the rural heritage of the region, presented in permanent and temporary exhibitions. The museum is now housed in the Reduta Palace. A section of this museum is the National Ethnographic Park “Romulus Vuia”, the first open-air museum in Romania, which includes rural households and peasant installations and workshops.

Contact Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania

Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00-18:00 Address: Memorandumului 21, 400114 Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca Location: Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania Phone: 0783.005.146

Botanical Museum “Alexandru Borza”

The Botanical Museum, located in the Botanical Garden “Alexandru Borza” in Cluj, is a real treasure for botany enthusiasts. With an impressive herbarium containing 655,000 leaf leaves from around the world, it is an invaluable scientific resource for students and researchers. The unique collections, such as those of medicinal plants, palm seeds and herbs, offer a fascinating insight into plant diversity. The materials are carefully preserved, either by pressing or in special liquids, and the exhibits illustrate both Romanian vegetation and global plant formations, from Asian conifers to Mediterranean shrublands.

Contact Botanical Museum “Alexandru Borza”

Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 08:00-15:00 Address: 42 Republicii Street, Cluj-Napoca Location: “Alexandru Borza” Botanical Garden Phone: 0264.592.152

MINA – Museum of Immersive New Art

MINA, Museum of Immersive New Art, has inaugurated the Center for Immersive Art (MINA) Cluj, the largest of its kind in Europe, with an impressive surface of over 4,000 square meters. Visitors are invited to see 360° projections and interactive installations that combine art and technology, offering a unique multisensory journey. MINA presents captivating multimedia shows exploring the worlds of classical and contemporary artists, as well as the mysteries of the cosmos and other fascinating worlds.

Contact MINA Cluj

Program: Wednesday – Friday: 12:00 – 21:00; Saturday-Sunday: 10:00 – 21:00 Address: 10 Orăștiei Street, Cluj-Napoca Location: MINA Cluj Phone: 0771.309.799

Museum of Mineralogy

The Museum of Mineralogy at the Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj, contains varied collections of minerals, processed gemstones and meteorites. The museum has one of the richest and most varied gold collections in Romania, as well as the only meteorite collection in the country. Minerals discovered for the first time in Romania, precious and fine gemstones and minerals from the Apuseni Mountains caves can also be admired here. One of the museum’s star exhibits is the largest fragment of the Mocs meteorite, weighing more than 37 kg.

Contact Museum of Mineralogy

Program: tuesday – friday: 11:00 – 14:00 Address: 2 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca Location: Museum of Mineralogy Phone: 0264.405.300

Pharmacy Museum

The Museum of Pharmacy is part of the National Museum of Transylvanian History and presents two collections: the collection of medical apparatus and the collection of the history of pharmacy. The museum’s holdings comprise over 7,000 items, including rare goods and 200 pieces of old medical apparatus. The museum is an essential center for research on the history of pharmaceutics in Romania, offering for visitors: containers made of various materials, books, manuscripts and medical equipment.

Contact Pharmacy Museum

Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00 Address: ground floor and basement of Hintz House, 28 Unirii Square, Cluj-Napoca Location: Pharmacy Museum Phone: 0264.593.814

Metropolitan Museum of Cluj

The Museum of the Metropolitanate of Cluj, inaugurated in 1938 and modernly reorganized in 2011 under the leadership of Metropolitan Bartolomeu, houses a rich collection of Romanian religious art. Its patrimony includes: icons painted on wood and glass, manuscripts, cult objects, chalices and old prints, reflecting the history and culture of the Orthodox Church in Transylvania.

Contact Metropolitan Museum of Cluj

Program: Tuesday-Saturday: 10:00-17:00; Sunday: 12:00-17:00 Address: 18 Avram Iancu Square, Cluj-Napoca, in the basement of the Metropolitan Cathedral Location: Museum of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cluj Phone: 0724.342.291

Museum of Paleontology and Stratigraphy

The Museum of Paleontology and Stratigraphy of the Babeș-Bolyai University has a long history, having been founded in 1919 and currently holding over 50,000 specimens. The museum’s collections include fossil plants, invertebrate and vertebrate animals. The museum has an outdoor collection on display in the university’s inner courtyard with valuable fossil and rock exhibits.

Contact Museum of Paleontology and Stratigraphy

Program: Monday-Friday: 10:00-14:00 Address: Babeș-Bolyai University Central Building, str.

M. Kogălniceanu, nr.1, Cluj-Napoca

Location: Museum of Paleontology and Stratigraphy

Phone: 0264.405.300 ext. 5204

Muzeon – The story of your Jewish neighbor

Muzeon is an interactive experience that brings Cluj’s Jewish history to life. Founded in 2020, this historical narrative space uses audio guides to retell stories and events. The story of the Lusztig family serves as a backdrop for the exhibition’s narrative, offering a profound insight into the evolution of the Jewish community in Cluj. Interactive exhibits, artifacts, art installations and virtual reality make this a truly educational, engaging and exciting experience for visitors.

Contact Muzeon Cluj-Napoca

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10:00-18:00

Address: 3 Virgil Fulicea Street, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca

Location: Muzeon Cluj

Phone: 0364.100.472, 0364.153.654

Quadro Gallery

Art enthusiasts will enjoy visiting Quadro Gallery, a contemporary art gallery established in 2008 with the aim of promoting the region’s vast and varied regional artistic heritage, which is little known and under-exhibited. The gallery’s work focuses on Transylvanian art, but also includes a broader perspective on the region, extending to Romania, Central and Eastern Europe and the Eastern Bloc. The gallery has succeeded in building a loyal public and attracting important collectors, thus becoming a significant factor of social cohesion and cultural development.

Contact Quadro Gallery

Monday-Friday: 10:00 – 18:00

Address: 16, Napoca Street, 400009 Cluj Napoca

Location: Quadro Gallery

Phone: 0374.067.067.362; 0745.341380

IAGA Contemporary Art

Founded in 2014 by collector Alberto Perobelli, IAGA Contemporary Art focuses on contemporary and modern art. IAGA promotes both established and emerging artists, offering them opportunities for growth and integration into international art networks. By organizing six exhibitions a year and collaborating with prestigious institutions and galleries, IAGA actively contributes to the dynamics of the European art scene.