The museum’s sales exceeded CZK 22 million in 2022. Photo credit: KB/BD.
Brno, Jan 11 (BD) – In 2022, the Brno City Museum had one of its most successful years ever, both in terms of visitors and sales. Between them, the Villa Tugendhat and Špilberk Castle welcomed 673,033 people to view exhibitions, history, and cultural events. The museum’s sales reached over CZK 22 million, exceeding CZK 20 million for the first time.
By mid-October, the Brno City Museum reported 552,000 visitors to Špilberk Castle and Villa Tugendhat. In the following two months, a further 121,033 people were added to the total.
The busy year-round program at Špilberk Castle saw 606,884 people pass through the gates, with 126,333 of them visiting the museum or taking guided tours, almost 30,000 more than in the pre-pandemic year 2019. According to the museum, a significant driver of the increase are the tours, which are very popular with visitors. The Kasematy Prison Tour was the most popular, with 42,853 participants, but the Story of the Castle tour has also attracted 13,578 visitors so far, despite only opening at the beginning of April.
As well as Špilberk Castle, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Villa Tugendhat also saw a record 66,149 visitors last year, a 12% increase. This increase is linked to the expansion of the range of tours on offer, with a new tour of the Villa from the outside and involvement in other projects, such as Brno Museum Night and the newly established Štetl festival of Jewish culture. Attractions for children have also been expanded: in addition to tours and workshops as part of the Vila Lives Urbanism program, children were able to visit the villa before Christmas on special tours called Advent Saturdays with Mies.
“I am very pleased with the direction the whole organisation is taking,” said Zbyněk Šolc, director of the Brno City Museum. “I came up with the vision of a modern, open museum for the general public, and we seem to be succeeding in fulfilling this mission.” He added that the museum has further plans for the future, such as the reconstruction of Villa Arnold, due by the end of this year, and the planned renovation of the Měnín Gate.
Preparations for the next connected exhibition and gallery projects are in full swing. An exhibition at Špilberk Castle will introduce visitors to the history of forests, forestry, timber, and related activities in the city of Brno. There will also be a double exhibition of Miloš Budík, the father of Czechoslovak photography, taking place both at Špilberk Castle and Villa Tugendhat.
