Night of Museums 2016 Set to be Held Across Croatia

Night of Museums 2016 set to happen

The 11th Night of Museums, a cultural event held across Croatia in which entry to museums and cultural institutions is free, and they stay open to the early hours of the morning introduce themselves to new potential patrons, is set to be held…

The popular even will be held this year up and down the country on 29 January 2016, with museums, galleries and other cultural institutions opening from 6pm to 1am with free admission.

Night of Museums 2016 will pay tribute to one of the founders of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and one of the most important and influential figures of the 19th century in Croatia – Josip Strossmayer.

The annual event, which is traditionally held on the last Friday in January, tries to accomplish one of the basic strategic goals of the Croatian Museum Association which is to implement activities which deal with the perception of museums as heritage institutions, institutions of identity and important participants in the sustainable development of tourism.

Through activities organised during the Museum Night, visitors are encouraged to recognize museums as dynamic institutions which connect people with global information resources, ideas and creativity they are searching for, as well as institutions that make up the richness of human expression and cultural diversity available to all users on all types of media. Furthermore, it encourages activities that develop curiosity as a motive for visiting museums, museums as institutions of knowledge, and also a space for fun and meaningful leisure activities.

Over 260,000 people visited last year

The first Long Night of Museums took place in Berlin in 1997. The concept has been very well received, and since then the number of participating institutions and exhibitions has risen dramatically, spreading to over 120 other cities throughout Europe, as well as elsewhere, in Argentina and the Philippines.

It started in Zagreb in 2005 as a pilot project with 6 museums. In 2011, there were more than 300,000 visitors. In 2015, 260,000 people turned up to visit over 200 museums and other cultural institutions in 100 cities and towns.

You can check out more about the event on the official website here.