Is the world’s largest collection of freeze-dried mushrooms in Croatia facing destruction?

(Photo: Mushroom Museum)

ZAGREB, March 7 2025 – After nearly twelve years of success and high internet rankings among Zagreb’s top tourist attractions, the Educational Centre “World of Mushrooms Prof. Dr. Romano Božac” was temporarily closed by city authorities in December 2024, leaving its future uncertain.

Better known to the public as The Mushroom Museum, it is unique in the world: the freeze-dried mushrooms look as if they had just been brought from the forest.

Among the exhibited mushrooms are species that can rarely be seen in nature as well as many protected species.

Because of the exceptional educational value of this collection and the public’s growing interest in the biological “third kingdom” of fungi, alongside flora and fauna, the number of visitors and positive reviews continues to grow.

The Educational Centre was established in 2013 by the City of Zagreb, the Zagreb Tourist Board, and the ‘Kamilo Blagaić Mushroom Society’ (the oldest society of this kind in Croatia), an initiative of Professor Božac, a tireless researcher, author, educator, and promoter of mushroom knowledge. 

(Photo: Mushroom Museum)

It is located at an attractive site on Zagreb’s main square. For formal reasons, the City of Zagreb “entrusted the management” of this now-renowned educational centre to the Public Institution of Nature of the City of Zagreb (formerly PI Maksimir).

“Unfortunately for all mushroom enthusiasts and valuable volunteers of the mushroom society, tourists, teachers and university professors who brought their students and pupils, as well as all friends of the World of Mushrooms, the Public Institution Maksimir proved to be: uninterested, uninformed, and inadequate in managing the Educational Centre, and has hindered the Centre’s work and development in various ways for many years,” the Kamilo Blagaić Mushrooms Society – GDKB, Zagreb says, before adding.

“The once favourable and excellent location has obviously become a site of dispute between the City and State over the use of this attractive piece of real estate and this dispute has become a real threat to the survival of this truly magnificent heritage treasury of the history of mushrooms, their use and medicinal qualities.”

(Photo: Mushroom Museum)

This drama concerning the above-mentioned dispute took an unexpected negative turn in July 2024. The Public Institution informed the centre’s volunteers that the State had taken over part of the space which is now legally State’s property.

“Without technical preparations or a plan, the Public Institution unilaterally mandated the relocation of the mushroom collection, completely disregarding the technical requirements of such an undertaking and the high-risk assessment of destruction to the exhibits provided by the committee of mycological experts and mushroom enthusiasts,” GDKB adds.

Namely, freeze-dried mushrooms are dehydrated during preservation and therefore fragile, sensitive to changes in ambient temperature and humidity, as well as mechanical changes, so any rough relocation would mean the complete destruction of the Collection.

At this moment in time, The Mushroom Museum and its original experts and caretakers have received numerous inquiries from other countries’ experts, about the possibility of opening “museums of lyophilized mushrooms” in other countries.

They all see the value of such a museum as the unique place of education for broader public on the important kingdom of fungi.

(Photo: Mushroom Museum)

Nowhere in the world except Croatia are mushrooms presented in this way. Experts from various scientific fields who have visited have been amazed by the splendid collection and its excellent display and presentation.

GDKB says that it is obvious to many, therefore, that Zagreb could easily become a reference and information centre for mushroom lyophilization, and The Mushroom Museum could serve as a model for similar museums worldwide. 

When walking through the Collection, visitors become familiar with the ecological aspects of mycelium in construction and design, the medicinal properties of mushrooms, as well as the appealing gastronomic side.

More importantly they become aware and learn about how to identify the deadly and dangerous poisonous mushroom species. During mushroom season, visitors bring mushrooms to the Educational Centre for identification, which is extremely important for the public and their families, to prevent accidental poisoning. 

GDKB says that The Collection urgently needs protection and support from all mushroom enthusiasts, educators, and experts and is calling on the help of the public.

“Without your help, this valuable heritage from which we all can learn, has been in the hands of institutions and people who have a total lack of understanding. These public institutions, in fact, should be preserving such a drawcard to the public and to international visitors, scientists, professors and experts.  We, the care takers, and volunteers of our Mushroom Museum, are kindly asking you to support our campaign to save the Collection. You can do this by sending letters/emails of support to Vesna.Dujlovic@gmail.com, president of Kamilo Blagaić Mushrooms Society – GDKB, Zagreb, and by spreading the news in in your country of its future very uncertain fate.”