Free Museum Week in Moscow will run from October 12 to 18, 2026. More than 30 venues are taking part, but each will offer free admission on just one day during the week. Visitors will need to book an e-ticket in advance through the Mosbilet service; check the schedule for the museum you plan to visit before you go.
A week does not mean seven days of free admission at every museum
The event runs for a week, but each museum will offer free admission for just one day. So October 12–18 is the overall period, not an opportunity to visit any venue of your choice without a ticket on any day.
More than 30 museums and other venues overseen by the Moscow Department of Culture are taking part in the October program. Participants and schedules are assigned by day; the full calendar is available through Mosbilet.
How to book a free ticket
Even when admission is free, visitors need an e-ticket. Book it in advance through Mosbilet, where you can also check which day of the week a particular museum is participating in the event.
Checking the schedule is especially important if you plan to visit several places: each venue has its own free-admission day. Participants include, for example, the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, the State Darwin Museum and the M. A. Bulgakov House Museum, but they are open on different days.
What’s open from Monday to Wednesday
On Monday, October 12, visitors can get free admission to the Old English Court in Zaryadye Park and the Battle of Borodino Panorama Museum. The Old English Court exhibition is dedicated to a 16th- and 17th-century merchant’s house; the building, once home to a foreign mission, has been preserved in Moscow.
Tuesday, October 13, features the Museum of Moscow and the Multimedia Art Museum. On Wednesday, October 14, the schedule lists the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve and the Vladimir Mayakovsky Museum. Before visiting the Multimedia Art Museum, check which exhibitions are on at the time.
Thursday and Friday: space, nature and literature
Free admission to the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh is available on Thursday, October 15. Check the Mosbilet calendar for other venues that day: the published list of specific museums does not include every participant in the event.
On Friday, October 16, the program includes the State Darwin Museum and the Sergei Yesenin Museum. Visits to the Yesenin Museum are self-guided, with no general tours. Keep this in mind if you were hoping for a guided introduction to the museum’s exhibits.
The weekend and the full calendar of participants
The Museum of the Defense of Moscow will welcome visitors free of charge on Saturday, October 17. On Sunday, October 18, visitors can choose between the M. A. Bulgakov House Museum, the Gogol House and the Alexander Solzhenitsyn House of Russian Abroad.
The calendar may also include the Vasily Nesterenko Art Gallery, Kuzminki-Lyublino, Kolomenskoye, Izmailovo, Northern Tushino and writers’ memorial houses. Since this is not a complete list and the schedule is tied to specific dates, check the Mosbilet calendar and book an e-ticket before setting out.
Key takeaway: Free Museum Week runs from October 12 to 18, 2026, but each venue has its own designated day, and visitors must book an e-ticket in advance.
Sources
- vedomosti.ru — “Free Museums in Moscow: Full Calendar and Schedule — Vedomosti.City”
- Free Museum Visits — “Moscow Museum Week”
- m24.ru — “Mosbilet invites you from October 12 to 18 to”
- kudago.com — “Moscow Museum Week in Moscow in 2026”
- kudamoscow.ru — “Moscow Museum Week campaign”
