Our Favourite Moscow Museums: Off the Beaten Path. Part 1

Moscow’s world-famous museums, such as the Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Art Museum, are so popular that it is not uncommon to see long queues snaking around the buildings, especially when there are major temporary exhibitions. We’ve put together a list of our favourite museums that lie a little off the beaten path, but are definitely worth a visit. In this first installment of our museum guide, we have compiled a list of some cool technology-related museums that will certainly pique your interest.

Museum of Cosmonautics

The museum is located next to the Monument to the Conquerors of Space near VDNH. The large exhibit hall includes real space vehicles and their parts, as well as life-size models of space vehicles, such as the MIR space station. Before visiting, you can take a virtual tour of the museum.

Visit the official website. Address: 111 Prospekt Mira, VDNKh metro station. Tickets: RUB 250.

Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines

Several members of our team are fans of this museum, where you can spend an hour or two playing real Soviet arcade machines from the ‘80s and comparing them to what you played when you were a kid. The central location makes it a great place for a stop on a tour around the capital. It’s also within walking distance from HSE’s buildings on Myasnitskaya.

Visit the official website. Address: 12 Kuznetsky Most, Kuznetsky Most metro station. Tickets: RUB 450 (includes playing on 15 machines).

Vadim Zadorozhny's Vehicle Museum

This museum is not only off the beaten path, but technically outside of Moscow. But it could be a great destination for a one-day trip on a weekend. This private museum is owned by collector Vadim Zadorozhny and features a huge collection of old cars, motorcycles, aircrafts and military hardware.

Visit the official website (Russian only). Address: Moscow Region, Krasnogorsk District, Arkhangelskoe, 4th km of Ilyinskoe Shosse, Building 9. Tickets: RUB 500, students RUB 300.

Locomotive Depot Museum

This museum housed in a former steam train depot was opened in 2015. You can look at steam trains, visit the old train station, the roundhouse, and take some Instagram-worthy photos of yourself as a 19^th-century train passenger.

Visit the official website (Russian only). Address: 8A Vtoroy Ambulatorny Proezd, buses 105 and 110 from Dinamo metro station or by foot from Sokol metro station. Tickets: RUB 150, students RUB 100.

Museum of Telephone History

Based on a private collection, this museum, which is located in the centre of Moscow, features a huge collection of rare antique phones and accessories from the late 19^th – mid-20^th centuries. The detailed website in English provides a good overview of the collection.

Visit the official website. Address: 19 bld. 2, Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya Ulitsa; Mayakovskaya or Barrikadnaya metro stations. Tickets: RUB 200, students RUB 100.

Moscow Planetarium

The main attraction of the planetarium is a huge star hall with a big space show, but it also features a lot of temporary exhibitions (including photo exhibitions) and concerts. Children and curious adults will also like the interactive Lunarium museum, which is located in the Planetarium building.

Visit the official website. Address: 5, bld. 1, Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya Ulitsa; Barrikadnaya metro station. Tickets: prices vary from RUB 450 to 750, depending on the day and programme of the visit.

In the next installments of our guide, we’ll share the list of our favourite arts, literary and history museums in Moscow. Stay tuned!