Location: St. Petersburg
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What to do and see in St. Petersburg, Northwestern District: The Best Specialty Museums
The second largest city in Russia, St. Petersburg is the country’s cultural heart. View splendid architectural gems like the Winter Palace and the Kazan Cathedral, and give yourself plenty of time to browse the world-renowned art collection of the Hermitage. Sprawling across the Neva River delta, St. Petersburg offers enough art, nightlife, fine dining and cultural destinations for many repeat visits.
Restaurants in St. Petersburg
1. The Anna Akhmatova Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 368 reviews
Reviewed By alexey2612 - Moscow, Russia
It is a must-see museum to visit. It captures the atmosphere of the darkest years of the Great Purges. The Akhmatova's museum is on the upper floor. On the floor there is a Joseph Brodsky cabinet-museum. I spent some time with the cats on the first floor.
2. The Bath Block
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 909 reviews
Reviewed By DonL120 - Chilliwack, Canada
Fabulous fountains and gardens at the Peterhof State Museum. First class, with lots of gold guilding! You will be amazed at the extent and beauty of the fountains. We were on a 2 day cruise ship excursion, so we had no ticketing issues. And a great Russian guide. Go here!
3. Kellomyaki-Komarovo Local Lore Museum
4. Chinese Palace
5. Museum of Lighthouse Service
6. The Shadow Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 327 reviews
"Shadow Museum" is a unique art space where modern art objects in the style of shadow art are represented. All the art works are connected in a unified exposition, the excursion "St. Petersburg of shadows" is provided in Russian and English. The museum also has a creative kitchen where all the visitors have a chance to enjoy a cup of tea and share their impressions or create their own art works.
Reviewed By Hicksy77 - Andover, United Kingdom
The Shadow Museum displays a style of art that I have not seen anywhere else. We were given a guided tour, in English, of the artwork some of which was very clever. It is not the longest tour ever, we were there a little under an hour, but for less than a fiver a head, it is well worth a visit!
7. The State Museum St. Isaac’s Cathedral
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10,275 reviews
This gold-domed, ornate, 19th-century cathedral is the third largest domed cathedral in the world, and offers visitors a 300-step climb to a spectacular view of the city.
Reviewed By Saint-Petersburg2019
To see the St.Isaac's cathedral for visitors of Saint-Petersburg, especially for foreigners, is a must to my opinion. Not only it gives impression of the architecture of the 19th century, it allows to trace the historical development of Russia over the years of the cathedral existence. The construction of such a huge edifice (the fourth cathedral in the honour of St. Isaac) is a miracle by itself since it is difficult even to imagine how such monolith columns and granite rocks could have been installed with the help of only simplest devices (like blocks, etc) which existed in the days of the cathedral construction. History of the cathedral bearing traces of the II World war on its walls and columns is a special page worth being acquainted with. Those who would like to learn more about Russian Orthodox church and see the clergy representatives in their luxurious clothes in a meter's distance could visit the cathedral during the service at 4:00 p.m. which is a special impressive event to watch. Finally the cathedral gives a unique chance to see the city from the birds flight height, from the colonnade. It is a fascinating magnificent view to admire and take photos. Since several years this has become possible for people in a wheel-chair too. I brought my friends from the USA for an excursion to the cathedral a year ago, and they are still under a vivid and unforgettable impression. So if one has enough time being in our city I would strongly recommend to come and explore the St.-Isaac's cathedral, either on his/her own, or within the tourist group.
8. Russian Museum of Ethnography
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 336 reviews
The folk art, crafts, dress and lifestyles of the various peoples and tribes who inhabited the vast expanse of territory in the former USSR are portrayed on the two floors of this unusual museum.
Reviewed By norbertzoltank - Cluj-Napoca, Romania
A great ethnographic collection that spans the regions of eastern/southern Europe and as far to the east as Vladivostok. The items are well-grouped nad logically displayed on two floors and four major and several minor halls. Most descriptions are bilingual so if you don't know Russian, don't worry, you will understand most of it.
9. State Russian Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,219 reviews
Countless masterpieces, ranging from 12th-century icons to 20th-century paintings, are displayed at this important art museum housed in the splendid and historically significant Mikhailovsky Palace.
Reviewed By 844JohnM844 - Houston, United States
This Art Museum is a manageable Art Museum Dedicated to Russian Classical Art. Everyone wants to go to the Hermitage - which is a meandering museum which really takes three days, otherwise it is a whirlwind trot trying to keep up with the tour guide. On the other hand this museum is very well laid out and affords the visitor a true Russian experience. You can take in the whole museum in several hours at a manageable pace. It is housed in a beautiful palace, that is much more pleasing than the Hermitage. It has cafes and restrooms which are easily accessible. (Hint, any cultural event that you want to experience in Russia at leisure should occur in the morning. About 11 am the international tour buses begin showing up. We got there at 10 am and there was no wait. When we left at 1 pm the line was so long that they were admitting people in groups of 30 an estimated wait time of 30 - 45 minutes. This is going to be true for any of the major Russian museums or cultural events. Get there in the morning. Tour guides like there groups to have leisurely breakfast, ;have to get them loaded on the bus and then make it through the streets of St. Petersburg and they all get there about the same time)
10. The State Museum of the Political History of Russia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 349 reviews
Reviewed By TKNgaio - Palmerston North, New Zealand
This is a great museum and it is housed in a very historical and beautiful art nouveau building. It was the home of the famous ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya, and the new exhibition on the top floor of her former mansion "Fouettes of Fate" is devoted to her story and famous life in Russia and the west. She was a superb dancer and artiste and daughter of a dancer father. She was also very beautiful. She was the mistress of the last Tsar before he married, and it is rumoured that she had his treasure buried under her house - though people have never found this in the museum grounds. But the story adds to the mystery. The exhibition, though small is simply wonderful. Several of her rooms are now decorated in the style she had it and there are wonderful photographs fro her career, including her Paris studio masterclasses for famous dancers such as Fonteyn. There is a lovely film about her with English subtitles. The rest of the museum is devoted to the more usual political history of Russia. This also is excellent as it is curated exceptionally well and stylishly. For example there is a very interesting replica of a 1950's shared kitchen in an apartment and information about how acute the housing shortage was at that time. In all, this is a great museum where you can spend an hour or two.
