Unusual Moscow Museums That are Worth Seeing with Kids, Russia

Now we know where you can find a racy fur coast in Moscow, end up at a common kitchen in Bad Apartment, ring bells, visit the Mayan Indians, and drop by an old toilet room. Before visiting the museums, make sure to clarify their working hours by calling the phone numbers listed. 

They organize real time travel in museum Russia My Home. At the interactive exhibition, you can end up in a peasant hut, a common kitchen in the 1920s and standard apartments from the 50’s and 70’s, in a space flight command station, on the porch of your grandma’s country house, and in a modern studio. From kids between the age of 6 and 12 they hold tours with nursery rhymes, traditional Russian games, and everyday tasks – for example, they teach kids how to use an ironing board and a string bag.

Information lines: +7 (495) 609-01-50, +7 (495) 609-01-58

At Mayakovsky Museum they do an activity for schoolchildren called Narration for Smart Kids, where they are supposed to find letters at the exposition and insert them in the correct places on the Growth Window posters. Also, at the exhibition, they tell visitors about the life of a poet and soviet life in the beginning of the 20^th century, conduct pedestrian tours around the city, and explain the concept of “futurism” and “constructivism” with the help of large installments in the halls of the museum.

Phone number of the museum: +7 (495) 628-25-69, +7 (495) 621-93-87

In Bulgakov Museum, you can attend a concert in the White Hall and stop by the Blue office of the writer. There they talk about how the black staircase is different from a regular one and how kerosene stoves were used a hundred years ago, where Zoykin’s apartment is located and how Bad Apartment earned its name. For schoolchildren, the museum employees think up activities where kids go on a scavenger hunt around the exposition and they also put on performances in the interior of Bulgakov’s apartment of his productions.  

Phone number: +7 (495) 699-53-66

Gathered at the small Theft Museum in the Name of Yury Detochkin is a whole “criminal” collection of false documents, lock picks, keys, and other tools, which were used by thieves. There you can see homemade car alarms and find out what kind of clues are left at a crime scene. They also offer whoever is interested at the museum to try and break into a car.  

Phone number: +7 (495) 786-25-25

While visiting Baron Munchhausen’s apartment museum, kids get to see his favorite chair, a model of the space ship that went to the Moon, a gun that he invented himself, a racy fur coat, and other trophies in the hunting nook. You can also gallop on a horse there, play a song on a bugle with frozen melodies, put on the baron’s hat, and listen to the fantastic stories of the life of Munchhausen at the fireplace.

Phone number: +7 (495) 728-88-64

In order to go on a tour of the Bells Museum in the Moscow Bellman School of Ilya Drozdikhin, you must schedule an appointment. There you can see the breakdown of a bell, church bells, a fire bell, as well as a watch bell. They also let you ring seven bells at the student steeple. 

Phone number: +7 (495) 399-17-68

You can find out how chocolate made its way to Europe from South America at “Mishka”Chocolate and Cocoa Museum. They offer you a ride on the “time carriage” and go on a journey with the Mayan Indians on their road to Spain in the 16^th century. Presented at the exhibition are old wrappers, foil, and boxes from chocolate bars and candies. After the tour, you can end up in a real chocolate factory and watch how candy is made. 

Tours are held by appointment only. You can schedule one by calling: +7 (495) 982-57-97, +7 (915) 027-65-77

The Moscow Design Museum at Central Exhibition Hall Manezh opened up in the end of 2012. Included in its collection are all kinds of packs and containers: fancy bottles, candy boxes, tooth paste, and make-up containers – from Russian avant-garde to the USSR times. At the exhibition, they tell you how packing is done and why designers need models and designs. Another curious feature of the museum is the mobile hall, a bus with exhibits inside it that drives throughout the city.

Design Museum phone number: +7 (495) 645-92-71

Open on the first floor of GUM is the Historic Bathroom Museum with an interior of the beginning of the 20^th century. In the restroom are marble walls and carved lamps where men can shave and women can fix their hair. Also located inside there is a diaper changing table and even a shower. The rooms are divided into the men’s and the women’s sections. It costs 84 rubles to use the bathroom and taking a shower costs 500 rubles (a towel, slippers, and a robe are provided).

You can read about other interesting places in Moscow in our reviews on history and interactive museums.

Photos: vk.com/club40259913, bulgakovmuseum.ru, chokomuseum.ru, munchhausen.ru