Since the end of the 19th century, the Museum in Jicin has been striving to acquire, preserve and present evidence on the history of man and his environment. The museum collections and exhibitions present not only the cultural and natural values of the town of Jicin, but also document the greater region of Jicinsko and the southern parts of the Cesky raj Geopark.
The Museum in Jicin seeks to offer its visitors an environment in which they feel good and where receiving new information will not be a boring process but an unusual and playful experience, the „Museum of Play“ – a game of discovering information, a game of perception, a game of learning…
Permanent Exhibiton
The permanent exhibition in the Museum in Jicin is situated in eight halls, dedicated to the history and nature of the Jicinsko region, with many interactive features. Visitors are free to choose the way they will see the exhibition, for instance, using a sheet of paper to roll up the „Duke´s magical stick“, which also works as a tool to unlock the secret room to be found in the historical palace in which the museum is located. The exhibition also includes the Oratory, which offers a view of the interior of the Church of St. James, founded by Duke Albrecht of Wallenstein. Other rooms include the picture gallery of Baroque masters, with the excellent Annunciation of the Virgin Mary by Karel Skreta, and the Conference Room, where diplomatic dealings took place in 1813, as a result of which Napoleon´s power was definitely weakened. The museum games room offers an opportunity to build one´s own main square in Jicin from wooden house models and is a pleasant place to play or rest. There are short-term exhibitions in the museum´s hallway that usually focus on regional history or nature. We should also mention the so-called museum theatre, where visitors with the help of puppets are free to play their own piece, whether from their own script or just what they imagine.
Tour Routes of the Museum
1. Tour with a family guidebook
This tour will take you round the museum´s most interesting exhibits, some of which you will be able to try out for yourself! In every hall, moreover, a period coin waits to be discovered, an imprint of which you can transfer to your guidebook by frottage.
2. Tour with duke Wallenstein's magical stick
This tour uncovers the secrets of Wallenstein´s palace, in which the Museum in JIcin is located. Use the map to solve a puzzle and discover the secret room.
3. Tour following three little figurines
Young explorers will be drawn into a search for wooden figurines that will show the most interesting exhibits of the Museum.
4. Tour in the footsteps of Elisabeth Catherine
The tour takes you to the museum theatre where, besides the legend about Zebin hill, you can also play a puppet piece about the unhappy love of noble Elisabeth Catherine of Smirice for Jirik the blacksmith, which eventually leads to an explosion in Jicin´s Palace.
Temporary Exhibitions
The Museum also runs a gallery in the 2nd palace yard, in former Wallenstein horse stables. The gallery is used for short-term museum or gallery type exhibitions.
Metal toys
Sheet metal mechanical toys produced by Kovodružstva Náchod and subsequently by KOVAP and KADEN still arouse the interest of children, but also of many adults, who remember the legendary Zetor tractor and the key-operated ladybug that never falls off the table, the steam cylinder and many others. Unique tin toys with worldwide fame have been hand-made since 1946 until today. From the production of the KADEN company, these are car models and also the popular Variant kit.
(10. 6. 2022 – 2. 10. 2022, Exhibition hall)
Gods and heroes from the end of Bronze Age in Jičín region
(17. 6. 2022 – 23. 10. 2022, Gallery)