Public Awareness

One of the areas that the Ostrava City Museum explores is the natural history of the area where Ostrava now stands. The museum’s permanent natural history exhibition is open to visitors at any time during normal opening hours, and it includes a range of fun interactive features. The museum also offers educational programmes linked to its botanical and geological exhibitions, including worksheets and pictures for colouring.

Botany worksheets

Geology worksheets

Besides visiting the museum itself, you can also enjoy an outdoor activity at the Black Meadow (Černá Louka) complex. To accompany this activity, the museum has created a map featuring various educational tasks, plus a set of pictures for colouring (showing various interesting trees and plants that grow there). Museum staff also offer guided science tours (by prior arrangement).

In addition to these activities, the museum has also created a questing game themed around St Barbara (the patron saint of miners).

One of the museum’s main specialist areas is mycology (the study of mushrooms and fungi). Every Monday afternoon (15:00 – 16:30) from May to October, the museum hosts a question-and-answer session with an expert on wild mushrooms – an ideal opportunity for mushroom collectors to expand their knowledge of this popular hobby. There are also regular lectures and discussions on mushroom-related topics.

The museum is also involved in promoting science and natural history at various public events – including the annual Earth Days (held on the main avenue in Ostrava-Poruba).

For more information about the museum’s work – including current exhibitions – visit its website.