Military Historical Artillery Museum
Housed in an imposing horseshoe-shaped brick building, the Military Historical Artillery Museum is an impressive structure. The central courtyard is flanked by armoured tanks, and the Russian flag rises proudly from the roof. Inside, the museum houses one of the largest collections of military equipment in the world.
The Basics
The Military Historical Artillery Museum’s exhibitions of arms, artillery, and other military equipment span the centuries from the Middle Ages to the 20th century and include a large number of pieces from WWII and the Cold War era. Notable highlights include an exhibition about the Kalashnikov AK-47, a WWII Katyusha rocket launcher, a number of Andrei Chokhov cannons, an exhibition about the signal corps of WWII, and personal arms that belonged to Peter the Great and other Russian emperors.
Visitors can explore the vast museum on a self-guided tour with or without a guide; tickets offer access to three floors of exhibitions as well as outdoor displays of tanks and large artillery.
Things to Know Before You Go
The museum’s displays are only in Russian, so it’s worth hiring a guide to get the most out of your visit.
The museum allows you to climb on the tanks in the courtyard and to take pictures throughout the museum, making this an interesting stop for families with children.
Give yourself at least two hours to visit the museum and all of its exhibitions.
There is a café and gift shop at the museum.
The first and second floor of the museum are accessible for wheelchair users. There is no access to the third floor.
How to Get There
The museum is located on the south bank of Petrogradsky Island, looking out across the Kronverksky Strait at the Peter and Paul Fortress. The closest subway station is Gorkovskaya, roughly a 10-minute walk away.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The Military Historical Artillery Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 6pm, and ticket counter closes at 5pm. The museum is closed on Monday, Tuesday, and the last Thursday of every month. Although weekends are the busiest time to visit, the museum rarely gets very crowded.
Military Museums and Memorials in St Petersburg
There are a number of museums and memorials in St Petersburg where you can learn about Russia’s military history. Discover the city’s maritime heritage at the Central Naval Museum; visit the State Memorial Museum of Leningrad Defense and Siege or the Memorial to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad to learn about the notorious WWII siege; brush up on political history at the State Museum of the Political History of Russia; or take a day trip to Kronstadt island, home to Fort Alexander and military monuments such as the Wall of Glory and the monument to Peter the Great.
- St. Petersburg Planetarium (Sankt-Peterburgskiy Planetariy)
- Leningrad Zoo St. Petersburg
- Peter and Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost)
- The State Museum of the Political History of Russia
- Neva River (Reka Neva)
- Winter Palace of Peter the Great at the Hermitage
- Summer Palace of Peter the Great (Letniy Dvorets)
- State Hermitage Museum
- Pushkin Museum
- Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera)
- Museum of Optics
- Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
- Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines
- St. Petersburg Palace Square (Dvortsovaya Ploshchad)
- Admiralty Building