Pharmacy History Museum
About Pharmacy History Museum
The Pharmacy History Museum is on the Small Square (Piața Mică), in a house with arcades on the ground floor and Gothic and Renaissance elements, dated by the museum to 1568. Around 1600 the "At the Black Bear" (La Ursul Negru) pharmacy, the third oldest in Sibiu, operated here. The building was restored between 1968 and 1972, and the museum opened in 1972 as a department of the Brukenthal National Museum.
Its founding in Sibiu has a reason: the first pharmacy on the present-day territory of Romania is documented here from 1494, and the town developed a rich pharmaceutical tradition. The collection began in 1950–1951, when the country's relics of pharmacy history were gathered at the Brukenthal, and it now has over 6,600 pieces: medicinal preparations, laboratory utensils, containers, books and documents.
What you can see
The exhibition is organised like a classic pharmacy: the dispensary (oficina), where medicines were displayed, and the laboratory, with scales, bronze, cast-iron and marble mortars, crushing and grinding machines, percolators for plant tinctures, sieves, filters and laboratory glassware. There is also the hall of medical kits and the homeopathy section.
The homeopathy collection has almost 3,000 pieces, kits and bottles of preparations taken over from the old Sibiu pharmacy "At the Angel" (La Înger). The link with the town is direct: Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, lived in Sibiu from 1777 to 1779, as physician and secretary to Baron Samuel von Brukenthal, governor of Transylvania.
Good to know
The museum has its own ticket, separate from the one for the Brukenthal Palace on the Grand Square; the sections of the Brukenthal National Museum can also be visited with a single ticket valid for 48 hours. The entrance is from under the arcades on the ground floor of the house.
Information verified on 23 October 2026.
- The dispensary, the traditional room of the pharmacy, with period furniture and containers.
- The laboratory, with medical scales, mortars, percolators and glassware.
- The homeopathy collection, almost 3,000 pieces, linked to Samuel Hahnemann's stay in Sibiu.
- The arcaded house on the Small Square, where the "At the Black Bear" pharmacy operated.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Sibiu is on the A1 motorway; from Cluj-Napoca it is ~180 km (~2 hours 15 minutes on the A10 and A1), from Brașov ~145 km on the DN1 (~2 hours 30 minutes) and from Bucharest ~270 km on the A1 and the DN7 through the Olt Valley (~4 hours). The museum is in the Upper Town, on the Small Square, where car access is restricted: leave the car in a car park around the centre and walk.
Public transport: from Sibiu railway station it is ~1.5 km, about 20 minutes' walk, or a few stops on Tursib buses to the centre; from the Grand Square the museum is a few minutes' walk. There are buses and taxis from Sibiu airport (~5 km).
- Where to park
Spaces on the streets around the historic centre are paid, at a machine, by text message or in the app, and there are few of them. The nearest public car parks are Cazarma 90, near Strada Nicolae Bălcescu, and the one on Piața Teatrului, 5–10 minutes' walk away. In summer, at weekends and on festival days they fill up quickly.
- Fees & discounts
Adult ticket 16 lei; pensioners 8 lei; pupils, students, Euro 26 card holders and people with a medium or mild disability 4 lei. A single ticket for all sections of the Brukenthal National Museum, valid for 48 hours, costs 120 lei (adults). Admission is free for pre-school children, for ICOM card and press card holders, and on the first Thursday of each month for pensioners and Sibiu residents; Euro 26 card holders under 30 enter free on the 26th of the month. A guided tour of the exhibitions, in Romanian or English, costs 200 lei for 60 minutes and must be requested at least 48 hours ahead at [email protected].
- Rules
The visit is self-guided or with a guide on request. Professional photography and filming are charged (for example, 500 lei per hour in the museum for private individuals). Follow the instructions of the gallery staff and do not touch the exhibits.
- Facilities
Shop with the museum's publications and products at the Brukenthal · online tickets · guided tours on request
Frequently asked questions about Pharmacy History Museum
- How much is a ticket to Pharmacy History Museum?
- A ticket to Pharmacy History Museum costs 16 lei (pensioners 8, pupils 4 lei). Adult ticket 16 lei; pensioners 8 lei; pupils, students, Euro 26 card holders and people with a medium or mild disability 4 lei. A single ticket for all sections of the Brukenthal National Museum, valid for 48 hours, costs 120 lei (adults). Admission is free for pre-school children, for ICOM card and press card holders, and on the first Thursday of each month for pensioners and Sibiu residents; Euro 26 card holders under 30 enter free on the 26th of the month. A guided tour of the exhibitions, in Romanian or English, costs 200 lei for 60 minutes and must be requested at least 48 hours ahead at [email protected].
- What are the opening hours of Pharmacy History Museum?
- Opening hours at Pharmacy History Museum: Monday–Tuesday closed, Wednesday–Sunday 09:00 – 17:00. The ticket desk closes at 16:30. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Free for pensioners and Sibiu residents (with ID) on the first Thursday of each month.
- How long does a visit to Pharmacy History Museum take?
- A visit to Pharmacy History Museum takes about ½ – 1 hours (one building, three sections).
- Can you visit Pharmacy History Museum with kids?
- Yes, Pharmacy History Museum is suitable for children (jars, scales and mortars).
- Where can I park at Pharmacy History Museum?
- There is paid parking at Pharmacy History Museum (on the streets around the centre). Spaces on the streets around the historic centre are paid, at a machine, by text message or in the app, and there are few of them. The nearest public car parks are Cazarma 90, near Strada Nicolae Bălcescu, and the one on Piața Teatrului, 5–10 minutes' walk away. In summer, at weekends and on festival days they fill up quickly.
- How do I get to Pharmacy History Museum?
- Pharmacy History Museum is located at Piața Mică 26, Sibiu, Sibiu County. By car: Sibiu is on the A1 motorway; from Cluj-Napoca it is ~180 km (~2 hours 15 minutes on the A10 and A1), from Brașov ~145 km on the DN1 (~2 hours 30 minutes) and from Bucharest ~270 km on the A1 and the DN7 through the Olt Valley (~4 hours). The museum is in the Upper Town, on the Small Square, where car access is restricted: leave the car in a car park around the centre and walk. Public transport: from Sibiu railway station it is ~1.5 km, about 20 minutes' walk, or a few stops on Tursib buses to the centre; from the Grand Square the museum is a few minutes' walk. There are buses and taxis from Sibiu airport (~5 km).
- When is the best time to visit Pharmacy History Museum?
- The best season for Pharmacy History Museum: All year round (open all year).
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