# Iron Gates Region Museum

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) › [Mehedinți County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/mehedinti) › [Drobeta-Turnu Severin](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/drobeta-turnu-severin)

> The county museum of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, with a 1:50 model of Trajan's Bridge, an aquarium of Danube fish and sections on archaeology, natural sciences and ethnography.

**At a glance:** Museums and memorial houses in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Mehedinți County. Opening hours: Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 17:00. Ticket: 40 lei. The visit takes 1½ – 2 hours. Information verified on 21 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 17:00 — Tuesday to Sunday 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:30; closed on Mondays. Bookings on +40 252 317 377.
- **Ticket:** 40 lei — children 10 lei
- **Visit duration:** 1½ – 2 hours — estimate, without the archaeological park
- **With kids:** Yes — aquarium, planetarium, models
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — on the surrounding streets
- **Best season:** All year round — indoor museum, all year round
- **Address:** Strada Independenței 2, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Mehedinți County
- **Coordinates:** 44.62504, 22.66649
- **Phone:** +40 252 317 377
- **Website:** https://www.muzeulregiuniiportilordefier.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Gates_Region_Museum
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6072544
- **Categories:** [Museums and memorial houses](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzee-si-case-memoriale)

## About Iron Gates Region Museum

The Iron Gates Region Museum is the main museum of Mehedinți County and stands right next to the ruins of Roman Drobeta, on the bank of the Danube. It grew out of the history collection that the teacher Alexandru Bărcăcilă set up at the Traian High School in 1912; in 1926 the collections moved into the school's boarding house, which in time came to be used by the museum alone. Under its present name, the museum opened on 15 May 1972 with history and natural sciences sections, including an aquarium, and ethnography was added in 1982. Its holdings number more than 90,000 items.

The white building, with its three-arched loggia above the entrance, has been restored, and the old displays, kept until 2010, have been replaced by a new route with reconstructions, panels and multimedia equipment.

The museum itself is not a UNESCO site, but its grounds hold an archaeological park with the Roman fort of Drobeta, the abutment of Trajan's Bridge, the baths and the amphitheatre. The fort and the bridge remains form the "Drobeta" component of the **Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia** site, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2024. The museum manages them.

### What you can see

The archaeology and history section has nine rooms in chronological order: the Mesolithic Schela Cladovei settlements on the banks of the Danube, a replica of the Hinova jewellery hoard (12th century BC), a replica of the gilded silver rhyton from Poroina, then finds from the Roman fort. Room four holds the **model of Trajan's Bridge** at a scale of 1:50, alongside two original oak beams from a caisson used to build the bridge. A 3D reconstruction of the Roman amphitheatre can be explored on touch screens and with VR headsets.

The ethnography section, on two floors, shows village life in Mehedinți from the late 19th century to the 1980s, with folk costume, textiles and pottery. The natural sciences section presents the nature of the Iron Gates, with dioramas, fossils and the **aquarium** of Danube fish. The museum also has a planetarium, with a separate ticket.

### Good to know

The Iron Gates I Hydropower Plant Museum and the museum in Orșova are branches located in other places, with their own opening hours.

## Don't miss

- The 1:50 model of Trajan's Bridge, with the two original oak beams from one of the bridge's caissons.
- The aquarium of Danube fish in the natural sciences section.
- The replicas of the Hinova hoard and of the gilded silver rhyton from Poroina, in the archaeology rooms.
- The 3D reconstruction of the Roman amphitheatre at Drobeta, on touch screens and with VR headsets.
- The archaeological park in the grounds, with the fort of Drobeta and the abutment of Trajan's Bridge, part of the UNESCO site.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the museum is in the centre of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, on Independenței Street, close to the Danube. From Craiova it is ~110 km on the DN6 (E70), about two hours; from Orșova, ~30 km on the DN6, about half an hour.

**Public transport:** Drobeta-Turnu Severin station, with trains on the Bucharest–Craiova–Timișoara line, is ~2 km from the museum, about 25 minutes on foot; you can also take a taxi.

### Where to park

The museum has no announced car park of its own for visitors; you park on the surrounding streets in the town centre, under the rules set by the city hall.

### Fees & discounts

The full ticket costs 40 lei for adults and 10 lei for children. The planetarium has a separate ticket of 20 lei. Groups are advised to book by phone.

### Rules

Do not touch the exhibits. Photography for personal use is generally allowed; photo shoots or filming need the museum's approval. Group visits should be booked in advance.

### Facilities

planetarium · virtual tour on the website · multimedia and VR equipment in the displays · bookings by phone

## Details

- **Collection type:** archaeology, history, natural sciences, ethnography

## Frequently asked questions about Iron Gates Region Museum

**How much is a ticket to Iron Gates Region Museum?**

A ticket to Iron Gates Region Museum costs 40 lei (children 10 lei). The full ticket costs 40 lei for adults and 10 lei for children. The planetarium has a separate ticket of 20 lei. Groups are advised to book by phone.

**What are the opening hours of Iron Gates Region Museum?**

Opening hours at Iron Gates Region Museum: Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 17:00. Tuesday to Sunday 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:30; closed on Mondays. Bookings on +40 252 317 377.

**How long does a visit to Iron Gates Region Museum take?**

A visit to Iron Gates Region Museum takes about 1½ – 2 hours (estimate, without the archaeological park).

**Can you visit Iron Gates Region Museum with kids?**

Yes, Iron Gates Region Museum is suitable for children (aquarium, planetarium, models).

**Where can I park at Iron Gates Region Museum?**

There is paid parking at Iron Gates Region Museum (on the surrounding streets). The museum has no announced car park of its own for visitors; you park on the surrounding streets in the town centre, under the rules set by the city hall.

**How do I get to Iron Gates Region Museum?**

Iron Gates Region Museum is located at Strada Independenței 2, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Mehedinți County. By car: the museum is in the centre of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, on Independenței Street, close to the Danube. From Craiova it is ~110 km on the DN6 (E70), about two hours; from Orșova, ~30 km on the DN6, about half an hour. Public transport: Drobeta-Turnu Severin station, with trains on the Bucharest–Craiova–Timișoara line, is ~2 km from the museum, about 25 minutes on foot; you can also take a taxi.

**When is the best time to visit Iron Gates Region Museum?**

The best season for Iron Gates Region Museum: All year round (indoor museum, all year round).

## Nearby attractions

- [Roman Fort of Drobeta](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-drobeta) — Monuments and historic sites · Drobeta-Turnu Severin, MH · 45 min · UNESCO World Heritage · 0 km
  The fort that guarded the northern end of Trajan's Bridge over the Danube: restored walls and foundations in the courtyard of the Iron Gates Region Museum in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.
- [Trajan's Bridge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/podul-lui-traian) — Monuments and historic sites · Drobeta-Turnu Severin, MH · 20 min · UNESCO World Heritage · 0 km
  The ruin of the northern end of the bridge over the Danube built in 103–105 by Apollodorus of Damascus for Trajan, in the archaeological park of the museum in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.
- [Severin Medieval Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-severinului) — Fortresses and fortifications · Drobeta-Turnu Severin, MH · 45 min · 1 km
  The ruins of the fortress on the Danube bank, centre of the Banate of Severin in the 13th century: consolidated walls and moat, the surviving north-east tower and a medieval festival each autumn.
- [Tudor Vladimirescu Cula](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cula-tudor-vladimirescu) — Fortresses and fortifications · Cerneți, MH · 30 min · 8 km
  The cula on Gârdanul Hill near Drobeta-Turnu Severin, linked to the name of Tudor Vladimirescu: a fortified boyar house with a brick-columned gallery and a watchtower, currently being restored.
- [Nistor Kula](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cula-nistor) — Fortresses and fortifications · Cerneți, MH · 30 min · 8 km
  A fortified manor house in Cerneți, near Drobeta Turnu Severin, built around 1812 and rebuilt after 1821 by the pandur captain Nistor, with a veranda on carved posts.
- [Roman Fort of Hinova](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-hinova) — Monuments and historic sites · Hinova, MH · 30 min · 16 km
  A late Roman fort on the first terrace of the Danube, north of Hinova village, with low stone walls and seven towers; the largest prehistoric gold hoard in Romania was found here.

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Last updated: 21 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania