Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum
About Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum
The villa was built in 1905, to plans by the architect Cristofi Cerchez, as a rest house on what was then the edge of Bucharest for Dr. Nicolae Minovici (1868–1941), founder of the Bucharest Rescue Society. In 1906 its purpose changed: the house became the home of the folk art collection the doctor had been building up for years, the first museum of its kind in Bucharest. In 1937 Minovici donated the house, the collection and the surrounding garden to the city.
The building is one of the early examples of the Neo-Romanian style in the capital. The tower on the south side, inspired by the Oltenian cula, comes from peasant architecture, and on the upper floor a terrace joins an Italian loggia to a peasant porch, with twisted columns and openwork stone panels carved with acanthus leaves. The villa is also known as the “Villa with Little Bells”.
What you can see
The permanent exhibition, opened in 2017 after the building was rehabilitated, recreates the way Minovici arranged it, starting from the photographs the doctor commissioned in 1935. Every room of the villa is an exhibition room: the drawing room, the dining room, the bedroom, even the bathroom, where the vessels from the Troița ceramic workshops and the Royal Crown Estates now stand.
The collection is dominated by textiles (shirts, blouses, skirts, towels, rugs) and by ceramics from all the regions of the country, but there are also icons on wood and on glass, painted eggs and wooden objects from the peasant household. Upstairs, the villa's old chapel keeps icons, oil lamps, wooden peasant chandeliers and altar doors.
The villa is surrounded by a garden, whose layout in 1911–1913 was the work of the decorative sculptor Wilhelm August von Becker; along the paths there are vases and benches of carved stone.
Good to know
Next door, at no. 3, is the Western Old Art Museum “Ing. Dumitru Furnică-Minovici”, a different museum with separate hours and tickets.
- The tower and the upstairs terrace, where an Italian loggia meets a peasant porch, with twisted columns and openwork stone panels.
- The rooms arranged after the doctor's photographs of 1935, with ceramics in the former bathroom and paintings in the bedroom.
- The chapel upstairs, with icons, oil lamps and altar doors.
- The collection of textiles (shirts, blouses, skirts, rugs) and of ceramics from all the regions of the country.
- The garden around the villa, with vases and benches of carved stone.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the villa is at the corner of Șoseaua București–Ploiești and Dr. Nicolae Minovici Street, in the north of the capital, near Băneasa. From the Arch of Triumph it is ~2 km, ~3 minutes by car.
On foot: the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum is ~1.7 km away, ~20–25 minutes on foot.
- Fees & discounts
Full ticket 20 lei, reduced ticket 10 lei (pensioners, military personnel, pupils, students, adults with a moderate or mild disability, organised groups). Entry is free for children under 7 and for people with a severe or marked disability and their companions. A guided tour costs 20 lei per person, for groups of at least 15 people, by booking only via e-mail, at least 2 working days in advance. Tickets can also be bought online.
- Rules
Exhibits are not touched, and food and drink are not taken into the exhibition rooms.
- Facilities
online tickets · guided tours for groups, by booking
Frequently asked questions about Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum
How much is a ticket to Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum?
A ticket to Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum costs 20 lei (reduced 10 lei, under 7 free). More under “Fees & discounts”
What are the opening hours of Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum?
Opening hours at Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum: Monday–Tuesday closed, Wednesday–Sunday 10:00 – 18:00. More under “Opening hours”
How long does a visit to Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum take?
A visit to Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum takes about ½ – 1 hours (all the rooms).
Can you visit Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum with kids?
Yes, Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum is suitable for children (under 7s enter free).
How do I get to Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum?
Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum is located at Strada Dr. Nicolae Minovici 1, București. More under “Getting there”
When is the best time to visit Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum?
The best season for Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum: All year round (open all year).
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