St. Petersburg school holidays run from today, 26 October, through 3 November. The Russian Museum is open every day without exception and has put together a special family programme: children's guided tours and themed workshops throughout the break.

Mikhailovsky Palace, the main building of the Russian Museum

Why visit now

October half-term is one of the quietest moments to visit the Russian Museum. The summer queues are gone, the main halls are accessible without waiting, and there are far fewer international tourists than in July or August. Early November daylight is short, so an indoor museum day fits the season well — you can spend the darker afternoon hours inside and still be out before the evening rush. Because the museum is open every day of the break, you can also pick a weekday morning, when even the holiday crowds thin out.

Children's tours and workshops

The museum runs interactive guided tours for children from around age 6, designed as a dialogue with questions and hands-on activities rather than a lecture. Workshops in drawing and art techniques run alongside the tours.

Booking is through rusmuseum.ru or the museum box office. Slots during school holidays fill quickly — book early, especially for weekends.

What to show children in the main collection

The halls that consistently work well with children:

Don't try to cover everything. 1.5–2 hours in selected rooms beats an exhausting three-hour march.

Getting there

Main building (Mikhailovsky Palace): Arts Square, 4. Metro Nevsky Prospekt, 5-minute walk via Mikhailovskaya Street. Don't confuse it with the Mikhailovsky Theatre next door.

If you're staying for several days, browse accommodation near the centre of St. Petersburg — Arts Square is walkable from most central neighbourhoods, so you can come back for a second short visit rather than trying to see everything at once.

Cover photo: Artem Svetlov from Moscow, Russia, CC BY 2.0, Викисклад