Best Museums of Almaty
The museums of Almaty are true treasure troves of history and culture, unveiling the city’s centuries-old heritage to visitors. Everyone will find a museum to their liking here, whether they are art, science, or history enthusiasts. We present to you a list of museums in the city of Almaty.
Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Address: Almaty, Samal-1 microdistrict, 44
Ticket Prices: Adults - 1,000 Tenge, Students - 500 Tenge, Schoolchildren - 300 Tenge
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Box Office: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM), closed on Tuesdays
One of the oldest and largest museums in the city. The museum’s collection includes about 300,000 exhibits across seven halls. By moving from one hall to another, you can explore the entire history of Kazakhstan, from the prehistoric period to the modern age.
A. Kasteev Museum of Arts
Address: Almaty, Koktem-3 microdistrict, 22/1
Ticket Prices: Adults - 500 Tenge, Schoolchildren and Students of Art Institutions - 200 Tenge, Students of Other Universities - 300 Tenge
Opening Hours: Daily except Monday, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Box Office: 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM)
The Kasteev Museum is a true temple of Kazakh art. It began its history in 1935 and is the largest art museum in the country. The collection includes about 25,000 exhibits. The museum showcases the works of Kazakh artists, as well as decorative and applied arts of Kazakhstan, Western Europe, the East, and Russian art. Named after Abylkhan Kasteev, a distinguished Kazakh painter and watercolorist, People's Artist of the Kazakh SSR (1944), and the founder of Kazakh visual arts, many of his works are also exhibited in this museum.
Ykhlas Museum of Musical Instruments
Address: Almaty, Zenkova Street, 24A
Ticket Prices: Adults - 1,500 Tenge, Schoolchildren and Students - 200 Tenge
Opening Hours: Daily except Monday, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
The museum has several halls: wind and percussion instruments, kobyz, musical instruments of Turkic peoples, as well as instruments from around the world. You can learn about the history of each instrument and see the personal instruments of outstanding Kazakh composers.
A special mention should be made of the building housing the museum. It is the former Officers' House, built in the ancient Russian architectural style based on the design of architect A.P. Zenkov. It is one of the rare buildings from the Vernensky era in the city of Almaty.
D.A. Kunaev House-Museum
Address: Almaty, Tulebaeva Street, 117
Ticket Prices: Adults - 800 Tenge, Students - 300 Tenge, Schoolchildren - 200 Tenge
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Kunaev is one of the most revered political figures in the history of Kazakhstan, a Soviet party and state leader, and the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan. The museum named after him is one of the most visited in the country. The museum has two halls. In the first, you can learn about Dinmukhamed’s childhood and student years, and in the second, his political activities. The apartment-museum accurately recreates the living conditions and environment in which the politician lived. The exhibits provide a complete picture of the kind of person he was.
A. Baitursynov House-Museum
Address: Almaty, Baitursynov Street, 60
Ticket Prices: Adults - 1,000 Tenge, Students - 500 Tenge, Schoolchildren and Pensioners - 250 Tenge
Opening Hours: Daily except Monday, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM (by appointment only)
The museum dedicated to the memory of the outstanding Kazakh political figure is located in the house of merchant Zubarev, where Baitursynov lived with his family in the 1930s. It is a small single-story house with only three rooms—a dining room, a children's room, and an office. The museum houses photographs, documents, personal belongings of A. Baitursynov, as well as manuscripts of his books.
Geological Museum of Kazakhstan
Address: Almaty, Dostyk Avenue, 85
Opening Hours: Unfortunately, the museum’s status for 2024 could not be determined. It is closed on weekdays, and phone calls are not answered.
To enter the museum, you need to descend 5 meters via a mining lift. The museum’s collection includes 2,500 exhibits gathered from all corners of Kazakhstan, as well as Russia and other countries. It features minerals, gemstones, rocks, collections of ores from various deposits, and models of different geological instruments.
Almaty City History Museum (Almaty Museum)
Almaty History Museum
Address: Almaty, Kabanbay Batyr Street, 132/85
Ticket Prices: Adults - 1,000 Tenge, Students - 500 Tenge, Children and Pensioners - 250 Tenge, Foreigners - 1,500 Tenge
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Monday is a maintenance day.
The Almaty City History Museum is housed in a historical building—the Vernensky Children’s Orphanage. The building was constructed in 1892 based on the design of architect Paul Gurdie. The museum moved here in 2016. The museum has several halls covering the entire history of Almaty, from ancient times to the present day. There is also a separate hall dedicated to mountaineering in Almaty and the history of cinema.
Military History Museum
Address: Almaty, Zenkova Street, 24, Officers' House, 2nd Floor, Right Wing
Ticket Prices: Free entry
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
The museum has a large collection of Soviet military equipment and weaponry. There is an exhibition dedicated to the 316th Rifle Division under the command of Major General I.V. Panfilov, as well as a hall on the topic of the Afghan War.
Mukhtar Auezov House-Museum
Address: Almaty, Tulebaeva Street, 185
Ticket Prices: 500 Tenge
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
The house-museum dedicated to the great Kazakh writer was opened in 1963. In this house, Mukhtar Auezov lived the last ten years of his life, completed his work on the epic "The Path of Abai," wrote several plays and essays, as well as a number of scientific works. All the furniture, books, and other items in the house belonged to the writer. Visitors can explore his personal library, collection of souvenirs, and manuscripts of his books. The museum immerses you in the era in which the writer lived, enveloping you in an atmosphere of creativity and creation.
S. Mukhanov and G. Musrepov Literary-Memorial Museum Complex
Address: Almaty, Tulebaeva Street, 125 and 130
Ticket Prices: Adults - 1,000 Tenge, Students - 500 Tenge, Schoolchildren and Pensioners - 250 Tenge
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
The house-museum of S. Mukhanov and the house-museum of G. Musrepov are located in neighboring buildings, in the houses where the writers lived. Here, you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in their fascinating history and creative legacy. All rooms of the apartments have been preserved as they were during the writers' lifetimes: furniture, personal belongings, books, and manuscripts.
Central Railway Transport Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Address: Almaty, Nazarbayev Avenue, 127
Ticket Prices: Free entry
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
This museum is sure to delight those interested in railway themes. It features models of trains, locomotives, diesel engines, archival photographs, and documents. Learn all about how the railway developed in our region and the historical role it played in the country’s development.
Note: We recommend checking the ticket prices before your visit, as they may change.