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The Winter Palace, main building of the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

No. 11 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 3,846,375 visitors in 2025

State Hermitage Museum

St Petersburg, Russia · City guide: St Petersburg

Catherine the Great's art collection, grown into one of the world's largest museums, in St Petersburg's Winter Palace.

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Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The State Hermitage Museum is No. 11 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 3,846,375 visitors in 2025, up 8% on 2024. Catherine the Great began the collection in 1764 when she bought a group of paintings from Berlin, and the museum first opened to the public in 1852.

The main museum complex on the Neva embankment includes the Winter Palace, the former residence of the Russian emperors, and the Small, Old and New Hermitage buildings. Across Palace Square, the General Staff Building shows Impressionist and modern art. The collections hold more than three million objects.

Palace Square and the Alexander Column in front of the Winter Palace
Palace Square and the Alexander Column in front of the Winter Palace. Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Best time to visit

The museum is closed on Mondays. Buy a ticket online and arrive at opening time. Check the official website for hours.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    The state rooms

    The Jordan Staircase, the Malachite Room and St George's Hall show the splendour of the imperial court.

  • 2

    Leonardo da Vinci

    Two of the few paintings by Leonardo, the Benois Madonna and the Litta Madonna.

  • 3

    Rembrandt

    One of the world's great Rembrandt collections, including The Return of the Prodigal Son.

  • 4

    The Peacock Clock

    James Cox's 18th-century gilded automaton of a peacock, owl and cockerel, in the Pavilion Hall.

  • 5

    Raphael Loggias

    A copy of Raphael's painted gallery in the Vatican, commissioned by Catherine the Great.

  • 6

    General Staff Building

    Impressionist and modern art, including Matisse's The Dance.

Getting there

The entrance is from Palace Square, through the courtyard of the Winter Palace. Admiralteyskaya metro station is a few minutes' walk away, and Nevsky Prospekt station about 15 minutes.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
Tickets are sold online and at the museum. Check the official website for prices, hours and which buildings each ticket covers.
Time needed
At least three to four hours for the main complex.
Currency & payments
Russian rouble (RUB). Check before you travel which payment cards and methods will work for you.
Visa & entry
Most visitors need a Russian visa. A unified e-visa is available to citizens of some countries, but not, for example, the US, the UK or Canada. Check the rules for your nationality before you travel.

Official information: State Hermitage Museum (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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