Еntrance tickets and working time National Archaeological Museum admission prices: Adults: 10 lv Students: 2 lv School, student or children’s group visits (more than 10 people): 1 lv Parent(s) with children aged up to 16 years old (group ticket): 10 lv People with physical disabilities: free admission ICOM Card-Holders: free admission Free admission days: • Second Thursday of the month (valid for pensioners) • Last Sunday of the month (valid for all visitors) Guided tour: • in Bulgarian: 10 lv • in English: 20 lv Museum’s opening hours: Summer opening hours (May-October) 10 am-6.00 pm (open every day) Last admission – 30 minutes before museum closing time Winter opening hours (November-April) 10 am-5.00 pm (closed on Monday) Last admission – 30 minutes before museum closing time The National Archaeological Museum is closed on 25 December and 1 January every year.

It occupies the building of the largest and oldest former Ottoman mosque in the city, originally known as Koca Mahmut Paşa Camii.

The museum was officially opened and inaugurated in 1905, as by then all archaeological exhibits previously kept all over the city were moved there, in the presence of Knyaz Ferdinand of Bulgaria and Minister of Enlightenment Ivan Shishmanov.

After World War II the joint institution launched a series of archaeological expeditions inside Bulgaria.

Today the museum stores a large number of items, although some of them are threatened by damage due to the design of the building, which is characterised by high moisture levels during the summer season.