General Staff Building

• What to see: Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art
• Where: Palace Sq. 6/8

Though a part of the Hermitage, the General Staff Building offers a quieter alternative if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the museum’s main building. Its four floors hold a stellar collection: on view are the treasures of the Fabergé Memorial Museum (crown jewels and other decorative items) and the Museum of the Russian Guards (military uniforms and weapons), as well as, most notably, a display of 19th- and 20th-century European and Russian art (Henri Matisse, Vincent van Gogh, and Kazimir Malevich).

Plan your visit with our first-timer's guide to get the most enjoyable experience. 

Marble Palace

• What to see: contemporary art in a royal setting
• Where: Palace Emb. 6

A former ancestral mansion and now a branch of the Russian Museum, the Marble Palace is a permanent home to paintings and applied arts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, alongside later 20th-century creations. What deserves an eye here are the works by Andy Warhol, Ralph Goings, and Tom Wesselmann. Its exterior is just as impressive – the building, recognized as the first-ever natural stone-built one in St. Petersburg, greets visitors with an equestrian statue of Emperor Alexander III.

Theater Museum

• What to see: the rise of performing arts 
• Where: Ostrovsky Sq. 6

Standing in the shadows of Alexandrinsky Theatre, the Theater Museum charts the fascinating history of Russian theater and ballet in particular. Its collection features legendary costumes and stage designs, ballet posters, and archival photographs from now-historic performances. The museum is a part of the Museum of Theatrical and Musical Art, which also includes the Museum of Music and several memorial museums of celebrated composers and artists.

Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic

• What to see: the history and artifacts of polar exploration
• Where: Marata St. 24А

In its Soviet-style exhibition, the museum covers the history of Russian exploration and expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as the flora and fauna of these faraway lands. The exhibition contains around 70,000 items across three main sections: the Arctic, the Antarctic, and the Northern Sea Route. These include expedition records and diaries, original gear and equipment, archaeological findings, everyday items, polar aircraft, and more.

Russian Railway Museum

• What to see: the evolution of Russian trains
• Where: Bibliotechny Lane 4/2

The Russian Railway Museum blends tradition and modernity: a restored depot and a modern building as venues and the first Russian steam engines and modern-day locomotives. The museum is a timeline of the almost 200-year history of railroads in Russia, featuring around 120 units of rare and iconic rolling stock. For an even more  immersive experience, there are also multimedia installations and interactive models. Key exhibits include a layout of the Tsarskoye Selo Railway (the first railroad in Russia), a cross-section of a steam locomotive, and a driver's cabin simulator.