Museum of Yugoslavia — Attraction in City of Belgrade

Fascinating place! I’d honestly heard it was a little underwhelming, but that wasn’t my experience at all. Really interesting look at the social experience of various eras of Yugoslavia in the main (old - they’re constructing a bigger building in the same complex that I gather is going to replace the old building, but when I was there most of the new structure was still under construction and the only part open was a temporary exhibit that was well-done, but pretty niche and primarily aimed at children) building, a nicely-done but pretty small exhibit on Tito specifically in the house of flowers (which now also houses his mausoleum), and a small but still notable sculpture garden mostly consisting of gifts Tito received during his rule. Every museum has a point of view, but this museum’s perspective is largely politically neutral - a tough line to walk when dealing with such inherently polarizing issues.

On logistics - you first walk up the hill to a ticket office to get a ticket with a QR code you scan multiple times for each site. I think the idea is that you first turn right and go through the museum, which consists of a series of halls in chronological order. Then you exit and walk through the sculpture garden to the house of flowers for the Tito display and tomb. Same QR code also gets you into the new building, though as I mentioned it’s not yet complete. I didn’t notice any tour guides hanging out offering their services, though I did notice a group with a guide who seemed to be doing a great job explaining and giving context to the exhibits - you definitely don’t need a guide to appreciate this place, but I’d perhaps consider going back with one because it’s a subject of interest to me and I can see the...

This museum somehow lessened my opinion and perception of Yugoslavia, which was quite positive before. It doesn’t successfully showcase much of what was great about Yugoslavia, and certainly not appealing elements like music or culture.

The ticket seller was awful. Telling us how he hates America and loves Putin; what relevance does this have to Yugoslavia?? He was also very reluctant to speak in English. It was infuriating to deal with this when you are there to earnestly explore history or the region. So this was instead of any instructions or directions given, so the museum layout was much more confusing than it needed to be. He is not suited to the job at all.

There are several separated buildings - the ‘old museum’ which is the actual museum, Tito’s mausoleum, and some big new building which is mostly empty space and doesn’t house much. There are quite nice gardens on the site with statues and flowers, and a cafe, as well as some toilets next to the cafe and in the new empty building.

The ‘old museum’ features gifts to Tito from around the world, guns, posters, and random personal objects like military outfits. There are sporadic and unrelated little reflections about Yugoslavia written in Serbian and English. It is not enriching at all.

The highlight is probably the mausoleum, but why would you go to all this effort out of town just for it.

I spent about an hour and a half here. Entry price is 600 ($6) or 300 for students. Not really worth that or the effort to navigate buses to go there. Saint Sava Church or the National Museum of Serbia are more worthwhile...

For just 600 dinars (about $6), the Museum of Yugoslavia gives you access to three incredible sites: the House of Flowers, where Tito and his wife Jovanka are laid to rest, the Old Museum showcasing fascinating gifts Tito received from leaders all over the world, and the New Museum, which is partially under renovation but still adds valuable context. Hyde Park restaurant is only a short walk away, making it easy to pair culture with a good meal.

The House of Flowers is moving, with Tito’s desk and office preserved, while the Old Museum is a treasure chest of artifacts that highlight just how respected he was internationally. What ties it all together is understanding the scale of Tito’s influence—when he died in 1980, his funeral drew leaders from 128 countries, one of the largest gatherings of presidents and prime ministers in history. A visit here is more than a museum stop; it’s an inspiring way to understand Yugoslavia’s story and why Tito remains such a...