28 October is Czech Independent State Day, the anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918, and in 2026 it falls on a Wednesday. It is a public holiday on which several state buildings in Prague that are normally closed open to visitors free of charge. For photographers it is a rare chance to see interiors that are usually off limits.
What is announced for 2026
- Senate (Wallenstein and Kolovrat Palaces, Malá Strana): open day on 28 October 2026 with free entry, confirmed by Prague City Tourism and CzechTourism. The route includes the Main Hall, the Knights’ Hall, the Audience Hall and the Mythological Corridor, and the Kolovrat Palace salons that are otherwise closed. The event starts at 9:00; one CzechTourism page gives the closing time as 18:00 and another as 16:00, so aim for the morning. Long queues are expected.
- Straka Academy (Office of the Government): listed as open 10:00–18:00, with the last group at 17:00. Visitors see the cabinet meeting room, press rooms and the garden.
- Municipal House (Obecní dům): listed as open from 9:00 to 15:00, last entry at 14:40. This is the Art Nouveau building where Czechoslovak independence was proclaimed.
- Chamber of Deputies (Thun Palace): listed as open to the public; hours were not given in the overview we checked.
- Mayor’s Residence and City Hall: not yet decided when we checked, because of the autumn 2026 municipal elections.
A note on the National Museum
Many guides say the National Museum is free on 28 October. The museum’s own page of free admission days for 2026, when we checked it, listed selected Sundays (including 4 October, 1 November and 6 December) and did not list 28 October. Treat free entry that day as unconfirmed and check the museum’s site.
Photographing it
- Go early: queues build quickly, and security checks are usual at state buildings. Arriving before opening gives you emptier rooms and softer window light.
- Travel light: expect to move with a stream of visitors. Assume tripods and flash will not be welcome, and carry one body with a wide zoom (16–35 mm or 24–70 mm).
- Interior settings: ISO 1600–6400, f/2.8–f/4, 1/60 s or faster handheld. Stabilisation lets you drop to 1/15 s for static ceilings if you brace against a door frame.
- Mixed light: chandeliers plus daylight give colour casts. Shoot RAW and set white balance on a neutral wall later.
- Keep verticals straight: hold the camera level and crop later rather than tilting up at frescoed ceilings; or tilt fully and make the ceiling the subject.
- Details: door handles, stucco, parquet and stained glass often make stronger pictures than a crowded wide shot.
Follow staff instructions on where photography is permitted; rules can differ from room to room and are set on the day.
Sources
- Kudy z nudy (CzechTourism) – free places in Prague on 28 October 2026
- Kudy z nudy (CzechTourism) – Senate open day 2026
- Prague City Tourism – Senate open day
- National Museum – free admission days
Details were checked on 1 October 2026; confirm on the official site before you go.
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