National Museum of Military History
National Museum of Military History
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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- AlisonJ_10Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom325 contributionsMuch more interesting that expectedHad planned to just have a short visit here to see the outdoor planes and tanks but ended up paying for the full museum (not understanding the Bulgarian cashier) and spending a couple of hours!! However, the temporary exhibitions and the main indoor galleries were well worth the effort. Came away with a good sense of the mixed history of the area especially 19th century and world wars 1 & 2. Most exhibits had some English translation which was helpful, too. General ticket 10 lev each and the Temporary Exhibitions were 6 lev each. Collection Rooms were also 6 lev - with hindsight we could have skipped these as mainly old swords, guns, uniforms, etc.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 October 2023
- ZJW94 contributionsGood place to visitThere is a lot to see there. Nice garden for free to go around old planes and tanks. Much more to see in the museum. Good place to visit to learn the Bulgarian military history. Different exhibitions.Visited March 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 31 March 2024
- Wulf7731 contributionsDon't miss this museum.Excellent museum. This museum had very well thought out displays of Bulgarian military history. I had a really nice time strolling around the museum. There were many pieces of equipment displayed outside, also. The outside displays included tanks, jets, helicopters, SCUD missiles, and many other trunks and assorted machines. I would highly recommend a visit to this museum.Visited June 2024Travelled soloWritten 22 June 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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ZJW
94 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
There is a lot to see there. Nice garden for free to go around old planes and tanks. Much more to see in the museum. Good place to visit to learn the Bulgarian military history. Different exhibitions.
Written 31 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
D0gThatHunts
Charleston, SC13 contributions
Nov 2019
Superb range of Soviet and German armoured and other vehicles. It also has three floors of very well presented military history and artifacts.
If you don’t have time for a full visit - the outer park with the WW2 vehicles is free. (Check opening hours - but I think it’s closed on Wednesday..)
If you don’t have time for a full visit - the outer park with the WW2 vehicles is free. (Check opening hours - but I think it’s closed on Wednesday..)
Written 1 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
iantheextreme
Dymchurch, UK74 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
Really good museum and it is half price on Monday and Tuesday. Says staff only but was all open. Tickets are around 2 Euro. Possibly the best place to visit here. About a twenty minute walk from the nearest Metro. Well worth the walk.
Written 18 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Me_n_my_rucksack
Yorkshire, UK6,233 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
It's a bit of a walk from the middle of town to get here but the journey was actually very pleasant with some nice coffee shops on the way.
There are a lot of tanks and artilery outside the front of the museum, more tanks artillery jets missiles and radar inside a grasses area once you have paid to get in and internal displays in a 4 story building.
My wife noticed an odd no photography for safety reasons temporary signs - which seemed to be being ignored by the locals.
The entry fee was, by Western European standards, extreemly cheap - there is a kind of multi entry ticket for the other military museums 9Including the air museum located in in a different City - although usefull if you are turing the country.
The external display items are largley cold war Soviet designed armour air power and missiles with a smattering of WW2 armour. There is an impressive number of SAM systems complete with Radar - as a radar engineer this was superb ! Inside there is an
extensive collection of uniforms insignia etc.......
Although outside everyone seemed to be taking photos a particularly grumpy curator moaned at me "no photos" while apparently ignoring the locals. No idea how they justify no photos for safety reasons - especially as these are decades old pieces of hardware one can see in all E European military museums - MiG21s and T34s are hardly secret or uncommon and standing on a path taking a photo is hardly dangerous - cant work that one out. Bit of a shame as otherwise this is an excellent museum.
There are a lot of tanks and artilery outside the front of the museum, more tanks artillery jets missiles and radar inside a grasses area once you have paid to get in and internal displays in a 4 story building.
My wife noticed an odd no photography for safety reasons temporary signs - which seemed to be being ignored by the locals.
The entry fee was, by Western European standards, extreemly cheap - there is a kind of multi entry ticket for the other military museums 9Including the air museum located in in a different City - although usefull if you are turing the country.
The external display items are largley cold war Soviet designed armour air power and missiles with a smattering of WW2 armour. There is an impressive number of SAM systems complete with Radar - as a radar engineer this was superb ! Inside there is an
extensive collection of uniforms insignia etc.......
Although outside everyone seemed to be taking photos a particularly grumpy curator moaned at me "no photos" while apparently ignoring the locals. No idea how they justify no photos for safety reasons - especially as these are decades old pieces of hardware one can see in all E European military museums - MiG21s and T34s are hardly secret or uncommon and standing on a path taking a photo is hardly dangerous - cant work that one out. Bit of a shame as otherwise this is an excellent museum.
Written 27 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wingate
London, UK2,703 contributions
Nov 2011 • Solo
This is a couple of miles away from my hotel,the Hilton.No metro there,i had nt a clue about the bus services so relied on my Google directions and my hand held sat nav.You walk past the big stadium to get there.I had got to the point where my Sat Nav said there should be an entrance but still no sign of the museum.I could see military hardware through the rails,Then i came to some large gates in the wall,still no sign.So i walked in.Everywhere there was tanks,vehicles,Mig jets,helicopters,rocket launchers,guns.I found the entrance buiding about 200 yards on the right.I paid i recall 4Levs.The first being contained some old artefacts.I was pointed in the direction of the next building.I went into the courtyard and there was all this equipment which seems to be slowly rotting away.no real attempt seems to be made to preserve anything.The descriptive panels were partly in English but they were corroding.I went into the main building and i was asked for my ticket.I couldnt find it so the museum keeper phoned the doorlady to verify i had just paid.I spent the best part of 2 hours in this building.It was a history of military matters from prehistoric times up to the present day.there were explanatory panels in english.I have to say that there was probably to much about the 18th and 19th century and too little about the 20th century.I was interested to find out the Bulgarians experiences in the two world wars ,particularly since they had the habit of siding with the wrong allaince.There was not enough about their part in the Axis nor their time under Communist rule and how it was overthrown.However it was by far and away the best museum i visited in Sofia.
Written 17 November 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave T
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK604 contributions
Sept 2022 • Couples
There are lots of tanks, planes and artillery pieces on outdoor display, mostly from the post WW2 era but there are a few German, Czech and French tanks which the Bulgarian army also used. The indoor displays cove the Bulgarian military across the centuries as the Balkans was a regular battleground between the Turks, Russians and Europeans!
An easy few hours to be had strolling around here, loved it
An easy few hours to be had strolling around here, loved it
Written 19 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheAviator0765
Ripon, UK858 contributions
Jul 2019 • Solo
First of all, check carefully the open times; it's not open to the public every day of the week (closed Monday and Tuesday), so do plan ahead to avoid disappointment.
Secondly, it's only a 40 minute walk from Vitosha Street, so save yourself the price of a taxi and get some exercise (also the best way to see a bit more of Bulgaria's capital city).
Having got that out of the way, if you are interested in military history, this is a must. The museum has both indoor exhibitions and outdoor exhibits. The basic cost of entry is 8 Lev / adult, 10 Lev for the majority of the indoor exhibitions and 12 Lev for the entire museum.
There are a number of outdoor exhibits located outside the ticket office. I cannot be sure if these are available for 'freeview', or if a member of staff will come and invite you to pay. These exhibits mainly comprise a number of fast jets (including a somewhat out-of-place gifted German PA-200 Tornado), and armoured fighting vehicles. Through the ticket office, and into the walled enclosure, there are considerably more exhibits; examples of MiGs, Sukhois, MiL helicopters, Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs), tanks, armoured personnel carriers, radars and other military utility vehicles. The aircraft seem to require a bit of tender loving care; faded paint schemes or tarnished natural metal seem to be the order of the day. However, the attraction lies in their rarity, especially to this non-national. That said, nothing pre-dates the 50s vintage MiG-15, nor are there any examples other than fast jets and helicopters.
Inside the exhibition hall, four floors of paintings, weapons, uniforms, medals, photographs and other military equipment, dating from the early days of Thracian conflict to the accession into NATO and the present day. There are countless items of interest, all well presented. What was striking is that the vast majority of the nation's military history is land-centric: Thracian conflicts; Ottoman wars; struggles for independence and of course participation in World Wars One and Two. The Air Force has a relatively minor history, and the Navy less so. The interpretation boards are extensive, many are translated into English (no other languages). However, all individual exhibits displayed in the glass cabinets are clearly listed in Bulgarian and English.
It's a quiet museum, though each floor has a few ladies who man the central galleries and will tear themselves away from their mobile phones to shadow you as you make your way through each wing. Slightly unnerving, have never liked being 'shadowed'.
There is a small gift shop adjacent to the ticket office and toilet facilities on all floors. Depending on the individual, you can easily spend a couple of hours here. Definitely recommended to those interested in history or the military.
Secondly, it's only a 40 minute walk from Vitosha Street, so save yourself the price of a taxi and get some exercise (also the best way to see a bit more of Bulgaria's capital city).
Having got that out of the way, if you are interested in military history, this is a must. The museum has both indoor exhibitions and outdoor exhibits. The basic cost of entry is 8 Lev / adult, 10 Lev for the majority of the indoor exhibitions and 12 Lev for the entire museum.
There are a number of outdoor exhibits located outside the ticket office. I cannot be sure if these are available for 'freeview', or if a member of staff will come and invite you to pay. These exhibits mainly comprise a number of fast jets (including a somewhat out-of-place gifted German PA-200 Tornado), and armoured fighting vehicles. Through the ticket office, and into the walled enclosure, there are considerably more exhibits; examples of MiGs, Sukhois, MiL helicopters, Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs), tanks, armoured personnel carriers, radars and other military utility vehicles. The aircraft seem to require a bit of tender loving care; faded paint schemes or tarnished natural metal seem to be the order of the day. However, the attraction lies in their rarity, especially to this non-national. That said, nothing pre-dates the 50s vintage MiG-15, nor are there any examples other than fast jets and helicopters.
Inside the exhibition hall, four floors of paintings, weapons, uniforms, medals, photographs and other military equipment, dating from the early days of Thracian conflict to the accession into NATO and the present day. There are countless items of interest, all well presented. What was striking is that the vast majority of the nation's military history is land-centric: Thracian conflicts; Ottoman wars; struggles for independence and of course participation in World Wars One and Two. The Air Force has a relatively minor history, and the Navy less so. The interpretation boards are extensive, many are translated into English (no other languages). However, all individual exhibits displayed in the glass cabinets are clearly listed in Bulgarian and English.
It's a quiet museum, though each floor has a few ladies who man the central galleries and will tear themselves away from their mobile phones to shadow you as you make your way through each wing. Slightly unnerving, have never liked being 'shadowed'.
There is a small gift shop adjacent to the ticket office and toilet facilities on all floors. Depending on the individual, you can easily spend a couple of hours here. Definitely recommended to those interested in history or the military.
Written 13 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrei C
Bucharest, Romania28 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
In my opinion, Boyana Church is the only other attraction that is as much worth seeing as this museum. It has a great range of military equipment from WWII and later - both Soviet and German. This museum should appeal to both military equipment enthusiasts (the courtyards are full of war machines) and those interested in Bulgarian history - there are several floors of history to see. Everything is translated into English and the staff is very helpful, although they only speak Bulgarian.
Written 11 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard10024
New York City, NY465 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
I though they did a nice job showing buglarian military and political history with a focus on the 1800-1918 (pre-world war one period). This was helping in understanding the fist balkan war, the second balkan war and then world war I.
The museum is not very modern in its approach to exhibits. I was reading books and visiting other museums on similar topics in other countries, so for me this was an excellent museum. I could see some people getting confused at the exhibits with the signage.
The soviet era tanks, plans, and other equipment being exhibited was interesting to see up close - in particular the size of various equipment.
The museum is a bit out of the center of sofia. You need to take either a bus or taxi to get to the museum.
While I really enjoyed this museum - I can see that it might not be for everyone. If you are not really interested in the topic, you might not want to go as the museum itself doesn't have great exhibits for people with no knowledge or not really interested in the topic.
The museum is not very modern in its approach to exhibits. I was reading books and visiting other museums on similar topics in other countries, so for me this was an excellent museum. I could see some people getting confused at the exhibits with the signage.
The soviet era tanks, plans, and other equipment being exhibited was interesting to see up close - in particular the size of various equipment.
The museum is a bit out of the center of sofia. You need to take either a bus or taxi to get to the museum.
While I really enjoyed this museum - I can see that it might not be for everyone. If you are not really interested in the topic, you might not want to go as the museum itself doesn't have great exhibits for people with no knowledge or not really interested in the topic.
Written 6 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ivan Marinkov
Sofia, Bulgaria15 contributions
Feb 2020
I love this museum as much as I loved it as a kid. All those weapons, missiles and war machines. Only the Iron Man suit is missing, hahahaha!
Written 19 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the outdoor exhebition availeble when the museum is closed ?(was mensioned that it is free)
Written 3 October 2023
Πώς φτάνουμε στο μουσείο? Είναι κοντά σε στάση μετρό??
Written 7 March 2019
Admission Ticket prices for the National Museum of Military History:
Children up to 7 years – free of charge
Students (School, College, University), retirees and handicapped – 2 lv.
Military men – 6 lv.
Adults – 8 lv.
Family ticket – 10 lv.
Extra ticket for the Collection Halls – 4 lv.
For Groups from 12 up to 20 visitors – 6 lv. per visitor
For visiting Children’s Museum – 2 lv. per child no matter of age
Guided tour in Bulgarian language – 15 lv.
Guided tour in foreign language – 40 lv.
Specialized tour – 25 lv.
Written 20 February 2019
Are there guided tours in English or French at the museum? If so, are they at set times and for how long? Thanks in advance for anyone posting an answer... :-)
Written 6 June 2016
no, however we met a guide who spoke german, because she lived there...
Written 12 March 2017
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