Your complete guide to ALL buildings & sites of Peterhof (PHOTOS)

Peterhof began to be inhabited as early as the early 18th century: Initially, it served as a vacation home en route to Kotlin Island and, in 1712, construction began on the tsar's country residence. After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, the palaces of the imperial family became museums.

Important information:

*Bicycles and scooters, flower picking, walking on lawns, fishing and sunbathing are strictly prohibited in Peterhof.

*Children under 14 must be accompanied by a parent when visiting the museum.

*Large items (over 35x40x30 cm) must be left in the storage room.

*Visitors can leave their belongings in the storage room during the park visit (summer season only) or in the cloakroom during the museum visit.

*Touching the architectural and decorative elements of buildings, fountains, sculptures and other museum objects, as well as entering the fountain basins, is strictly prohibited.

*Visitors are also prohibited from entering the museum-reserve grounds, including the coastal strip of the Gulf of Finland that is part of the museum, after museum opening hours.

Location: Razvodnaya Street, 2, Peterhof

How to get there: The nearest commuter train station from St. Petersburg is Novy Peterhof. You can also get there from the ‘Avtovo’ subway station (bus routes #200, #204e and #210) and Prospekt Veteranov (minibus K-639B, bus routes #103 and #343e) to the ‘Fontany’ (on Pravlenskaya Street) or ‘Razvodnaya Street’ stops.

Hours: The museum is open daily except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month.

Tickets can be purchased online here, at the museum's ticket office or from the ticket machines, which are located in the Lower Park. Tickets for individual pavilions and combined entrance tickets are also available. During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (approx. $9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens.

Audio guides are available in Russian, English, German and French at the Grand Peterhof Palace, the Special Storeroom, the Catherine and Bathhouse Buildings, the Marly Palace and the Hermitage Pavilion. Audio guides in Italian and Chinese are also available at the Grand Peterhof Palace. Prices range from 300 to 500 rubles (~$4-$6). A 3,000 ruble deposit is, however, required.

Meanwhile, exploring Peterhof is unimaginable (and impossible!) without a stroll through its parks – the Upper and Lower.

Lower Park

This magnificent park stretches for 2.5 km along the Gulf of Finland. Inspired by Louis XIV's Versailles, Peter the Great wanted his seaside residence to be no less luxurious. This is how the regular park and its crown jewel, the Grand Cascade with its central fountain, ‘Samson Tearing the Lion's Jaws’, came into being.

What to see: There are about 150 fountains in the Lower Park. These include the ‘Chess Mountain’ and ‘Lion’ cascades, the twin ‘Roman’ fountains, the ‘Pyramid’ and ‘Sun’ fountains. There are also fountains that delight not only children, but also adults.

Tours: You can stroll through the Lower Park and also take a ride in an electric cart. A 40-minute audio tour is also available in Russian.

You can also take a short train ride with a guided tour to Alexandria Park. Note that tours are only available during the summer season and in good weather.

Opening Hours: Summer season (April 26 – October 12) – daily from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM; from October 13 – from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Fountains are open from 10:00 AM to 7:45 PM. The ticket office closes half an hour before the park closes.

Ticket price: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens, 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens (in summer). Tickets can be purchased online here or at the museum's ticket office or from the ticket terminals. In winter, entry to the park is free of charge.

Upper Garden

The layout of the formal park that greeted guests arriving through the main entrance was conceived by Peter the Great.

What to see: The apothecary garden, similar to those conceived during the emperor's reign, still exists there, where medicinal herbs are grown.

Opening Hours: Daily from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm (summer), from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (winter).

Ticket price: Free entry.

The Grand Peterhof Palace

A masterpiece by architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who rebuilt the old Peter the Great Palace during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. It is also the center of Peterhof, connecting the Upper Garden and the Lower Park.

What to see: Inside, there is a suite of several dozen luxurious halls: the enormous ‘Ballet Hall’, reminiscent of Versailles, the majestic ‘Throne Hall’, the ceremonial ‘Picture Hall’ and the elegant ‘Chinese Cabinets’.

Opening Hours: Daily, except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month, from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and tax residents (passport or proof of residency required) and 2,000 rubles (~$24) for foreign citizens. The price includes a guided tour in Russian (for groups of up to 30 visitors). You can purchase tickets online here or at the museum box office. During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 (~$18) rubles for foreign citizens.

The Peterhof Grand Palace offers audio guides in Russian, English, German, French, Italian and Chinese. They cost 300-500 rubles (~$4-$6). A 3,000 ruble (~$38) deposit is, however, required.

A tour with an interpreter is also available for a tour group. It costs 9,000 rubles (~$112).

Grand Cascade Grottoes Museum

This place not only offered respite from the summer heat, but also entertainment: The famous Peterhof "jokes" were installed in the grottoes, all around a set table. To exit, you had to climb over a curtain of water.

What to see: In the Grottoes, designed by Peter the Great himself, you can find yourself at the very center of the famous Grand Cascade – a fountain system located at the foot of the Grand Peterhof Palace.

Opening Hours: Summer season – daily from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. The ticket office closes 40 minutes before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 500 rubles (~$6) for Russian citizens and tax residents (passport or proof of resident status required) and 1,000 rubles (~$12) for foreign citizens. During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens.

Tickets can be purchased online here or at the museum ticket office.

Special Storeroom Museum

This building once housed the private apartments of members of the imperial family. Catherine II lived there, while the guests of the Romanov family were often accommodated there.

What to see: Today, the personal belongings of Peter I, Nicholas I and Catherine II, as well as jewelry and religious items, are on display.

Opening Hours: Daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Tuesdays and the last Wednesday of the month. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 400 rubles (~$5) for Russian citizens and tax residents (a passport or proof of resident status is required) and 800 rubles (~$10) for foreign citizens. During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens.

Tickets can be purchased online here or at the museum box office.

The Special Storeroom also offers an audio guide in Russian, English, German and French.

Church Building Museum

The Romanov House Church, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, was the site of christenings and weddings for members of the imperial family. For example, four children of Nicholas II were baptized there.

What to see: The Church Building, built in the Baroque style, is striking in its opulent decoration – it literally sparkles with gold.

Opening Hours: Summer season – daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 350 rubles (~$4.50) for Russian citizens and tax residents (passport or proof of resident status required) and 600 rubles (~$7) for foreign citizens. During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens.

You can purchase tickets online here or at the museum box office.

Fountain Museum

A contemporary museum (opened in 2013) dedicated to the history of the Peterhof water supply system.

What to see: The exhibition explains how the numerous fountains were created, built and maintained and then restored after the Great Patriotic War.

Opening hours: Summer season – daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 300 rubles (~$4) for Russian citizens and tax residents (passport or proof of residency required) and 600 rubles (~$7) for foreign citizens. During the summer season, an additional fee is charged to enter the Lower Park: 750 rubles for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles for foreign citizens.

Tickets can be purchased online here or at the museum box office.

Marly Palace

A small palace between the Sektorny and Bolshoy Marly ponds.

What to see: Peter the Great's personal belongings are kept there. The elegant Chinarov Study also houses portraits of the emperor's children.

Opening Hours: Summer season – daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Mondays. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 400 rubles (~$5) for Russian citizens and tax residents (passport or proof of resident status required) and 800 rubles (~$10) for foreign citizens. During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens.

You can purchase tickets online here or at the museum ticket office.

The Marly Palace also offers audio guides in Russian, English, German and French.

Hermitage Pavilion

The very first pavilion of its kind in Russia (the first floor housed a kitchen, from which a special mechanism raised a table with prepared dishes to the second floor).

What to see: You can still see how it operates today. And, at the same time, admire the magnificent views of the Gulf of Finland and the park.

Opening Hours: During the summer season, daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Mondays. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes. The museum is only open in clear weather; it’s closed in any rainy or humid conditions.

Ticket price: 400 rubles (~$5) for Russian citizens and tax residents (a passport or proof of resident status is required) and 800 rubles (~$10) for foreign citizens. A combined ticket for the Hermitage and the Marly Palace is also available: 650 rubles (~$7.50) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 1,300 rubles (~$15) for foreign citizens. Tickets can be purchased at the museum ticket office.

During the summer season, an additional fee is charged to enter the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens.

The Hermitage Museum also offers audio guides in Russian, English, German and French.

Bathhouse Building Museum

What to see: Bathing rooms with unusual technical equipment, kitchenware and a collection of ‘samovar’ kettles. Afterwards, stroll through the picturesque Chinese Garden.

Opening Hours: During the summer season, daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Wednesdays. During the winter season, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 400 rubles (~$5) for Russian citizens and tax residents (passport or proof of residency required) and 800 rubles (~$10) for foreign citizens. A Russian-language tour is included in the price (for groups of up to 15 visitors). A combined ticket for the Bathhouse and Catherine Buildings is also available: 650 rubles (~$7.50) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 1,300 (~$15) rubles for foreign citizens.

During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens. The museum is only open in clear weather; it’s closed in any rainy or  humid conditions. Tickets can be purchased at the museum ticket office.

The Bathhouse Building also offers an audio guide in Russian, English, German and French.

Catherine Corps Museum

What to see: Military-themed items – from paperweights made from cannonballs recovered from the ‘Battle of Borodino’ to portraits of heroes of the War of 1812. You can also see the famous Gurevsky service with images of Russian cities and the peoples inhabiting the country back then.

Opening Hours: During the summer season, daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Thursdays. During the winter season, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 400 rubles (~$5) for Russian citizens and tax residents (passport or proof of residency required) and 800 rubles (~$10) for foreign citizens. The price includes a guided tour in Russian (for groups of up to 30 visitors). You can also purchase a combined ticket to visit the Bathhouse and Catherine Buildings: 650 rubles (~$7.50) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 1,300 rubles (~$15) for foreign citizens.

During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens. The museum is open only in clear weather; it’s closed in any rainy or humid conditions. Tickets can be purchased at the museum ticket office.

The Catherine Building also offers an audio guide in Russian, English, German and French.

Aviaries

What to see: Admire the yellow-fronted amazons and other feathered inhabitants of the ancient bird pavilions.

Opening hours: During the summer season, daily from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month. The ticket office closes half an hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 300 rubles (~$4). During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens. The enclosures are open only in clear weather; they’re closed in any rainy or humid conditions. Tickets can be purchased at the museum ticket office.

Imperial Yachts Museum

What to see? The only residence of Russian monarchs, located on the seashore, displays memorabilia from Peter the Great, the founder of the Russian navy, and exclusive and rare photographs of the Romanov yachts.

Opening Hours: During the summer season, daily from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month. The ticket office closes half an hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 300 rubles (~$4) for Russian citizens and tax residents (a passport or document confirming resident status is required) and 600 rubles (~$8) for foreign citizens.

During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles  (~$18) for foreign citizens. The museum is open only in clear weather; it’s closed in any rain or high humidity. Tickets can be purchased at the museum box office. Tickets can also be purchased online here or at the museum ticket office.

‘The Tsar's Amusements’

Peterhof, 1 Pravlenskaya Street, entrance from Palace Square

The museum, created with the participation of ‘Golden Mask Theatre Award’ winners Gleb Filshtinsky and Boris Kaminsky, tells the story of Peterhof's festivities and entertainment.

What to see: Theatrical costumes, authentic items belonging to Peter the Great and Nicholas I, a collection of Romanov bicycles and a model of a Roman fountain that changes water pressure and color as you approach. Also featured is the famous Babigonsky service, created for Alexander I.

Opening Hours: During the summer season, daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month. During the winter season, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 350 rubles (~$4) for Russian citizens and tax residents (passport or proof of resident status required) and 600 rubles  (~$8) for foreign citizens. During the summer season, an additional fee is charged for entering the Lower Park: 750 rubles  (~$9) for Russian citizens and 1,500 rubles (~$18) for foreign citizens. A combined ticket for the complex and the Lower Park is available: 950 rubles (~$11) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 1,850 rubles (~$22) for foreign citizens. The museum is open only in clear weather; it’s closed in any rainy or humid conditions. Tickets can be purchased at the museum ticket office. 

Playing Card House

Peterhof, Pravlenskaya Street, 2

What to see: At the museum-performance with virtual installations about the august gamblers, you can peek into a fortune teller's salon and explore the most famous mountain houses. You can also admire an extensive collection of vintage playing cards.

Opening Hours: During the summer season, daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month. During the winter season, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. Sessions for individual visitors start every half hour. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 350 rubles (~$4.50) for Russian citizens and tax residents (passport or proof of residency required) and 600 rubles (~$8) for foreign citizens. The price includes a guided tour in Russian (for groups of up to 10). You can buy tickets online here or at the museum ticket office.

At the ticket office, you can purchase a combined ticket for the museum and the Lower Park: 950 rubles (~$11) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 1,850 rubles (~$22) for foreign citizens. Or you can visit the Museum Courtyard (The Tsar's Amusements, Playing Card House, Collectors' Museum and Benois Family Museum): 1,050 rubles (~$12) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 1,950 rubles (~$24) for foreign citizens.

Collectors' Museum

Peterhof, Pravlenskaya Street, 4

What to see: Works by Petrov-Vodkin, Benois and Kustodiev from private collections.

Opening Hours: During the summer season, daily from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes. 

Ticket price: 300 rubles (~$4.50) for Russian citizens and tax residents (a passport or proof of residency is required) and 600 rubles (~$8) for foreign citizens. The price includes a guided tour in Russian (for groups of up to 15 visitors).

At the ticket office, you can purchase a combined ticket for the museum and the Lower Park: 950 rubles  (~$11) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 1,850 rubles (~$22) for foreign citizens. Alternatively, you can visit the Museum Courtyard (The Tsar's Amusements, Playing Card House, Collectors' Museum and Benois Family Museum): 1,050 rubles (~$12) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 1,950 rubles (~$24) for foreign citizens.

Benois Family Museum

Peterhof, Dvortsovaya Square, 8, entrance from Kalininskaya Street

What to see: Personal items and works of art created by members of the Benois family – architects, artists and sculptors.

Opening Hours: During the summer season, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Ticket price: 300 rubles (~$4.50) for Russian citizens and tax residents (a passport or proof of residency is required) and 600 rubles (~$8) for foreign citizens. Tickets can be purchased online here or at the museum ticket office.

At the ticket office, you can purchase a combined ticket for the museum and the Lower Park: 1,000 rubles (~$12) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 2,300 rubles (~$24) for foreign citizens. Alternatively, you can purchase a ticket for the Museum Courtyard (The Tsar's Amusements, Playing Card House, Collectors' Museum and Benois Family Museum): 1,050 rubles (~$12) for Russian citizens and tax residents and 1,950 rubles (~$24) for foreign citizens.