中国国家博物馆
Free, reserved, Monday closed. The reservation is the hard part, not the ticket.
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- peak 9:00-17:30，low 09:00-17:00，closed Mon (peak 6/1-10/31)
故宫博物院
Timed entry, one gate only. Monday closed. Book before the flight.
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- CNY 40
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- peak 08:30-17:00，low 08:30-16:30，closed Mon (peak 4/1-10/31)
国家自然博物馆
Best dinosaur collection in the city, and the reason to bring a child indoors.
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
中国妇女儿童博物馆
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
中国海关博物馆
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-16:30，closed Mon
中国华侨历史博物馆
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
中国铁道博物馆正阳门展馆
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
孔庙和国子监博物馆
The imperial examination hall, on the same street as the temple of Confucius.
- Grade
- 国家二级
- Entry
- CNY 30
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
毛主席纪念堂
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 8:00-12:00，closed Mon
中国美术馆
The national modern collection; the queue is short on weekday mornings.
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
北京古观象台
- Entry
- CNY 20
- Weekly closure
- Closed Tuesdays
- Hours
- 09:00-16:30，closed Tue
雍和宫藏传佛教艺术博物馆
A working temple first, a museum second. Go at opening.
- Entry
- CNY 25
- Hours
- peak 09:00-17:00，low 09:00-16:30 (peak 4/1-10/31)
北京文博交流馆（北京市智化寺管理处）
- Entry
- CNY 20
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
北京明城墙遗址公园
- Entry
- CNY 10
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 08:30-18:00，closed Mon
文天祥祠
- Entry
- CNY 5
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:30-17:00，closed Mon
北京王府井古人类文化遗址博物馆
- Entry
- CNY 10
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:30-17:00，closed Mon
北京市钟鼓楼文物保管所
- Entry
- CNY 10
- Hours
- peak 09:30-17:30，low 09:30-16:30 (peak 3/26-10/25)
茅盾故居
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-16:00，closed Mon
老舍纪念馆
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon（2025/4.14起闭馆改造）
保利艺术博物馆
- Entry
- CNY 20
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，周日及法定节假日闭馆
北京警察博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Nearest station
- 前门 · 800 m
- Hours
- 09:00-16:00，closed Mon
法原博物馆
- Entry
- CNY 30
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 10:00-17:00，closed Mon
北京自来水博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- 09:00-16:00，周一、二闭馆
北京市规划展览馆
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
北京皇城艺术馆
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- 10:00-12:00,14:00-16:00，周一/日及法定节假日闭馆
北京人民艺术剧院戏剧博物馆
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 10:30-19:00，closed Mon
中国邮政邮票博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-16:00，closed Mon
中国法院博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
首都粮食博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- 09:30-11:00,13:30-16:30，周六、日闭馆
中国共产党早期北京革命活动纪念馆（北大红楼）
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- peak 9:00-17:30，low 09:00-17:00，closed Mon (peak 4/1-10/31)
北大二院旧址（原北大数学系楼）
- Grade
- 类博物馆
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-12:00,13:00-17:00，closed Mon
《新青年》编辑部旧址（陈独秀旧居）
- Grade
- 类博物馆
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-12:00，13:00-17:00，closed Mon
北京法和律师博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- 10:00-17:00，周六、日闭馆
北京龙顺成京作非遗博物馆
- Entry
- CNY 60
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:30-12:00,13:00-17:00，closed Mon
景泰蓝艺术博物馆
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Hours
- 09:00-16:30
东四胡同博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- 09:00-12:00,14:00-17:00，周二、四闭馆
史家胡同博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:30-16:30,closed Mon
中国医史博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- 每周三13:30-16:30开放
北京蔡元培故居
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Hours
- 09:00-11:30，14:00-16:30，周六、日闭馆
伍连德故居
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Hours
- 2025/3.6起闭馆改造
曹雪芹故居纪念馆
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-12:00，13:00-16:00，closed Mon
时传祥纪念馆（龙潭公园）
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00
正阳门箭楼
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
恭王府博物馆
A prince's garden, walkable from Shichahai. Small enough for a half day.
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- CNY 40
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Nearest station
- 北海北 · 300 m
- Hours
- 08:30-17:00，closed Mon
民族文化宫博物馆
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Nearest station
- 西单站 · 300 m
- Hours
- 09:00-16:30，closed Mon
中国地质博物馆
Small, dense, and ten minutes from a metro exit.
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- CNY 15
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Nearest station
- 西四 · 200 m
- Hours
- 09:00-16:30，closed Mon
北京鲁迅博物馆（北京新文化运动纪念馆）
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-16:00，closed Mon
宋庆龄同志故居
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- CNY 20
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
北京天文馆
Shows and planetarium sessions sell separately from entry.
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- CNY 10
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Nearest station
- 动物园 · 50 m
- Hours
- 09:00-16:30，closed Mon
首都博物馆
The city's own story, in one building. Good first museum if you know nothing.
- Grade
- 国家一级
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Nearest station
- 木樨地 · 800 m
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
北京古代建筑博物馆
The ceiling alone justifies the trip, and almost nobody goes.
- Grade
- 国家二级
- Entry
- CNY 15
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Nearest station
- 天桥 · 600 m
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
徐悲鸿纪念馆
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
郭沫若纪念馆
- Entry
- CNY 20
- Hours
- 09:00-16:30，周一、冬季闭馆
梅兰芳纪念馆
- Entry
- CNY 10
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- peak 09:00-17:00，low 09:00-16:30，closed Mon (peak 5/1-10/31)
中国佛教图书文物馆（法源寺）
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Hours
- 08:30-16:00
北京市白塔寺管理处
- Entry
- CNY 20
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
北京郭守敬纪念馆
- Entry
- Price not stated
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
北京大观园（北京红楼文化艺术博物馆）
- Entry
- CNY 40
- Hours
- peak 7:30-18:00，low 07:30-17:00
古陶文明博物馆
- Entry
- CNY 50
- Nearest station
- 菜户营 · 1800 m
- Hours
- 10:00-17:00，周一、二闭馆
中国钱币博物馆
- Entry
- Free
- Weekly closure
- Closed Mondays
- Nearest station
- 前门 · 600 m
- Hours
- 09:00-17:00，closed Mon
What this list is, and what it is not
Four registers, four different gaps
Museums: 316 of 316, all priced or marked unpriced. Heritage: 141 of 141, but only 23 state a ticket price — the rest are unlisted buildings you look at from outside. Parks: 446 kept from 1065 in the municipal register, because 681 of them are neighbourhood pocket parks with no reason for a visitor to enter. Bookshops: all 182, with district and street.
Why the names stay in Chinese
A venue has one official name and it is the one on the sign, the ticket and the metro exit. Translating it is how a guide sends you to the wrong gate. Say the Chinese name, show the card in this block's phrase set, and the counter will understand you.
No ranks, no stars, no "top 10"
A star rating would be our opinion dressed as data. Grade here means the official museum grade, park level or heritage batch — verifiable, and it is printed on the register. Where we do have a judgement, it appears as one line on the card and is labelled editorial.
The registers behind the list
These are external references, not live availability. Each was opened on the date shown.
The Palace Museum: opening hours, tickets, discounts
The English-language site a foreign passport holder can actually read. It confirms 8:30–16:30 with a CNY 40 ticket in the low season, and links to the booking channel. The Chinese site states the seasonal split: 1 April–31 October is peak at CNY 60, 1 November–31 March is low at CNY 40, with the Treasures Gallery and Clocks Gallery at CNY 10 each. Closed all day Monday except on statutory holidays.
Visiting the Palace Museum: gates, routes and notices
The page that settles the question every first-time visitor asks: the Meridian Gate is the only entrance, and the approach from Tiananmen through Duanmen is walkable Tuesday to Sunday 8:00–16:00 and closed all day on Mondays. It also states that the museum extends or shortens hours around statutory holidays, so the date on this page outranks any itinerary.
National Museum of China: hours and reserved visits
Opening 09:00, last entry 16:30, closing 17:30, closed every Monday except statutory holidays, with a separate 参观预约 (reserved visit) channel. Free admission does not mean walk-in: the reservation is the constraint, and it is released on a schedule the museum publishes on its own channels.
Mutianyu: real-name booking, passport accepted, hours
The clearest official statement on the whole wall question: real-name booking up to 30 days ahead, one ticket per document per day, and the accepted document types explicitly include 护照 (passport) alongside the ID card and the foreign permanent-resident card. Peak 16 March–15 November is 07:30–18:00 on weekdays and 07:30–18:30 at weekends; low season 16 November–15 March is 08:00–17:30, with ticket sales ending an hour before and entry half an hour before closing.
Beijing culture and tourism: venue and visitor notices
The city bureau that publishes holiday opening arrangements, crowd-control notices and venue closures. Read it when a public holiday falls inside your dates, because a national holiday silently rewrites the Monday-closure rule at many venues.