The „Iulian Antonescu” Museum Complex in Bacau plans to reopen with interactive, technology-driven exhibitions designed to replace traditional static displays, as the institution seeks to transform itself into a modern cultural hub following the completion of a nearly 7 million euro renovation project, director Alin Popa said.
The museum has been operating without permanent exhibition spaces since mid-2025 after relocating its collections to protect them during renovation works. Visitor numbers fell to about 24,000 last year from around 41,000 in 2023, although research output, educational programmes and partnerships with schools and universities increased during the transition, Popa said.
Romanian regulations require a six-month stabilization period for temperature and humidity inside the new building before museum collections can be installed, delaying the reopening of permanent exhibitions until late this year, after the annual „Vasile Pârvan” symposium, he said.
The future exhibitions will shift from chronological displays of artefacts to narrative-based presentations focused on local communities and everyday life, while incorporating augmented reality, virtual reality, immersive projections, mobile applications and AI-assisted audio guides, Popa said.
„We want the new headquarters to become a living cultural hub,” Popa said, adding that the museum’s objective is to create emotional and interactive experiences rather than passive visits centred on reading exhibit labels.
Beyond the building works, the museum is preparing a separate project to redesign exhibition spaces and secure funding for new digital technologies through European and other international financing programmes, as the current investment covered construction, technical equipment and furniture but not the new exhibition layouts.
Popa said the institution also intends to place greater emphasis on underrepresented aspects of Bacau’s history, including its ethnic and religious communities, aristocratic heritage and the county’s role in World War One, which he believes could become a defining element of the region’s cultural identity.
The museum, founded in 1957, will mark its 70th anniversary in 2027 with a monograph, a scientific conference and other events celebrating its history, while continuing efforts to attract visitors back after the prolonged closure of its permanent exhibitions, Popa said.
