Oranienbaum, St Petersburg

Oranienbaum tickets and opening hours

Foreign visitors pay the full rate: 1,100 ₽ for the park in the paid season (25 April – 4 November 2026). Lower prices are only for citizens of Russia and the EAEU with a passport. Children under 7 of any nationality go free, and the park is free for everyone before 10:00 — in summer, also from 18:00 to 19:45.

The park is open daily 9:00–18:00 (last entry 17:45; in July 2026 it ran 8:00–20:00). The palaces have their own tickets at full price: Grand Menshikov Palace 1,800 ₽, Sliding Hill Pavilion 1,200 ₽, Picture House and Peter III Palace 1,000 ₽ each, Chinese Kitchen pavilion 600 ₽.

Buy at the ticket desks by the park gates or on the official Peterhof Museum-Reserve website. Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad don’t work in Russia, so bring roubles in cash or a Russian Mir card.

Is Oranienbaum worth visiting?

Yes — if you’ve already seen Peterhof and the Catherine Palace, or you want 18th-century palaces without the crowds. YesGo rates it for something its neighbours lack: original interiors. Oranienbaum sat inside the Soviet-held bridgehead during WWII and was never occupied, while most palaces around St Petersburg were looted and rebuilt after the war.

Probably not on a first 2–3-day trip: Peterhof’s fountains and the Catherine Palace make a bigger first impression. And don’t make a winter trip just for the Chinese Palace — it’s closed until summer. In winter, Oranienbaum is a snowy park walk plus the Menshikov Palace.

What to see at Oranienbaum

• Grand Menshikov Palace (1711–1727) — the oldest building, with a princely crown on top, curved galleries and a terrace looking down the Lower Garden and the canal to the sea.
• Chinese Palace by Antonio Rinaldi — summer only. The Glass Bead Cabinet has twelve panels embroidered with milky glass bugles and silk chenille; ceilings were painted by Venetian masters.
• Sliding Hill Pavilion — a turquoise-and-white pavilion on the slope. In the 18th century, courtiers rode carts down wooden slides over half a kilometre long. Inside: an artificial-marble floor and a porcelain cabinet with Meissen groups.
• Peter III Palace and the Gate of Honour — all that remains of Peterstadt, the toy fortress of the future emperor. A tiny rococo palace, Rinaldi’s first work in Russia.
• Picture House — Peter III’s gallery, library and cabinet of curiosities, with more than 80 old-master paintings.
• Upper Park — about 160 hectares of landscaped paths and ponds, and a lot quieter than Peterhof.

How long to spend at Oranienbaum

Plan about 3 hours for the park and one or two palaces — YesGo’s planner allows 180 minutes. The Chinese Palace, Sliding Hill and Peter III Palace sit deep in the Upper Park, 15–25 minutes’ walk from the Menshikov Palace, so the whole estate means a fair bit of walking.

Add an hour or more each way from central St Petersburg. A good full day: Peterhof in the morning, Oranienbaum after lunch, the train back from Oranienbaum-1.

Oranienbaum vs Peterhof vs Pavlovsk

In summer, see Peterhof first and add Oranienbaum the same afternoon. For long walks, YesGo suggests Pavlovsk. Oranienbaum is for travellers who care about authentic rooms and quiet.

St Petersburg palaces compared

Every palace in St Petersburg and its suburbs rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Arrive at 9:00 and walk the Lower Garden and Upper Park before 10:00 — free, and nearly empty.
• Only time for one palace? The Grand Menshikov Palace — it has the longest hours and opens almost all year.
• In summer, aim for the first morning slot at the Chinese Palace: entry is in time windows and it shuts in wet weather.
• Kronstadt lies right across the gulf. See it on a separate day or on a combined Oranienbaum and Kronstadt tour — more on the Kronstadt page.
• Children under 7 may ride balance bikes, bicycles and scooters in the park; adults may not.

Questions