The article analyzes the influence of particular instruments of the New Public Management reforms on the performance of Czech museums. We examine the impact of administrative decentralization, management autonomy, and performance management tools, using a survey, two-stage data envelopment analysis, and focus groups. Using these methods, we have been able to confirm the significative impact of administrative decentralization and substantial autonomy. However, the statistical significance of financial autonomy was not confirmed, neither was the way in which objectives are set, nor the use of quality management methods to achieve performance.