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Plan your visit

  • About the Museum

      Extraordinary Stories Of Ordinary Things

      Warsaw is a truly unique city. And so is the Museum of Warsaw. Their stories are strikingly similar – razed to the ground during WW2 and rebuilt from the rubble.

      The Museum of Warsaw collects the things of Warsaw, researches them and makes them available to the public. The new core exhibition refers to the histories of particular objects in order to tell about historical events and people who had made an impact on the shape and character of contemporary Warsaw.

      You can get acquainted with the stories of the things of Warsaw not only in the new core exhibition at Old Town Market Square, but also at each of the nine locations of the Museum of Warsaw which create their programmes independently. They offer not merely permanent exhibitions, but also a whole gamut of various events: workshops, meetings, lectures, tours, family activities, concerts and more.

  • Core exhibition

      The Things of Warsaw

      Our collection comprises over 300 000 items and we have chosen to put exactly 7352 of them on display in the core exhibition. These are all original objects: daily use and special occasion items, artworks and utility items, keepsakes of people and events. We present them in 21 themed rooms.

      As you walk through the rooms, we recommend you look for our highlighted objects and for their more precise descriptions shown on grey boards. Getting acquainted with various biographies of particular objects is key to understanding Warsaw’s complex history. They are compiled in “The Things of Warsaw”, a limited-edition volume available at the Museum bookstore.

      We do not tell one story, as textbooks often do. Instead, we offer you the stories of things and their creators, owners or users.

       

      Warsaw Data

      To whom does Warsaw owe its development? Who are its inhabitants? How did they use to live? How do they live today? Where is the city centre, and where are the city limits? Warsaw data is a compendium of knowledge that will help you grasp Warsaw’s character.

      We paid special attention to the visual aspect – charts, maps and iconography were designed to make finding one’s way within the vast collection easier. This part of the exhibition involves both reading and looking at.

      Warsaw Data verifies stereotypes and popular opinions on the city, its inhabitants and space. It points to the events and phenomena that have made Warsaw what it is today.

       

      History of the Old Town Houses

      The history of the changes to the structure of the Dekert’s Side and the architectural elements of specific houses provide a perspective from which to explore the events and figures related to this place. They are presented in the section of the exhibition devoted to them and in the notes distributed throughout the Museum houses, which you can discover during your visit.

  • Temporary exhibitions

      29 FEBRUARY – 26 MAY 2024

      Lovely Is the Youth of Our Age. Photo Albums 1850-1950

      Exhibition dedicated fully to photographic albums. It will offer a unique opportunity to view over a hundred of rarely exhibited items from one of the largest collections of Warsaw photography. Photo albums from the 19th and 20th centuries will be accompanied by artworks by contemporary artists. The exhibition is part of the program run by Centre for Phototography, the Museum of Warsaw’s new initiative aiming at developing an interest in photography.

      More information.

      28 SEPTEMBER 2023 – 28 APRIL 2024

      This Is Not My History

      The exhibition addresses the dark side of childhood, the injustice experienced by children, and the defence strategies they employ to survive.

      Drawing also on their personal traumas, the artists talk about growing up in poverty and disregard for the kids’ feelings, sexual violence, fear and about seeking emotional support in the world of fantasy. They take inspiration from children’s aesthetics – creatively transforming toys, furniture, domestic hideouts. They demonstrate that childhood – seemingly joyful and carefree – is in fact not devoid of violence, humiliation or neglect.

      More information.

      A thematic path through the main exhibition of the Museum of Warsaw.

      21 MARCH – 1 SEPTEMBER 2024

      Julia Keilowa. Designer

      Julia Keilowa designed everyday objects in the Art Déco style. Her artistic education and sculptural experience allowed her to develop her own distinctive style. Thanks to the popularity of plating, a technique of covering non-precious metal products with a thin layer of silver or gold, her designs entered the salons of the Second Republic of Poland, earning Keilowa fame and recognition.

      Today, Keilowa’s metalwork belongs to the canon of masterpieces of Polish design, and her works are sought after in the collectors’ market as coveted additions to both public and private art collections.

      More information.

      Tour the Museum with a guide!

      Maximum number of participants: 15
      Dates: Tuesday to Sunday
      Price: 300 PLN (English) + entrance tickets
      Booking: edukacja@muzeumwarszawy.pl, tel: +48 665 645 603
      Please include the following information in your email: preferred date of the tour, preferred hour, theme, personal data (name, surname, telephone number, email address).

  • How to find us

      Museum of Warsaw

      Rynek Starego Miasta 28-42

      The main entrance is located at the tenement house no 42.

      00-272 Warsaw

      Contact: +48 22 277 44 02

       

      We care about your comfort as well as natural environment – thus, we advise you to use public transport.

      All the timetables are available at www.ztm.waw.pl and Google Maps.

      Find out about the Warsaw Public Bike rental system www.veturilo.waw.pl/en

  • Opening hours

      Permanent exhibition:

      Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9.00-17.00
      Thursday 9.00-19.00
      Saturday, Sunday 11.00-18.00

      Temporary exhibition:

      Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 11:00-19:00
      Thursday 11:00-20:00
      Sunday 11:00-18:00

      The last entrance to the exhibition is one hour before closing.

      The permanent exhibition is large. Visiting time can range from a few tens of minutes to several hours.

      How do we work on holidays?

      March 29-31, April 1 – closed
      May 1, 3, 30 – open
      August 15 – open
      November 1 – closed
      November 11 – open
      December 24-26, 31 – closed

  • Tickets

      Single ticket for both core and temporary exhibition:
      regular 35 PLN/concession 25 PLN

      Single ticket for the core exhibition (The ticket covers also a visit to the Praga Museum of Warsaw within 7 days.):
      regular 25 PLN/concession 18 PLN

      Single ticket for the temporary exhibition:
      regular 20 PLN/concession 15 PLN

      Free admission to permanent and temporary exhibitions is available to people with disabilities (after presenting an ID card or disability certificate) and their accompanying guardian. One disabled person may be accompanied by one guardian.

       

      Group ticket (more than 10 people):
      The ticket covers also one more visit within 30 days.
      regular 18 PLN/concession 12 PLN per person

       

      Family ticket (max. 2 adults + 1-6 children):
      70 PLN for both core and temporary exhibition
      50 PLN for the core exhibition
      40 PLN for the temporary exhibition

       

      An annual card (valid 365 days from the day of purchase) offers access to all permanent and temporary exhibitions held at all currently operational locations of The Museum of Warsaw.

      regular  150 PLN/concession 110 PLN

       

      WARSAW PASS: free entrance and priority entry.

  • Tour with a guide

      Learn the secrets of Warsaw and the history behind our unique tenement buildings. You will listen to the stories told by the Things of Warsaw.

      You can choose from the two guided tours we have on offer.

      MUSEUM AT A UNIQUE LOCATION

      Adress: Museum of Warsaw, Old Town Square 42

      For whom: Tour of the core exhibition for individual visitors and organised groups. We will talk about the history and unique architecture of the Museum of Warsaw’s seat.

      The Museum of Warsaw is located at the very heart of the oldest part of Warsaw—the Old Town Market Square. In 1980, the buildings lining the Square were entered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Our Museum occupies the entire northern frontage of the Square. Eleven tenement houses which have been carefully reconstructed and joined together during the postwar rebuilding of the Old Town offer a unique space. They boast a wealth of authentic details and original architectural solutions which are a living reminder of past centuries.

      Each organised tour group, guided by our educator, will—among other things—visit the basement dating back several centuries, and admire the oldest surviving ceilings in Warsaw while listening to the story of how they have been preserved.

      Duration of the tour: ca 90 minutes

      THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS OF WARSAW

      Adress: Museum of Warsaw, Old Town Square 42

      For whom: Tour of the core exhibition for individual visitors and organised groups along the trail of the most interesting items on display.

      The Museum of Warsaw boasts almost 8,000 objects in its core exhibition. In their own way, they all tell the story of the city and its inhabitants. It takes several visits to get acquainted with them all.

      Accompanied by our educator, you will familiarize yourself with the most captivating exhibits. During the walk, we will tell you the stories and anecdotes connected to the most characteristic and atypical objects, most precious either materially or for sentimental reasons, and those who boast a unique history.

      These include the original Mermaid statue from the Old Town Market Square, the largest painting by Wojciech Fangor, more than 500-year-old robes of the last Mazovian dukes or personal items belonging to Stefan Starzyński, the legendary Mayor of Warsaw, Stanisław Małachowski, the Marshal of the Four-Year Sejm, or Maciej Alek Dawidowski a.k.a. Alek, one of the protagonists of the book titled Kamienie na szaniec [Stones on the Barricade]. In short, everything you couldn’t possibly miss while visiting the Museum of Warsaw.

      Duration of the tour: ca 90 minutes

      We also offer guided tour of the temporary exhibition.

      CURRENT TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS

      Adress: Museum of Warsaw, Old Town Square 32

      For whom: Tour for individual visitors and organised groups.

      In addition to the permanent exhibition at the Warsaw Museum, we also show interesting temporary exhibitions that tell the story of the city and its people.

      Thanks to the exhibitions you will get to know Warsaw and its people!

      More information about exhibition.

      Duration of the tour: ca 90 minutes

       

      HOW TO BOOK A TOUR?

      Maximum number of participants: 15
      Dates: Tuesday to Sunday
      Price: 300 PLN (English) + entrance tickets
      Booking: edukacja@muzeumwarszawy.pl, tel.: +48 665 645 603

      Please include the following information in your email: preferred date of the tour, preferred hour, theme, personal data (name, surname, telephone number, email address).

      Rules of visiting The Museum of Warsaw.

  • Warsaw Will Not Forget

      You can also watch a documentary Warsaw Will Not ForgetThe documentary is composed of film chronicles and invites us to an extraordinary journey around Warsaw.

      It presents the capital before the Second World War, wartime destruction and first years of the rebuilding. The film helps us understand unusual characteristics of Warsaw and complements the exhibition or a walk around the city.

      The film is screened on demand during the museum’s working hours.

      If you wish to see the film, please notify the staff at the ticket desk or book it earlier via phone: +48 665 645 603 or e-mail: edukacja@muzeumwarszawy.pl.

      The film lasts 20 minutes and is available in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French and Russian.

      Single tickets: regular 10 PLN, concession 7 PLN
      Screenings: Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.

      Group tickets: 10–20 people 100 PLN, 21–40 people 200 PLN

  • Accessibility

      Free admission to permanent and temporary exhibitions is available to people with disabilities (after presenting an ID card or disability certificate) and their accompanying guardian. One disabled person may be accompanied by one guardian.

      Information for visually-impaired visitors

      osoby z niepełnosprawnością wzroku

      At the ticket desk you can borrow free typhlographic plans of the museum. Each floor is presented on a separate plate with a description in an enlarged font and Braille alphabet.

      At the ticket desk you can also borrow free audio guides with audio descriptions of selected things.

      In themed rooms of the exhibition you can find publications available in an enlarged font and Braille alphabet with typhlographics of chosen things. They contain general information about every room and texts about chosen things. These publications are also available at the reading room.

      The reading room of the museum offers a dedicated reader for visually-impaired visitors.

      We invite you to visit the museum with your assistance dog or a guide dog.

      In some places of the exhibitions you can find educational boxes. They contain items referring to our exhibition which are used during educational workshops for visually-impaired people.

       

      Information for audibly-impaired visitors

      ikona niepełnosprawności słuchowej

      At the ticket desk you can find dedicated tablets – the application provides a themed tour with videos (in Polish Sign Language only) about every room.

       

      Information for motion-impaired visitors

      The entrance at 8 Nowomiejska Street is accessible for people using wheelchairs.

      For people using wheelchairs the floors -1, 0, +1 and +2 are available for a visit.

      Accessible toilets are marked and available at the 0 and +1 floors.

      The staff can also offer wheelchair in a suitable size.

       

      Information for intellectually-impaired visitors and visitors with autism spectrum disorder

      We prepared two brochures in a font which is easy to read. The first one – The Things of Warsaw and Their Museum. A Short Guide. The Main Exhibition – describes the main seat of the Museum of Warsaw. The second one – The Museum of Warsaw x10. Find Us – presents information about all the branches of the Museum.

      For visitors with autism spectrum disorder we prepared a before-the-visit guide. You can find it and download from the museum’s website.

      Quiet hours at the Museum of Warsaw

      piktogram ciche godziny

      Quiet hours are addressed to people on the autism spectrum, highly sensitive to external stimuli, and to anyone who prefers to tour exhibitions in peace and quiet. At that time, we turn off the sounds and reduce the level of light in the exhibition area.

      Tuesdays 3PM-5PM.

      Core exhibition at the Museum of Warsaw is friendly to all those who are highly sensitive to stimuli—there are no bright lights or loud noises in the exhibition area.

      Info for the families with children in pushchairs

      The Museum of Warsaw main seat is a historic building—a labyrinth of small rooms often accessible by stairs, thresholds or steps.

      The convenient entrance, accessible for wheelchairs, is located on Nowomiejska Street.

      A map with all the obstacles and facilities is available at the ticket office. Take it with you and choose a route that is convenient for you. We also have a lift; it will take you up to the 2nd floor. To reach the top storeys, one must take the stairs.

      You can leave the pushchair in the cloakroom and visit the Museum holding your baby in a carrier or sling.

      The feeding corner and the changing table are located on level -1.

       

      Parking spaces for disabled people

      1 Zapiecek Street (one space)
      8 Kanonia Street (two spaces)
      3 Podwale Street (three spaces)
      11 Podwale Street (three spaces)

  • Pet-friendly Museum

      You can visit the museum with a small accompanying dog on a leash.

  • More than a Museum

      Bookstore

      Our bookstore features excellent gift ideas – museum publications, albums, yearbooks, exhibition and collection catalogues, reproductions of drawings, maps and plans of Warsaw, educational books for the little ones, as well as Varsaviana souvenirs.

      Syrena Cinema

      Screenings of the film “Warsaw Will Not Forget” are organised on demand during museum’s opening hours. If you want to watch the film, please notify us in advance by phone +48 665 645 603 or by e-mail: edukacja@muzeumwarszawy.pl.

      On Thursdays (16:00) and Saturdays (13:00) we invite you to screenings of the “Warsaw Will Not Forget”.

      Reading Room

      The library collection may be used exclusively on site. You can find here mostly Polish and foreign publications dedicated to Warsaw, i.e. albums, city guides, Varsaviana periodicals, as well as books about Warsaw for children and youth.

      Lapidarium

      Take a break at the Museum of Warsaw courtyard and play one of the world’s oldest board games, Nine Men’s Morris.

      You can also park your bike here!

      Observation point

      Here you can view the Old Town Market Square and the roofs of Old and New Towns. At the background, silhouette of the National Stadium is looming.

      Rynek 30 Gallery is a venue for young artists.

      The gallery was created in a lounge of one of the tenement houses in the Old Town Square.

      This new venue displays work by young artists and curators who address topics that are relevant and important from the point of view of residents of Warsaw. It is also a place of cooperation with NGOs, research and educational institutions.