10 Best Museums in Krakow

One of the main reasons to visit Krakow is its wonderful museums, which collect ancient artifacts, centuries of history and anecdotes from World War II. This city will take you on a sensory experience and time travel, so you will never know what to expect. For example, you'll have the opportunity to visit an ancient medieval city turned museum, which is submerged in the subway passages of the Market Square, a place known for its outstanding activities.

It's no secret that the entertainment scene in Krakow is headlined by the city's impressive activities and venues, something that is evident in the art collection of the Czartoryski Princes' Museum. You also have to stop by the Museum of Optical Illusions, or learn about the history of a former Jewish shelter at the Museum of the former Oskar Schindler Factory. Do you want to take a museum tour in this historic city? Here are the most interesting options.

For those who want to live a different experience, nothing better than the Rynek Underground Museum in Krakow, which you will pass over without realizing it. It is a hidden gem in the subway part of the Market Square, and was built on the ruins of the ancient medieval city.

Today, this space is more than ruins and you can enjoy interactive exhibits, appreciate historical artifacts and join in activities that allow you to learn in a fun way. Of course, you will find multimedia exhibits that use modern technology, which makes it easy to retain anecdotes about the communist era, World War II, the partition of Poland, among others.

If you wish, you can let a professional tour guide take you on a journey back in time to the Middle Ages in Poland, as you walk around 4,000 meters on foot, which captures the glory of this era. Guided tours are usually conducted in small groups, but you can also opt for a private tour of Krakow's Rynek subway museum to enjoy the subway legends at your own pace.

Details of interest

• Price: the entrance fee is around 6 €, but you can find guided tours from 25 € per person, approximately.
• Location: it is one of the best things to see in the Market Square, as it is hidden four meters deep in this location. The exact address is Rynek Główny 1.
• Hours: open daily from 10:00 to 19:00.
• How to get there: it is easy to reach by streetcar from ZTP Kraków or by bus from MPK S.A. w Krakowie.

A visit to the Museum of the former Oskar Schindler Factory is a must on an authentic museum tour of Krakow. Here you can learn about the legacy of its creator, who risked his life to save hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust. In fact, the building is wallpapered with symbols, testimonies and objects of the time.

You will have the opportunity to travel back to the time when Krakow was occupied by the Nazis, as you tour the remains of this factory that played a key role in World War II, being a covert shelter for Jews and other persecuted people. Stay tuned and be prepared to appreciate Oscar Schindler's original desk. This is a visit I do not recommend for young children, as it involves sensitive stories.

Details of interest

• Price: entrance to the museum starts at 8 €, for convenience you can consider a skip-the-line pass for around 14 € ora guided tour from 19 €.
• Location: on ul. Lipowa 4, which is located in the Zabłocie district.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 18:00, Mondays from 10:00 to 14:00.
• How to get there: it is very well connected, by streetcar, bus or the Koleje Małopolskie and Polregio trains. Another option is to take advantage of the Krakow tourist bus routes.

If you are interested in learning about the history of Krakow I recommend you consider a stop at the Archaeological Museum, where you will find an enriching experience. Its popularity lies in its affordable prices that offer a tour through 500,000 pieces dating from the Paleolithic to the Modern Era.

In fact, the façade itself is steeped in history, given that it was originally an ancient fortress, eventually transformed into a medieval palace, a Carmelite monastery and eventually an Austrian prison. Today it has even collected antiquities from Egypt. You can also appreciate the stone statue of Swiatowid Zbrucz, a monument that belonged to the Slavic tribes.

Details of interest

• Price: from 2 €, it is also included in the Krakov Card, a tourist pass that offers access to the best things to do in Krakow and allows you to visit museums, attractions and use public transport unlimited.
• Location: 3 Poselska Street.
• Hours: generally open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, some days may extend the hours slightly. Please note that it is closed on Mondays.
• How to get there: if you are in the center you can get there on foot, or take advantage of unlimited transportation with the Krakow Card.

Established in 1964, the Polish Aviation Museum houses an important collection of aircraft and engines, in fact it is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It is considered one of the must-see activities in Krakow, as it has exhibits of the development of Polish aviation from its beginnings.

It is ideal if you are looking for things to do in Krakow with children, as together you can discover more than 300 aviation artifacts, as well as delve into the history of pilots and pioneers. Highlights include relics from World War II, as well as the 1916 Soviet Grigorovich M-15, the only surviving Russian seaplane.

You can take the tour with a tour guide, however, the aviation history is easy to understand as each exhibit offers useful and detailed information. My suggestion would be to give priority to a ticket without queues, since it tends to have a high tourist influx.

Details of interest

• Price: from 7 €.
• Location: where the former Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny airport was located, at al. Jana Pawła II 39, 31-864.
• Opening hours: from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00, closed only on Mondays.
• How to get there: you can get there by streetcar, bus or cab.

If you want to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial museum, you should know that it is one of the highlights of the area around the city, which can be reached in a short time. The best option is to combine this visit with a tour of the memorial, so that you have access to the full experience. Be prepared because here you will be transported to harrowing stories that will teach you about the concentration camps.

Krakow is one of the European cities that witnessed one of the most terrifying massacres in history, specifically during the Holocaust. Here you can understand the magnitude of the crimes committed and explore the ruins of the guard towers, the block and wall of death, the crematorium, among others. You will also see testimonies, photographs and objects of the time, relevant to the timeline of this event.

Details of interest

• Price: from 20 €, but I recommend you consider a tour with skip-the-line entrance and transfers from Krakow included, which can be found for around 37 €.
• Location: on the outskirts of the city in Więźniów Oświęcimia.
• Hours: daily from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm.
• How to get there: you can consider tours to Auschwitz from Krakow that usually include transportation, or travel by train, cab or bus.

Krakow is a city full of immersive activities, in particular I recommend stopping at one of my favorite museums, which is the closest thing you will find to Madame Tussauds Museum in Poland. It is the Polonia Wax Museum, an attraction where you can see wax exhibits of famous people. It is ideal for people of all ages and has sections on culture, entertainment, politics, sports, among others.

As you walk around you can take pictures with Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Beyonce and other well-known figures. There are also prominent Polish figures such as Pope John Paul II, as well as fictional characters including SpongeBob.

This visit does not take long, so you can combine it with a lesser known and less crowded option, such as the muWi Stained Glass Workshop and Museum, a museum where you can participate in workshops on Polish stained glass making. This space is ideal to learn about how this art has worked since 1902, learn about the main artisans and see some of the pieces on display.

Details of interest

• Price: the entrance to the Polonia Wax Museum starts at 10 €, like the muWi Stained Glass Workshop and Museum. The difference is that the latter offers stained glass workshops from 58 € and family packages.
• Location: Polonia Wax Museum is located at Floriańska 32, while muWi Stained Glass Workshop and Museum is at Aleja Zygmunta Krasińskiego 23.
• Hours: the Polonia Wax Museum is open every day from 10:00 to 22:00, on weekends they extend the opening hours a bit. On the other hand, muWi Stained Glass Workshop and Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 to 4:30, some days there may be slight variations.
• How to get there: both can be reached by bus or streetcar.

A perfect playful space to visit with the family is the Museum of Optical Illusions, which is spearheaded by experiences that challenge the senses. It has more than 60 exhibits with holograms, rotating rooms, mazes, puzzles, escape zones with obstacles and mirage that will allow you to have fun, while trying to differentiate the real from the fictitious.

It also has 3D photographs that are really impressive, especially I recommend a walk through the room of intelligent games, which offers challenges and mental challenges. It is a fun and educational experience, ideal if you are looking for things to do in Krakow with children, who will appreciate an age-appropriate alternative.

Details of interest

• Price: from 11 €.
• Location: in Floriana Straszewskiego.
• Hours: daily from 10:00 to 19:00.
• How to get there: by streetcar or bus.

Keeping Krakow' s past alive is the main objective of the Princes Czartoryski Museum, which takes you on a journey through three historic buildings, where pieces of high value for the European continent have been collected. It is considered a must-see and one of the best activities in the city, as it houses porcelain, jewelry and glassware.

Here you can take a look at Leonardo da Vinci's Lady in Ermine, as well as decipher antiquities from Greece, Rome and Egypt. You'll meet many fans of collectible art, who come to appreciate Prince Adam Karol's piano. Are you ready to unravel the mysteries of Polish art?

Interesting details

• Price: from 13 €, free admission on Tuesdays.
• Location: ul. Jana 19.
• Opening hours: from Tuesday to Sunday: from 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays.
• How to get there: by bus or streetcar.

A good choice is the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, which offers a glimpse of Japanese culture with exhibits of woodcuts, Asian handicrafts, Japanese costumes and professional armor. For example, you can get to see samurai swords, capes, shields, masks, kimonos, pipes and carpets.

Beyond the exhibits that blend antiquity with modern perspective, this experience offers educational activities, such as learning Japanese words or brewing authentic tea from the region. Most impressively, it is on the banks of the Vistula River and you can combine it with a visit to Wawel Castle, which, by the way, is perfectly visible from the museum's location.

Interesting details

• Price: about 3 €.
• Location: in the former branch of the National Museum in Krakow.
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays.
• How to get there: the best option is by bus or streetcar.

There are many options for a museum tour in Krakow, one of the most special and fun is hidden in the Pinball Museum, where you will find more than 60 retro pinball machines and arcade games. This place evokes nostalgia and reminds you how the fun was a couple of years ago, in fact you can share the space with other people who come attracted by the wide range of entertainment offered by this museum.

It is the perfect opportunity to learn about the history of the machines, which originated between the 20s and 30s, but reached its peak between the 50s and 70s. This museum has allowed them not to remain frozen in time, giving them use and preserving the oldest ones. It also has a bar where you can take breaks to refresh yourself or have a beer. Note that it is an almost clandestine activity, since it is located in a basement, at the end of a small alley on Stradomska Street.

Interesting details

• Price: from 10 €.
• Location: in a basement in Stradomska Street, in the heart of the Old Town.
• Opening hours: from Monday to Friday from 2:00 to 21:00, on Saturdays and Sundays you can visit it from 12:00 to 22:00.
• How to get there: by bus or streetcar.