Krakow museums: The best art, culture, and history museums

There are some truly outstanding museums in Krakow, Poland. Every exhibition I saw in Krakow seriously impressed me with its high standards.

What to expect when you visit museums in Krakow

Krakow is worth visiting for many reasons, and its wonderful museums is one of them.

I knew little about the city and about Polish culture before visiting, but Krakow’s museums made the learning experience fascinating.

It’s the clever curation, the multimedia displays, the convenient explanations in English and the beautiful aesthetics that really make a world of difference.

Krakow has a great selection of museums where you can learn about the art, history, culture, design and religion in Krakow and Poland.

Culture and history museums in Krakow

The Krakow National Museum

The large building of the Krakow National Museum is just one of a few locations where this museum runs exhibitions.

The main location has several permanent collections plus temporary exhibitions. The permanent collections are spread across all three floors.

I highly recommend the massive collection of decorative art from Poland.

It’s a spectacular display of glassware, porcelain, ceramics, fashion, furniture and so much more… There is even a little room for traditional musical instruments.

Downstairs there is another gallery dedicated to arms and uniforms.

The museum also has fascinating temporary exhibitions (the one I saw while I was there was about post-communist Polish design). The level of curation and presentation was really impressive.

One of the most famous pieces in the National Museum in Krakow is an oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci called “Lady with an Ermine.”

It was purchased by Poland in 2016 and is part of the museum collection.

I’d say this museum should be on your list of top 10 things to do in Krakow.

The Underground Museum in Krakow’s main square

Time flies when you visit this museum, literally speaking…

Just over 10 years ago, the main square of Krakow was dug up and archaeologists discovered artifacts from as early as the 11th century.

This museum is located right under Krakow’s market square in the Old Town and shows you the findings and tells you the story of the city of Krakow.

The entrance to the Underground Museum is from the main square. Go down the stairs. You can buy your ticket there or order a ticket online in advance.

What to expect at Rynek Underground Museum

It’s dark inside the museum and you hear weird noises all around you… they come from the speakers above your head.

These are marketplace noises, people’s chit chat, shouting and horses, to get into the atmosphere of the market square in the Middle Ages.

That’s when you start to go back in time…

Krakow used to be a major trade centre and it’s interesting  to see its extensive trade links with Europe and Asia.

Our guide took us through the massive collection of the museum, which helped a lot in focusing and not getting lost there, as there’s really so much to see.

We heard stories about life in the middle ages and saw the objects that were found in the excavations.

It’s really impressive to see how much was discovered. Everyday objects like coins, pieces of clothing, pens, jewellery, toys and even shoes are all on display.

It was great to go through the museum with a professional guide. With an incredible amount of knowledge, he led us through the Underground Museum, told us the stories behind the objects on display, answered all our questions and generally made the experience much more worthwhile.

The Ethnographic Museum in Krakow

I’m so glad I came across this wonderful museum.

On the ground floor, you’ll see beautiful reconstructions of rooms from different time periods in Polish history.

You can walk into a room from 19th century Poland, see what workshops looked like and even visit a school classroom from the 1930s.

Along the corridor are detailed models of old buildings.

Go up to the second floor for a gorgeous display of traditional costumes. But that’s just the beginning, there’s so much more to see there.

Room after room of historical objects, crafts, tools, textiles and just about anything else that makes a culture what it is.

I loved the display of old Polish musical instruments and the cute little room of Christmas decorations.

A particularly colourful room is dedicated to carolling and nativity cribs – that’s a very impressive collection.

Krakow’s Jagiellonian University Museum

Krakow is a student city. It’s know for that and it’s also quite easy to notice when you’re there.

As Krakow’s university grew, it spread to many different buildings around the city, while its original building became a museum.

Right in the city centre, above a beautiful courtyard, Krakow’s Jagiellonian University Museum documents the history of the university in interesting ways.

First you enter the room that used to be the library hall, through a stunning entrance.

It is still used today for monthly meetings of the university senate.

The famous mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus studied at this university in 1491-1495. Some astronomical instruments dating from that period are on display at the museum.

The grand finale of this museum is the Aula – the luxurious professors’ room that looks almost like a church.

This used to be a lecture room and today is used for ceremonies.

 The sign above the door reads “Let reason rule not force”, the university’s motto.

The courtyard downstairs is quite magical (when not full of tourists) and right next to it is the Professors’ Garden.

The garden is well worth a visit. It’s a place to relax right in the city centre of Krakow. You can also learn more about the history of the place from the sculptures and the texts in English all around the garden. 

Wawel Castle and the Wawel Cathedral Museum

A place not to be missed when you visit Krakow. There’s plenty to see at this magical Krakow castle, including an impressive art collection, the Royal Chambers, gorgeous tapestries, jewels, oriental art and lots more.

You want to book tickets in advance for the castle, because it’s a very popular attraction and booking ahead will save you time. A guided tour included with those tickets is highly recommended.

The beautiful Wawel Cathedral Museum is right next to the castle, where you can learn more about Polish history.

Art museums in Krakow

Museum of Contemporary Art Krakow, aka MOCAK

This is an excellent museum of contemporary art and one of the best museums in Krakow.

It’s located across the river next to the Schindler’s Factory Museum and on the premises of what used to be that factory.

MOCAK has spacious galleries for contemporary art exhibitions, all with English texts and perfectly accessible to tourists.

I found the texts illuminating and the choice of artworks on display was very inspiring.

I must say that the next time I visit Krakow, this museum will be one of the first paces I’ll want to visit again.

19th Century Polish Art Gallery

Above the famous Cloth Hall in the main square in Krakow, there’s an art museum dedicated to paintings and sculptures from Poland. As the name suggests, its focus is 10th century art.

Don’t miss the view onto the main square and the Basilica of Saint Mary from the gallery’s balcony.

Unique Krakow museums

Manggha – Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow

This surprising find in Krakow, right by the river, is a museum dedicated to Japanese culture.

It hosts only temporary exhibitions and the one I saw was about Buddhism and was very well curated.

Krakow’s Japanese Manggha Museum museum is housed in a beautiful building with a tranquil atmosphere and a balcony overlooking the river with a nice view of Wawel Castle.

Right next to it is the European – Far East Gallery hosting contemporary exhibitions.

Jozef Mehoffer House (a branch of Krakow’s National Museum)

The home of Polish artist Jozef Mehoffer was turned into a museum featuring his artworks and his art collection.

If you’re looking for unusual things to do in Krakow, put this unique museum on your list.

It’s a big house with spacious rooms that you can stroll around leisurely and admire the small details.

The art at Jozef Mehoffer House has a mix of styles common in the 20th century, such as Art Deco and impressionism.

He specialised in stained glass and you can see some of his beautiful works around the house.

Right behind the house there is a really lovely garden and a cafe.

Tip! When you go back into the street, have a look at the huge mural on the wall of the house.

Free admission to museums in Krakow

Some museums in Krakow have free admission on certain days.

It’s worth checking the individual websites of the museums to find out more about their free days.

For extra convenience and to make the most of your time and money on a short visit to Krakow, you can get the Krakow City Pass.

It gives you free access to over 40 Krakow museums, as well as historical attractions and churches in Krakow.

It also includes free, unlimited bus and tram travel and transport to and from the airport.

The card is valid for either 2 or 3 consecutive days.

Some of the Krakow museums included in the Krakow City Pass

• Krakow National Museum – A must-see museum when you visit Krakow
• City Of Krakow History Museum – Learn about Kraków under Nazi Occupation.
• Museum of Archaeology – Featuring exhibitions about Poland and ancient Egypt.
• Museum of Photography History Krakow – Dedicated to photography and housed in a historic villa.
• Museum of Contemporary Art. In Krakow (MOCAK)
• Galicja Jewish Museum – In Krakow’s Jewish Quarter (Kazimierz), documenting the life of Jews in the city.
• The Polish Aviation Museum
• The Schindler’s Factory

You can buy the city pass online and collect it at one of several Tourist Information Points around the city or at the airport.

It includes transport from the airport, so it’s a good idea to pick it up there if you’re arriving in Krakow by plane. Just make sure your flight lands within the office opening hours.

Krakow Museum Night

Museums in Krakow stay open until late at night once a year on museum night, a celebration of art and culture which taken place in May.

For a fee of 1 zloty, you’ll enjoy free entry to the participating museums and free public transport.

There are artistic talks, guided tours, film screenings, meetings with curators, workshops and other events on museum night.

This is undoubtedly one of the best ways to discover Krakow’s museums and its art scene.

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