Centrum Techniki i Rozwoju Regionu „Muzeum Nowoczesności” w Olsztynie

About the museum

The museum is housed in the Raphaelsohn sawmill building from 1884, the only remnant of Olsztyn’s former industrial district, where five sawmills, two breweries, a foundry and a gasworks operated a hundred years ago. The building lies in a bend of the Łyna river, next to the Central Park. After its revitalisation in 2014, the Centrum Techniki i Rozwoju Regionu “Muzeum Nowoczesności” (Centre for Technology and Regional Development ‘Museum of Modernity’) opened here, a branch of the Olsztyn Municipal Culture Centre (MOK).

The museum shows the process of modernity, which began at the end of the 18th century and gathered pace in the 19th century. The permanent exhibition consists of more than thirty thematic sections on construction, urban development, industry, machinery and urban engineering, with particular attention to the changes in the second half of the 19th century. Visitors will see, among other things, the original cabin of the Olsztyn lift from 1913, a collection of signs with former street names, a sawmill trolley, a water ram, a teleprinter and century-old light bulbs, as well as models of a tram, a granary, a gasworks and an ejector station, and multimedia, including a 3D viewer of old Olsztyn photographs.

In 2019 the neighbouring revitalised trolleybus depot from the early 1940s was opened; it hosts temporary exhibitions, often with large exhibits. The museum publishes the academic yearbook ‘Tartak’, runs guided tours and attracts around 20 thousand visitors a year.

Highlights

• Original cabin of the Olsztyn lift from 1913
• More than thirty sections on the civilisational development of Warmia and Masuria
• Collection of signs with the former street names of Olsztyn
• Interactive multimedia and a 3D viewer of old Olsztyn photographs
• Models of a tram, a gasworks and an ejector station
• Trolleybus depot with temporary exhibitions next to the museum

Permanent exhibition

• Wystawa stała Muzeum Nowoczesności – More than thirty thematic sections on the civilisational development of Olsztyn and the region: construction, industry, machinery and urban engineering, with the original lift cabin from 1913 and interactive multimedia.

Founded

2014

Operated by

Miejski Ośrodek Kultury w Olsztynie

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

The facility is accessible to people with mobility impairments. Facilities include a lift, a toilet for people with disabilities, audio description for the exhibition, Braille room markings, a place to rest and a cloakroom. The Municipal Culture Centre has a portable induction loop, and a fixed loop operates in the neighbouring trolleybus depot.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The museum has prepared attractions for the youngest visitors: puzzles, 3D photos and a museum quiz, with no age limit. A family ticket for PLN 30 is available, and children under 4 enter free of charge.

Getting there & parking

The museum lies in a bend of the Łyna river, next to the Central Park.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

MOK rents the exhibition hall (PLN 470 gross per hour for up to three hours, PLN 400 for longer) and a workshop room of about 70 m² (PLN 120 or PLN 100 per hour). Contact: tel. +48 89 522 13 59, impresariat@mok.olsztyn.pl.

Plan your visit