Exploseum

About the museum

The Exploseum occupies the site of the former German explosives factory DAG Fabrik Bromberg, which the Germans began to build in autumn 1939 in the forest near Łęgnowo. By the end of 1944 more than a thousand buildings had been erected there, and nitroglycerine production started in January 1944. In January 1945 the Red Army took over the plant and transported the equipment to the USSR; in the 1950s the site was closed off and secret production took place there.

Adaptation work began in 2008, and the permanent exhibition opened to visitors on 7 July 2011. The museum has preserved a complex of interconnected underground tunnels and industrial buildings in the nitroglycerine production zone. The structures, including lightweight blow-out walls and earth embankments, were designed to limit the effects of any possible explosion. The name “Exploseum” combines the English word “explosion” with the Latin ending “-seum” used in museum names.

The permanent exhibition tells the story of Alfred Nobel and the DAG concern, the production of nitroglycerine, the history of weapons and explosive materials, forced labour in the factories of the Third Reich, and the underground resistance and the activities of the Red Army on the site. In 2020 a second route through the forest area was laid out. Exploseum belongs to the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) and to the Bydgoszcz trail “Szlak Wody, Przemysłu i Rzemiosła TeH2O” (Water, Industry and Crafts Trail TeH2O).

Highlights

• Underground technological tunnels of the former DAG Fabrik Bromberg factory
• Interactive exhibition on the production of nitroglycerine
• Exhibition on Alfred Nobel and the history of explosive materials
• Story of forced labour and underground resistance in the factories
• Alternative and extreme routes with a guide
• Part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH)

Permanent exhibition

• Exploseum – wystawa stała – Route through the underground tunnels and buildings of the former factory, covering Alfred Nobel, the production of nitroglycerine, weapons and explosives, forced labour and the underground resistance.

Founded

2011

Operated by

Muzeum Okręgowe im. Leona Wyczółkowskiego w Bydgoszczy

Admission & discounts

Free admission: On Thursdays admission to the permanent exhibitions is free (according to the museum’s price list).

The two-day combined ticket also covers the buildings of the Muzeum Okręgowe in the city centre. Holders of the Bydgoska Karta Rodzinna 3 Plus (Bydgoszcz Family Card 3 Plus), the Karta Dużej Rodziny (Large Family Card), the Karta Seniora 60+ (Senior Card 60+), the Edukarta and the Bydgoska Karta Młodzieży (Bydgoszcz Youth Card) receive a 50% discount on the standard ticket. Children under 7 and holders of the Karta Polaka (Polish Card) enter free of charge.

Accessibility

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

Visitors in wheelchairs are asked to arrange their visit with the staff in advance (e-mail: exploseum@muzeum.bydgoszcz.pl); the building has a stair-climbing device. The route is about 2 km long and leads through cool, damp tunnels and up steep stairs, including wooden stairs outside; the passenger lift works only in one four-storey building. To enter the reception you ring the intercom; the door width after opening is 95 cm. The women’s toilet at the entrance and in the last building on the route is adapted for people with disabilities.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kids

• Family tours & workshops

The museum runs an educational offer for school groups (school ticket PLN 18) and offers a family ticket for PLN 80. The route is long and leads up steep stairs, which makes visits with a pushchair difficult.

Getting there & parking

From the Exploseum bus loop to the main building with the ticket office it is about 1 km.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit