Muzeum Etnograficzne im. Marii Znamierowskiej-Prüfferowej
Folk culture museum with an exhibition in the Arsenal and an open-air museum, the Ethnographic Park, in the centre of Toruń.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Ethnographic Museum in Toruń was established on 1 January 1959 as an independent institution; earlier, from 1946, an Ethnographic Department had operated at the Municipal Museum. Its creator and long-time director was the ethnographer Maria Znamierowska-Prüfferowa, whose name the museum received in 1999. Its first seat was the Arsenal at Wały gen. Sikorskiego, and in 1960 the first permanent exhibition opened there.
In 1968 the museum bought a homestead in Kaszczorek, where an open-air museum began to be built from 1969; by 1998, 18 architectural objects had been gathered there. Today visitors see the Ethnographic Park in Toruń with historic cottages and farmsteads from Kuyavia, Kashubia and the Dobrzyń Land. In 2009, on the fiftieth anniversary of the museum, the permanent exhibition “Tajemnice codzienności” (Secrets of Everyday Life) was opened, and in 2018 a branch was launched: the Olenderski Park Etnograficzny in Wielka Nieszawka.
In 2018 the collections numbered more than 66,000 objects. They include costumes, tools, folk art, ritual and everyday objects, documenting the culture of the villages of the region. The museum also runs a library, publishing and educational activities, and a portal devoted to intangible heritage.
Highlights
- Ethnographic Park with historic cottages and farmsteads
- Permanent exhibition “Tajemnice codzienności” (Secrets of Everyday Life) in the Arsenal
- Collection of more than 66,000 folk culture objects
- Audio guides with audio description
- Branches: the Olenderski Park Etnograficzny and the park in Kaszczorek
Permanent exhibitions
- Tajemnice codzienności – Permanent exhibition opened in 2009 in the Arsenal on the daily life of village residents of the region, shown on the ground floor of the building.
- Park Etnograficzny w Toruniu – Open-air museum with historic cottages and farmsteads, whose interiors show the old furnishings of village houses.
- Founded
- 1959
- Operated by
- Muzeum Etnograficzne im. Marii Znamierowskiej-Prüfferowej w Toruniu (samorządowa instytucja kultury)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 12 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 8 złpupils and students, pensioners and people receiving disability pensions, people with disabilities (together with a carer), teachers and educators, holders of the Large Family Card and of the badges “Za opiekę nad zabytkami” (For Care of Monuments) and “Zasłużony działacz kultury” (Distinguished Culture Activist) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 6 · Children under 7 enter free of charge. |
| Families | 24 złFamily ticket for the permanent exhibition “Tajemnice codzienności”. |
| Ethnographic Park in Toruń | 20 złReduced ticket PLN 14, family PLN 40. |
| Combined ticket (Park, “Tajemnice codzienności” and “Salonik”) | 28 złReduced ticket PLN 20, family PLN 53. |
| Exhibition “Salonik” (Parlour) | 2 zł |
| Guided tour in Polish (Park or “Tajemnice codzienności”, price per group of up to 25 people) | 60 złBoth exhibitions together PLN 80; in English PLN 80, both together PLN 110. |
Free admission: Wednesday – free admission to the permanent exhibitions (guides cannot be booked on this day; temporary exhibitions are paid).
The prices given apply to the Toruń seat; the cheapest ticket is for “Tajemnice codzienności”. Free admission applies to, among others, children under 7, members of ICOM and ICOMOS, and holders of the Karta Polaka (Polish Card).
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: not available
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description
Access to the grounds is from ul. Uniwersytecka. In the Arsenal the permanent exhibition on the ground floor is accessible, but the exhibitions on the first floor are not accessible to wheelchair users; the building has no lift. The toilet for people with disabilities is in the administrative and exhibition building. In the Ethnographic Park the avenues are paved, but uneven stones or grass lead to some of the cottages; four objects are accessible after platforms are installed on request, and their interiors are cramped. An induction loop operates at the ticket office. Audio guides with audio description can be downloaded free of charge from the museum shop. A Polish Sign Language interpreter is not available.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | 24 zł · Family ticket for the permanent exhibition “Tajemnice codzienności”. |
The museum offers a family ticket, educational sessions for groups and an annual Children’s Festival of Village Folklore (Dziecięcy Przegląd Folkloru Wiejskiego).
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Dworzec autobusowy, ul. Dąbrowskiego 26 · 4-min walk
The nearest bus station is at ul. Dąbrowskiego 26 (3–4 minutes on foot); railway stations are Toruń Miasto (pl. 18 Stycznia 4) and Toruń Główny (ul. Kujawska 1).
By car
Parking available
There is no car park for guests on the museum grounds; paid parking spaces are on neighbouring streets, including ul. Uniwersytecka. Coaches can park by the Cinema City (6–8 minutes on foot).
The museum is in the centre, about 5 minutes on foot from the Old Town Market Square; a station of the Toruński Rower Miejski (Toruń city bike scheme) is nearby.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum shop has a cash desk; bicycle racks stand in front of the museum.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (PL, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Commercial photography and filming require the written permission of the museum director. |
| Good to know | Guided tours are ordered by telephone (+48 56 622 80 92 ext. 55); one guide leads up to 25 people, and the tour lasts up to two hours. Audio guides in Polish and English, and with audio description, are free of charge in the shop. Dogs on a leash may enter the parks in Toruń. |
