Ratusz – Muzeum Poznania
Museum of the city’s history in the Renaissance town hall on the Old Market Square, a branch of the National Museum in Poznań; currently closed for renovation.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Ratusz – Muzeum Poznania (Town Hall – Poznań Museum) is located in the Renaissance town hall on the Old Market Square, whose origins go back to the early 14th century. In the middle of the 16th century the building was remodelled in the Renaissance style by Jan Baptysta Quadro. On its east side it is decorated by a three-arched loggia, and on the tower there is a clock with moving goats. The first clock with goats was installed in 1551, and the present mechanism has worked since 1993. In 1945 the goats and the tower were destroyed, and after reconstruction the goats returned to their place in 1954.
The museum opened in the town hall on 22 July 1954. Until 2022 it operated as the Muzeum Historii Miasta Poznania (Poznań City History Museum), and today, as a branch of the National Museum in Poznań, it bears the name Ratusz – Muzeum Poznania. The permanent exhibition tells the history of the city from the 10th century to the present, and of the town hall itself: from the stronghold on Ostrów Tumski and the first Polish bishopric, through the founding of the town on the left bank of the Warta in 1253, to the life of the burghers.
From 1 July 2026 the building is closed to visitors. The largest conservation renovation in about a quarter of a century is taking place there, and at the same time a new permanent exhibition is being prepared on the ground floor and on the first and second floors. Reopening is planned for the end of 2027.
Highlights
- Renaissance town hall with a loggia and tower on the Old Market Square
- Clock with goats on the tower of the town hall
- Exhibition on the stronghold on Ostrów Tumski and the first Polish bishopric
- Crozier from Limoges, first half of the 13th century
- Medieval cellars of the town hall with a torture chamber and a pillory
Permanent exhibition
- Wystawa stała Ratusza – Muzeum Poznania – Exhibition on the history of Poznań from the 10th century to the present, and on the history of the town hall, arranged in the cellars, on the ground floor and on the first and second floors; currently closed for renovation, and a new permanent exhibition is due by the end of 2027.
- Founded
- 1954
- Operated by
- Muzeum Narodowe w Poznaniu
Admission & discounts
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visits are currently not possible because of the renovation. Information about the educational offer for schools and kindergartens is given by the National Museum in Poznań on its website. |
