Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich POLIN
Modern museum in Muranów with a multimedia permanent exhibition on the thousand-year history of Jews in the Polish lands.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The idea for the museum emerged in the early 1990s at the Jewish Historical Institute. In 1995 the city handed over a site in Muranów for the building, next to the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, and in 2005 the Ministry of Culture, the City of Warsaw and the Jewish Historical Institute set up a joint institution. The museum operates as a joint venture of public institutions and a social organisation.
The building was designed by the Finnish team Lahdelma & Mahlamäki, which won an international architectural competition. It was constructed in 2009–2013. Its interior is shaped by the undulating walls of the main hall, and the glass facade is decorated with letters forming the word “Polin”. The building opened to visitors in April 2013, and the permanent exhibition opened on 28 October 2014.
The exhibition “1000 Years of Jewish History in Poland” covers about 4,000 square metres on two underground levels. It leads visitors through eight galleries from the Middle Ages to the postwar period, and since 2021 also through the Heritage Gallery. The narrative relies on many forms of expression: reconstructions, multimedia installations and rich archival materials.
The museum also runs temporary exhibitions, a wide educational and cultural programme, and collections available in an online catalogue. In 2016 it received the title of European Museum of the Year (EMYA).
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition “1000 Years of Jewish History in Poland” in eight galleries
- Reconstruction of the painted vault of the synagogue from Gwoździec
- Galeria Zagłady (Holocaust Gallery) and Galeria Powojnie (Postwar Gallery)
- Galeria Dziedzictwa (Heritage Gallery, since 2021)
- Building by Finnish architects, winner of the European Museum of the Year 2016
Permanent exhibition
- 1000 lat historii Żydów polskich – Multimedia permanent exhibition in eight galleries, from the first contacts in the Middle Ages to the postwar period, supplemented since 2021 by the Galeria Dziedzictwa.
- Founded
- 2005
- Director
- Andrzej Cudak
- Visitors per year
- approx. 450,000
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 45 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 35 zł |
| Children & teens | 1 złThe “Museum for a Złoty” ticket for PLN 1 for young people in education, on presentation of a school or student card. |
| Students & apprentices | 1 złThe “Museum for a Złoty” ticket, on presentation of a school or student card. |
| Groups (10+ people) | 30 zł per personGroup ticket for groups of 10 or more people. |
| Temporary exhibition only – standard | 30 złReduced PLN 25, group PLN 20, student PLN 2. |
| Guided tour of the permanent exhibition (group) – Polish | 250 złIn another language PLN 350. |
Free admission: Thursday – free admission day.
The standard and reduced tickets include the permanent exhibition, the temporary exhibition, the audio guide and the Heritage Gallery. Tickets can be bought online or at the ticket office on the day of the visit; the ticket for the permanent exhibition must be bought at least 120 minutes before the museum closes.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is accessible to wheelchair users thanks to lifts and ramps. Four adult wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge at the ticket office and at security at the main entrance, without prior booking. An 18-metre ramp with an 8° gradient, without handrails, runs from ul. Zamenhofa; security can help. There are two disabled parking spaces; after driving up to the barrier, security must be called. Permanent induction loops are at the ticket office, in the education room, the conference room, the auditorium and the family zone; portable loops can be borrowed. On level -1 there is a quiet room for resting, and noise-cancelling headphones can be borrowed free of charge. Assistance dogs may enter all rooms. Accessibility coordinator: muzeumdostepne@polin.pl.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
The museum welcomes families with children; it has an education zone for families and a proposal for visiting the exhibition with children. The Galeria Zagłady is recommended for children aged 12 and over. The lift fits a pushchair, and pushchairs can be left in the cloakroom. Changing tables are in the toilets, and a quiet feeding room is on level -1. The restaurant serves dishes popular with children.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Anielewicza
Metro line M1, Ratusz Arsenał station. Trams 17, 33, 37 and 41 to the stop “Anielewicza”; buses 111 and 180 to the stop “Nalewki Muzeum” (about 200 m from the museum).
By car
Parking available
The museum car park on ul. Anielewicza is available at weekends if spaces are free; on weekdays the paid parking zone applies.
- Accessible parking
Amenities & dining
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
- Coat check
The museum has a restaurant (Varshe Bistro) and a bookshop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The audio guide is included in the ticket price. Guided tours of the permanent exhibition for groups are available in Polish and other languages and must be booked. Children under 12 may be in the museum only under adult supervision. |
