Muzeum Krakowa
The main seat of the Museum of Kraków in the Krzysztofory Palace on the Main Market Square, with an exhibition on the city’s history and the tradition of Kraków nativity crèches (szopki).
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museum of Kraków, until 2019 the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków, was founded in 1899 as a branch of the Archive of Old Records (Archiwum Akt Dawnych). Initially it had no exhibitions for the public; the first permanent exhibition opened in 1952 at ul. św. Jana. The museum changed its seat several times, and since the 1960s it has been located in the Krzysztofory Palace at Rynek Główny 35. It has used the shortened name “Muzeum Krakowa” since 2019; the statute was adopted by the city council in November 2018.
The Krzysztofory Palace (Pałac Pod Krzysztofory) was built in the 17th century by joining medieval tenement houses on the corner of the Main Market Square and ul. Szczepańska. It takes its name from the corner tenement house with a figure of St Christopher on its façade. In 1640–1649 the owner was Adam Kazanowski, chamberlain (podkomorzy) to Władysław IV, who thoroughly rebuilt the building. Traces of development on this site go back to the end of the 13th century.
After renovation in 2016–2021, the permanent exhibition “Kraków od początku, bez końca” (Kraków from the Beginning, Without End) opened in the palace on 18 December 2021. It shows what Kraków looked like before its charter of 1257 and how it changed later. The palace is also a place of the Kraków nativity crèche tradition: the museum has run the Kraków nativity crèche competition since 1946, and an annual exhibition of crèches accompanies the end of the year.
The Museum of Kraków runs more than a dozen branches, including the Underground Market Square (Rynek Podziemny), the Town Hall Tower, Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, the Pharmacy Under the Eagle, the Old Synagogue, Rydlówka, the Barbican and the Podgórze Museum.
Highlights
- Exhibition “Kraków od początku, bez końca” (Kraków from the Beginning, Without End)
- Competition and exhibition of Kraków nativity crèches
- Baroque palace on the Main Market Square
- Palace ticket covering temporary exhibitions
- Visitor Service Centre of the Museum of Kraków
Permanent exhibition
- Kraków od początku, bez końca – Permanent exhibition on what Kraków looked like before its charter of 1257 and how the city changed in the following centuries.
- Founded
- 1899
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 34 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 29 złpupils of primary, secondary and art schools, students and doctoral students, people over 65, pensioners, disability pensioners and people with disabilities (with carers), teachers, veterans and other groups listed in the museum’s regulations |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 6 · Children up to the age of 7 enter free of charge. |
| Seniors | 29 złReduced ticket for people over 65, pensioners and disability pensioners. |
| Visitors with disabilities | 29 złReduced ticket for people with disabilities together with their carers. |
| Students & apprentices | 29 złReduced ticket on presentation of a student ID. |
| Groups (10+ people) | 29 zł per personGroup ticket per person; school groups PLN 22 per person. |
| Families | 68 złFamily ticket: two adults and up to two children under 16, or one adult with up to three children under 16. |
| Palace ticket (permanent exhibition and temporary exhibitions) | 45 złReduced ticket PLN 35, family PLN 90, group PLN 35 (school PLN 26); available from 8 December 2025. |
| Guided tour of the permanent exhibition (price per group) | 280 złFor eligible groups PLN 250. |
Free admission: Tuesday – free admission to the permanent exhibition (tickets online or at the ticket office on the day of the visit, while places last).
Holders of the Karta Dużej Rodziny pay half the standard ticket price; discounts also apply to holders of the Karta Krakowska and the Krakowska Karta Rodziny “N”.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- 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
The Museum of Kraków publishes general accessibility information on its page “Muzeum dostępne” (Accessible Museum), including a virtual gallery with audio description, PJM interpretation and easy-to-read texts.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | 68 zł · Family ticket: two adults and up to two children under 16, or one adult with up to three children under 16. |
- Family tours & workshops
The museum offers a family ticket and in October runs nativity crèche-making workshops for children and adults.
Getting there & parking
The palace stands on the corner of the Main Market Square and ul. Szczepańska in the centre of Kraków.
Get directionsAmenities & 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
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tickets to the permanent exhibition can be bought online or at the ticket office; the Visitor Service Centre for all branches of the Museum of Kraków is located in the same building. |
