Muzeum Minerałów i Skamieniałości w Świętej Katarzynie
Private museum at the foot of Łysica with a collection of almost 2,000 minerals, gemstones, fossils and meteorites from around the world.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Muzeum Minerałów i Skamieniałości w Świętej Katarzynie (Museum of Minerals and Fossils in Święta Katarzyna) opened on 30 April 2005. It was founded by Ewa and Dariusz Siemoński, both geographers by training, who had spent more than twenty years building a private collection of specimens from their travels, mineral fairs and mountain expeditions. The museum was established without public subsidies, from the owners' own funds.
The museum is housed in a former bakery building adapted for exhibition purposes. Besides the exhibition rooms, it also contains a shop and workshops: a stone-cutting workshop and, later, a jewellery and gem-engraving (glyptic) workshop. In 2010 the company adopted the name Galeria 'Tajemnice Klejnotów' (Gallery 'Secrets of Gems'). A workshop for banded flint also operates at the museum, where specimens for exhibitions and jewellery are cut and polished.
The collection comprises almost two thousand specimens: minerals arranged according to crystallochemical classification, gemstones, rocks, fossils and meteorites. They include large clusters of mountain crystal, amethyst geodes, a collection of trilobites and ammonites, and dinosaur bones from the sauropod group. Polish minerals, especially from the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, are also well represented.
In 2025, for the museum's twentieth anniversary, a permanent exhibition of replicas of famous diamonds was opened. In July 2026 a new space was made available, featuring a staged mine in which fluorescent minerals are shown.
Highlights
- Almost 2,000 specimens of minerals, rocks, fossils and meteorites
- Large amethyst geodes and a mountain crystal cluster from Arkansas
- Exhibition of replicas of the world's most famous diamonds
- Staged mine with fluorescent minerals
- Gemstone-cutting demonstrations and banded flint workshop
- Free audio guide on your own phone
Permanent exhibitions
- Kolekcja minerałów, skał, skamieniałości i meteorytów – Almost two thousand specimens from around the world, arranged by crystallochemical classification, with a section on Polish minerals.
- Diamenty i inne kamienie szlachetne – Permanent exhibition of replicas of the largest and most famous diamonds in the world, made of cubic zirconia.
- Co skrywa stara kopalnia? – A staged mine with minerals and crystals, which also shows fluorescent specimens.
- Founded
- 2005
- Operated by
- Galeria „Tajemnice Klejnotów” Ewa Siemońska
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 20 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 17 złpensioners, teachers and students up to the age of 26 (on presentation of a student ID) |
| Children & teens | 15 złfree up to age 2 · Reduced ticket for children and young people: PLN 15. |
| Seniors | 17 złReduced ticket for pensioners. |
| Students & apprentices | 17 złStudents up to the age of 26 on presentation of a student ID. |
| Groups (20+ people) | 17 zł per personAdult ticket with a guided tour for groups of 20 or more: PLN 17. With a guided tour and a gemstone-cutting demonstration for groups of 10 or more: PLN 20. Booking required. |
| Families | –When two standard tickets are bought, the child's ticket costs PLN 10. |
| Gemstone-cutting demonstration (20 min) | 30 złFor individual visitors; on some days the demonstration may not be possible. |
| Guided tour of the museum (45 min) | 50 złOn some days a guided tour may not be possible. |
| Workshop “Poszukiwacz kamieni szlachetnych” (Gemstone Prospector) | 20 złChildren's workshop in the staged mine; booking by telephone is welcome. |
Free admission for children under 3, supervisors of school trips (1 per 10 pupils), tour leaders, guides and bus drivers. Holders of the Karta Dużej Rodziny (Large Family Card) receive a 10% discount; discounts cannot be combined. Individual visitors do not need to book tickets. A visit to the temporary exhibition is included in the ticket price.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 2 |
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
Children can take part in the Gemstone Prospector workshop in the staged mine, search for fluorescent minerals with free UV torches, and look at minerals under a digital microscope (also free of charge).
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking · 30 m to the entrance
Two parking spaces in front of the museum and free parking on the street 30 m away. A municipal car park for cars and coaches is 250 m from the museum.
The museum is in Święta Katarzyna (Bodzentyn municipality), at the foot of Łysica.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum has a shop selling minerals and jewellery.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The museum can be visited independently. The exhibits are labelled, and QR codes lead to longer articles. A free audio guide works on your own smartphone: scan the QR code at the entrance (headphones are useful). Listening to it takes about an hour. For school groups, the museum offers lessons, gemstone-cutting demonstrations and tours of the mine with fluorescent minerals. |
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