Muzeum Narodowe w Kielcach
Museum in the Baroque palace of the Bishops of Kraków, with historic interiors, a gallery of Polish painting and the Shrine of Marshal Piłsudski.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The National Museum in Kielce was founded in 1908 by the Kielce branch of the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Krajoznawcze), and its first director was Szymon Tadeusz Włoszek. As early as 1910 the collections already numbered almost two thousand catalogued objects. In 1936 the institution adopted the name Muzeum Świętokrzyskie (Świętokrzyski Museum), and in 1938 the Sanktuarium Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego i Muzeum Legionów (Shrine of Marshal Józef Piłsudski and Museum of the Legions) was established in the palace. After the Second World War the museum resumed its activities, and in 1949 it was nationalised.
The main seat is the 17th-century palace, once belonging to the bishops of Kraków, located in the city centre between ul. Jana Pawła II, ul. Ogrodowa and ul. Staszica. From 1919 to 1939 and from 1945 to 1971 it housed the voivodeship office. In 2010 the building was adapted for people with disabilities, and behind the palace lies an Italian garden.
The permanent exhibitions show historic interiors from the 17th and 18th centuries, the Galeria Malarstwa Polskiego i Europejskiej Sztuki Zdobniczej im. Alojzego Obornego (Gallery of Polish Painting and European Decorative Art named after Alojzy Oborny), the Shrine of Marshal Józef Piłsudski and the Numismatic Cabinet. The museum also organises temporary exhibitions, concerts, lectures and workshops for children and families. Its branches are the Muzeum Stefana Żeromskiego, the Muzeum Dialogu Kultur, the Muzeum Archeologiczne w Wiślicy and the Pałacyk Henryka Sienkiewicza in Oblęgorek.
Highlights
- Historic palace interiors from the 17th and 18th centuries
- Galeria Malarstwa Polskiego i Europejskiej Sztuki Zdobniczej im. Alojzego Obornego
- Sanktuarium Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego (Shrine of Marshal Józef Piłsudski)
- Numismatic Cabinet
- Italian garden behind the palace
Permanent exhibitions
- Wnętrza zabytkowe XVII–XVIII wieku – Historic interiors of the palace of the Bishops of Kraków, with furnishings from the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Galeria Malarstwa Polskiego i Europejskiej Sztuki Zdobniczej im. Alojzego Obornego – Permanent gallery of Polish painting, artistic crafts and European decorative art.
- Sanktuarium Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego – Exhibition devoted to Józef Piłsudski, set up in the palace in 1938.
- Founded
- 1908
- Director
- prof. dr hab. Robert Kotowski
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 20 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 12 złpupils, students, seniors over 60 (Świętokrzyska Senior Card), veterans, artists belonging to the Association of Polish Visual Artists (ZPAP), and holders of the Large Family Card |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 6 · Children under 7 enter free of charge; in the programmes “Kultura dostępna” (ages 7–26) and “Muzeum za 1 zł” (ages 8–26), the ticket costs PLN 1. |
| Seniors | 12 złReduced ticket for seniors over 60 under the Świętokrzyska Senior Card. |
| Students & apprentices | 12 złReduced ticket for pupils and students. |
| Groups (15+ people) | 15 zł per personPrice per person for groups of more than 15 people with a booked guiding service (historic interiors PLN 15, reduced ticket PLN 10). |
| Families | –Parents and carers of children pay the reduced ticket (PLN 12); this also applies to holders of the Large Family Card. |
| Historic interiors (17th–18th century) – standard | 20 zł |
| Historic interiors (17th–18th century) – reduced | 12 zł |
| Gallery of Polish Painting and European Decorative Art – standard | 20 zł |
| Gallery of Polish Painting and European Decorative Art – reduced | 12 zł |
| Shrine of Marshal Józef Piłsudski – standard | 5 zł |
| Shrine of Marshal Józef Piłsudski – reduced | 4 zł |
| Numismatic Cabinet – standard | 5 zł |
| Numismatic Cabinet – reduced | 4 zł |
| Combined ticket for all permanent exhibitions – standard | 40 zł |
| Combined ticket for all permanent exhibitions – reduced | 24 zł |
| Guided tour of the permanent exhibition in Polish (group) | 50 złPlus a ticket for each participant. |
| Guided tour of the permanent exhibition in English (group) | 70 złGuide to be arranged in advance; plus a ticket for each participant. |
Free admission: Tuesday – free admission to the permanent exhibitions.
Tickets are bought at the palace ticket office; groups may pay by bank transfer. Temporary exhibitions have separate prices. Artists belonging to the Association of Polish Visual Artists (ZPAP) buy the reduced ticket at all branches of the museum.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A ramp from the west loggia leads to the ground floor with the temporary exhibitions, a ramp beside the north wing leads to the picture gallery, and a lift takes visitors to the upper floor. Three rooms on the ground floor of the gallery are not accessible to wheelchair users. There are two toilets adapted for people with limited mobility and one for mothers with children. On the ground floor there is a tactile board of the palace interiors (with sound effects and Braille), and at the ticket office there is a blue zone with pictograms. The parking space for people with disabilities is in the northern courtyard (entry with help from security, via the Call-Hear system and a lift to the terrace).
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Stroller-friendly
The palace hosts workshops for children and young people and family events; on the ground floor there is a toilet for mothers with children, and entry with pushchairs is permitted.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Plac Artystów
The nearest stops in the centre are Plac Artystów and Bazylika Katedralna / Plac NMP (ul. Jana Pawła II / Ogrodowa); bus line 103 and the free lines 0Z and 0W run there.
By car
Paid parking · 50 m to the entrance
Paid car park for passenger cars on ul. Zamkowa (about 50 m from the palace); coach stops on ul. Zamkowa (about 50 m) and on Plac NMP, and a car park on ul. Czerwonego Krzyża (about 150 m).
- Accessible parking
The palace lies in the very centre of the city, between ul. Jana Pawła II, ul. Ogrodowa and ul. Staszica.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The palace has a museum shop.
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 to the historic interiors and the picture gallery is available in the free MOVITECH app (own headphones required). Rest areas are provided inside the building, and pushchairs for small children may be taken into the rooms. Groups of more than 15 people must book a guiding service. |
