Muzeum Okręgowe w Suwałkach

About the museum

The museum tradition in Suwałki goes back to 1907–1908, when the Muzeum Ziemi Suwalskiej (Museum of the Suwałki Land) began to take shape at the commercial school; it opened in June 1909. During the First World War the collections were taken to Russia. The museum was re-established in 1956 as a social institution; a year later it was nationalised and renamed Muzeum Regionalne Ziemi Suwalskiej, and in 1975, after the creation of the Suwałki Voivodeship, it received the status of a district museum. Since 1999 it has been subordinate to the self-government of the city county of Suwałki.

The seat is in the building known as the Resursa, erected in 1912–1913 for the Towarzystwo Oszczędnościowo-Pożyczkowe (savings and loan association). At various times the building served social and cultural organisations, a bank and a restaurant; it was also a military hospital and the seat of a command. The museum took it over gradually: from 1956 part of the ground floor, and from 1977 the whole building.

The collections include art, archaeology, ethnography and the history of the region. The permanent exhibitions show the archaeology of the Suwałki region and Eastern Masuria from the end of the Ice Age until the fall of the Jaćwież tribes, documents and mementos of the region's history, and the work of the painter Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski. A branch of the museum is the Muzeum im. Marii Konopnickiej at ul. Kościuszki 31.

Highlights

• Exhibition on Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski (1849–1915)
• Archaeology of the Suwałki region from the end of the Ice Age to the fall of the Jaćwież tribes
• Exhibition “Na dziejowym trakcie” with documents, photographs and mementos
• Historic Resursa building from 1912–1913
• Branch: Muzeum im. Marii Konopnickiej

Permanent exhibitions

• Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski 1849–1915 – Permanent exhibition devoted to the life and work of the painter, shown in three rooms.
• Najstarsze dzieje. Suwalszczyzna i Wschodnie Mazury od schyłku epoki lodowej do upadku Jaćwieży – Archaeological exhibition on the earliest history of the region, up to the fall of the Jaćwież tribes.
• Na dziejowym trakcie – Documents, photographs, everyday objects and valuable mementos collected by the museum, illustrating the history of the region.

Founded

1909

Operated by

Powiat grodzki Suwałki (miasto Suwałki)

Director

Jerzy Brzozowski

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Sunday – free admission to the permanent exhibitions

Holders of the Karta Dużej Rodziny (Large Family Card) and the Suwalska Karta Mieszkańca (Suwałki Resident Card) pay 50% of the ticket price; discounts cannot be combined, and the card must be shown before purchase. Free admission is granted, among others, to holders of the Karta Polaka, members of ICOM and ICOMOS, members of the Stowarzyszenie Muzealników Polskich (Association of Polish Museum Professionals), employees of museums listed in the Państwowy Rejestr Muzeów (State Register of Museums), and guardians of organised groups (1–2 persons for a group of 10 or more). In groups of more than 10 people the guide fee is included in the ticket price.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• 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

According to the museum, the building and exhibition rooms are accessible to people with disabilities; it is worth informing the staff of your needs before the visit.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check

Coats, backpacks and large bags must be left in the cloakroom. The museum runs a shop with publications (the “Sklep” page).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit