Muzeum Okręgowe w Toruniu

About the museum

The Muzeum Okręgowe w Toruniu was founded in July 1861 as the Municipal Museum (Städtisches Museum) on the initiative of the Toruń scholarly society Coppernicus-Verein. The society’s collections were combined at that time with the city’s collections and donations and deposits from residents, and the first exhibition was opened at the end of 1861. The institution is housed in the Old Town Hall, built in the 13th and 14th centuries in the centre of the Old Town Market Square (Rynek Staromiejski).

After 1920 Polish city authorities took over the museum, and in 1930 the collections of the Toruń Scholarly Society were added to it, including memorabilia of the Academic Gymnasium. After the war, in 1946, the institution returned to the Town Hall. In 1957–1964 a general renovation of the building was carried out, which adapted it fully to museum needs, and in 1965 the institution adopted its present name.

From the 1960s the museum grew with further branches: the Dom Mikołaja Kopernika (House of Nicolaus Copernicus), the Museum of Far Eastern Art, the Museum of the History of Toruń, the Museum of Travellers named after Tony Halik, the Museum of Toruń Gingerbread and the Museum of the Toruń Fortress. The collections number about 300,000 objects; the most valuable include Gothic stained-glass windows, the Skrwilno hoard, coins from the Toruń mint, paintings by Jan Matejko and Olga Boznańska, and the compass of Jan Heweliusz (Johannes Hevelius). In the Town Hall visitors can see the permanent exhibitions and climb the tower with its viewing terrace.

Highlights

• Gallery of Gothic Art with 14th-century stained-glass windows
• Royal Hall with the oldest Polish series of portraits of the kings of Poland (Poczet Królów Polskich)
• Gallery of Polish Painting, including works by Matejko and Boznańska
• Treasures from Skrwilno and Nieszawa and coins from the Toruń mint
• Viewing terrace on the Town Hall Tower

Permanent exhibitions

• Galeria Sztuki Gotyckiej – A unique set of stained-glass windows from the 14th century and other works of medieval sacred art.
• Galeria Malarstwa Polskiego – Presentation of Polish painting from the late 18th century to the present, with works by, among others, Jan Matejko, Olga Boznańska and Zdzisław Beksiński.
• Mennice i monety toruńskie (1233/1238–1765) – Exhibition on the history of the Toruń mint and money circulation from the Middle Ages to the 18th century.

Founded

1861

Operated by

Gmina Miasta Toruń

Director

Marek Rubnikowicz

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Wednesday – free admission to the permanent exhibitions.

Tickets can be bought at the ticket office or online.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entrance for wheelchair users is from the courtyard side, and a lift reaches all exhibition floors. The accessible toilet is on the 3rd floor. An induction loop operates at the ticket office and at the entrance to the exhibitions, and each floor has tactile plans and beacons for blind visitors. For groups of up to 15 people the museum arranges interpreting into Polish Sign Language (booking two weeks in advance, tel. +48 56 660 56 06).

Kids & families

The museum prepares educational activities for primary school pupils, including classes I–IV.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the Old Town Hall in the middle of the Old Town Market Square, in the pedestrian zone of Toruń’s Old Town.

Amenities & 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