Muzeum Przyrodnicze Instytutu Systematyki i Ewolucji Zwierząt PAN
Natural history museum of the Polish Academy of Sciences in the former Roman Baths (Łaźnia Rzymska), known for the woolly rhinoceros specimen from Starunia.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum traces its origins to the Physiographic Commission of the Kraków Scientific Society (Komisja Fizjograficzna Towarzystwa Naukowego Krakowskiego), established in 1865. The collections were first kept in the university building at ul. Św. Anny, from 1870 in the attic of the Society's building at ul. Sławkowska, and the first exhibition was opened in 1888. After the Second World War the exhibition was reopened in 1946.
In 1930 the museum was enriched by a specimen of a woolly rhinoceros from Starunia in the Podkarpacie region, about 40,000 years old. After three PAN institutions were set up at ul. Sławkowska in 1953, the zoological collections remained there. The exhibition was moved out of the Academy's seat in 1992, when the building of the former Roman Baths at ul. Św. Sebastiana was purchased.
The first exhibition in the new location, “Sea Shells” (Muszle morskie), opened in January 1993. Up to 2025 more than a hundred temporary exhibitions were organised in the museum, and more than sixty were hosted in other Polish cities. Today the museum is a unit of the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals PAN and carries out educational, popularising and exhibition activities.
Highlights
- Woolly rhinoceros specimen from Starunia, about 40,000 years old
- Permanent exhibition “Fauna of Poland in the Pleistocene” (Fauna plejstocenu Polski)
- Building of the former Roman Baths
- Virtual walk through the museum
- Workshop programme for schools and groups
Permanent exhibition
- Fauna plejstocenu Polski – Permanent exhibition devoted to the animals of the Pleistocene. One of the museum's most valuable exhibits is the woolly rhinoceros specimen from Starunia.
- Founded
- 1865
- Operated by
- Instytut Systematyki i Ewolucji Zwierząt Polskiej Akademii Nauk
- Director
- Anna Marchewka (kierownik muzeum)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 30 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 20 złchildren from age 3, pupils, students up to 26 years of age, teachers, pensioners, disability pensioners, and people with a certificate of considerable degree of disability together with a carer |
| Children & teens | 20 złfree up to age 2 · Children under 3 enter free of charge. |
| Seniors | 20 złReduced ticket for pensioners and disability pensioners. |
| Visitors with disabilities | 20 złReduced ticket for a person with a certificate of considerable degree of disability and for their carer. |
| Students & apprentices | 20 złStudents up to 26 years of age. |
| Groups (10+ people) | 18 zł per personPrice per person: carer PLN 20, child PLN 15. One carer per 10 underage participants enters free of charge. |
| Families | 90 złFor two carers and up to three children up to 18 years of age. |
| Guide for individual visitors (1–9 people) | 60 złService available from Tuesday to Friday by prior arrangement. |
Additional concessions are available to holders of the Large Family Card (Karta Dużej Rodziny) and of the “N” card. Admission is free for veterans. Concessions cannot be combined and require the presentation of a document.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 2 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | 90 zł · For two carers and up to three children up to 18 years of age. |
- Family tours & workshops
The museum runs workshops for children and young people and offers a family ticket.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Coat check
The museum is not responsible for valuables left in the cloakroom.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography is free of charge; flash lamps are prohibited. |
| Good to know | A guide is included in the group ticket price, by prior arrangement. Children under 13 can stay in the museum only in the care of an adult. The museum offers workshops for groups. |
