Muzeum Przyrodniczo-Leśne Białowieskiego Parku Narodowego
The oldest museum in Poland's national parks: a permanent exhibition on the nature and history of the Białowieża Forest in the Palace Park in Białowieża.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
At the turn of 1921 and 1922, important decisions were made about the fate of the Białowieża Forest: it was decided to establish five nature reserves, two of which gave rise to the later national park, and a commission for the protection and renewal of the forest was appointed at the ministry. Its first tasks included organising the reserve, the museum and scientific research, including the collection of natural specimens and photographic documentation.
The lack of permanent premises meant that some of the early collections were destroyed. At the end of the 1920s the first permanent exhibition was prepared in the rooms of the former tsarist palace, and in 1937 a new exhibition opened in an adapted coach house. A more modern exhibition was created in 1972 in the museum-hotel complex.
After the modernisation of the buildings in 1999–2003 and the installation of a new exhibition in 2004, one of the most modern natural history museums in Europe opened. On two levels it shows the nature and history of the Białowieża Forest: characteristic forest communities, life underground in the forest, invertebrates, hoofed and predatory mammals, and birds, and in the historical section forest beekeeping (bartnictwo), hay-making in the forest meadows (sianożęcia), turpentine production and the forest narrow-gauge railway. Semi-darkness, uneven floors and the sounds of the forest are meant to make visitors feel as if they were in the middle of the woods.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition with 25 scenes from life in the Białowieża Forest
- Forest communities, underground life, birds, mammals and fungi
- History of forest beekeeping, hay-making and the forest narrow-gauge railway
- Temporary exhibitions and observation tower (currently under renovation)
- Audio guide in several languages
Permanent exhibition
- Wystawa stała Muzeum Przyrodniczo-Leśnego – A two-level exhibition on the nature and history of the Białowieża Forest with 25 scenes: forest communities, animals and fungi, and beekeeping, hay-making and the forest narrow-gauge railway.
- Operated by
- Białowieski Park Narodowy
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 16 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 10 złchildren from 5 years of age, pupils and students, pensioners, people receiving disability pensions, people with disabilities with their carers, and active-duty soldiers |
| Children & teens | 10 złfree up to age 4 · Children up to and including 4 years of age enter free; carers of organised groups of children and young people also enter free. |
| Seniors | 10 złPensioners and people receiving disability pensions. |
| Visitors with disabilities | 10 złReduced ticket for a person with a disability and their carer. |
| Students & apprentices | 10 zł |
| Groups | –Organised groups pay for a BPN guide: PLN 120 per group of up to 25 people (Polish) or PLN 150 (English); flat fee of PLN 80 for a group of up to 6 people; booking required. |
| Families | –Holders of the Large Family Card receive a 20% discount. |
| Visit to the permanent exhibition with an audio guide (surcharge to the ticket) | 4 zł |
| Visit to the permanent exhibition with a guide, a BPN employee (surcharge to the ticket) | 15 zł |
| Ticket for the temporary exhibitions and the observation tower (without the permanent exhibition) – standard | 10 złReduced PLN 6. |
The ticket for the permanent exhibition also includes the temporary exhibitions and the observation tower (currently the tower is not accessible). Free admission is available to residents of the municipalities of Białowieża and Narewka and to guides holding a licence from the Białowieża National Park (BPN).
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Steps lead to the entrance, with a ramp for wheelchairs; there is a lift in the hall with signs in Braille. Most rooms are accessible to wheelchair users; on the first floor of the permanent exhibition wheelchairs are taken up by a platform operated by a staff member. The toilet for people with motor disabilities is on level -1 and has a call system and a baby-changing table. The museum lends a wheelchair or a three-wheeled walking aid free of charge. The information point has a tactile map of the park, and an online sign language interpreting service is available. The cinema room has no audio description. The exhibition is in semi-darkness, which people with claustrophobia may find uncomfortable.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
Children from 5 years old pay the reduced ticket; children up to 4 years old do not pay.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
A car park in front of the museum building has been designated for people with disabilities.
- Accessible parking
The museum is located in the Palace Park in Białowieża; a paved road leads to the building on a small rise.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
There is a tourist information point in the museum foyer.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (EN, DE, RU, FR) |
| Good to know | The permanent exhibition is visited with an audio guide (group of up to 15 people) or with a guide (group of up to 25 people); a visit to the permanent exhibition takes about an hour, and the whole museum with the temporary exhibitions and the tower about 1.5 hours. Organised groups with a guide book the day and time in advance; group bookings with audio guides are not accepted. |
