Muzeum Przyrody i Techniki „Ekomuzeum” im. Jana Pazdura w Starachowicach
Museum on the site of former blast-furnace works, with the Great Blast Furnace of 1899, a steam engine, STAR lorries and a palaeontological exhibition.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museum of Nature and Technology was established on 1 January 2001 by decision of the Starachowice County Council and is considered the first museum founded in Poland in the 21st century. The patron of the institution is Prof. Jan Pazdur, who wanted to show two thousand years of iron production, from the bloomery to the blast furnace. The museum covers about 8 hectares, on which the remains of two successive blast-furnace works survive: the older one, started in 1841, and the younger one from 1899.
The most valuable object is the coke-fired Great Blast Furnace of 1899, together with the preserved terraced layout and technological sequence: from the railway trestle and storage bays, through the water tower, to one of the largest steam engines in the world. The museum also displays lorries made at the Starachowice Truck Factory (Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych), including the first STAR 20, the off-road STAR 266R from the 1988 Paris–Dakar rally, and a reconstructed papamobile from John Paul II’s first pilgrimage to Poland in 1979.
In the historic “Kino Kotłownia” (Boiler House Cinema) there is a palaeontological exhibition with displays of animal tracks from the Holy Cross Mountains (Góry Świętokrzyskie) more than 200 million years old, and life-size models of amphibians and reptiles. In the Archeopark a bloomery settlement from the beginning of our era has been reconstructed, where iron-smelting demonstrations are held. A children’s zone, the Strefa Odkrywania Wyobraźni i Aktywności SOWA (Zone for Discovering Imagination and Activity), has been prepared.
Highlights
- Great Blast Furnace of 1899, coke-fired
- One of the largest steam engines in the world
- STAR lorries, including the papamobile of 1979
- Palaeontological exhibition with animal tracks and models of amphibians and reptiles
- Archeopark with a bloomery settlement and iron-smelting demonstrations
Permanent exhibitions
- Zakład wielkopiecowy i Wielki Piec z 1899 roku – Historic equipment of the two blast-furnace works: the coke-fired Great Blast Furnace, a steam engine and a mining exhibition.
- Technika samochodowa – ciężarówki STAR – Lorries from the Starachowice Truck Factory, including the STAR 20, the STAR 266R from the Paris–Dakar rally and the reconstructed papamobile.
- Wystawa paleontologiczna – Fossilised animal tracks from the Holy Cross Mountains and life-size models of amphibians and reptiles from the Permian, Triassic and Jurassic.
- Founded
- 2001
- Operated by
- Powiat Starachowicki
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 15 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 8 złChildren over 4, school pupils, students up to 26, pensioners and recipients of disability pensions, PTTK and POT guides, Honorary Blood Donors, and activists of the anti-communist opposition and persons subjected to repression. |
| Children & teens | 8 złfree up to age 4 · Children under 4 enter free of charge; in the summer season the reduced ticket costs PLN 12. |
| Groups (15+ people) | –Guardians of organised groups (more than 15 people) enter free of charge. |
| Families | –Holders of the Large Family Card pay PLN 10 (adults) and PLN 6 (children) in the summer season, and PLN 8 and PLN 5 in the winter season. |
| Standard ticket in the summer season (1 April – 31 October) | 20 złThe reduced ticket costs PLN 12. |
| Combined ticket with the Cistercian Abbey in Wąchock – standard | 28 złThe reduced ticket costs PLN 18; valid indefinitely. |
| Workshops and museum lessons (per person) | 8 złPrices range from PLN 8 to PLN 20 per person. |
| Birthday at the museum (per person) | 45 złThe event lasts up to 3 hours, including a tour of the exhibition on the birthday theme. |
The standard ticket (PLN 15) and the reduced ticket (PLN 8) apply in the winter season; in the summer season the standard ticket costs PLN 20 and the reduced ticket PLN 12. For groups there are, among other things, a campfire (PLN 100 per group of up to 50 people) and a screening of the film “Tropy i tropiciele” (Tracks and Trackers) (PLN 30).
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The main entrance is at ul. Piłsudskiego 95; by prior arrangement, persons with mobility impairments can enter from ul. Wielkopiecowa 1. Some of the buildings are reached by high stairs without ramps (historic site), but the palaeontological exhibition building is adapted: it has three entrances from the north with permanent ramps and wide doors, and induction loops and audiobooks can be used. A toilet for persons with disabilities is in the palaeontology building. The film “Z duchem techniki” (With the Spirit of Technology) is available in sign language, and an accessibility coordinator helps plan the visit (tel. +48 783 730 094).
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Playground / play area
- Kids’ birthday parties
For children there are the SOWA zone for discovering imagination and activity, workshops, museum lessons, and birthdays at the museum with the themes “Impressive World of Lorries and Dinosaurs” and “Little Scientist”. Children under 4 enter free of charge.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
ul. Piłsudskiego (przystanek nr 38 / 56)
The nearest bus stops are on ul. Piłsudskiego (no. 38, and no. 56 on the other side of the street). From Starachowice Dolne railway station you can walk to the entrance at Piłsudskiego 95, or take a taxi from the marked taxi rank.
By car
Free parking
There is a spacious free car park for visitors in front of the main entrance from ul. Piłsudskiego 95; there are also bicycle racks on the museum grounds.
The museum lies in the southern part of Starachowice and is connected to the town centre by paved footpaths and cycle paths.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
On site there are a museum shop and a teaching room; in the SOWA zone classes for children are held.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Weddings / ceremonies
The museum makes the grounds available for civil weddings, photo sessions (PLN 150) and campfires for groups.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | A visit takes about 1.5 hours in the summer season and about an hour in the winter season. In winter the Great Blast Furnace, the STAR lorries exhibition and the palaeontological exhibition are visited; in summer the remains of the mid-19th-century blast-furnace works, the steam engine and the mining exhibition are added. Visits are made in groups. Information and bookings: tel. +48 783 730 094. |
