Muzeum Ratusz – Galeria Sztuki Dawnej
Branch of the Museum of the Tarnów Land in the Mannerist town hall on the Tarnów market square, with a gallery of old art and a tower with a view.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The town hall stands in the middle of the Tarnów market square. After a fire in 1494, the earlier buildings began to be rebuilt, and the works were completed in 1568. In the first quarter of the 16th century the former buildings were combined and a late-Gothic storey was added; the largest reconstruction, in the 1560s, gave the building its present Mannerist appearance, with an attic decorated with portraits, a portal and a tower. After a fire in the city after 1663, the town hall was rebuilt and a clock was installed in the tower.
In 1889–1892 the building was remodelled in the spirit of historicism, and since 1931 it has housed a museum; since 1945 it has been run by the Museum of the Tarnów Land. After restoration work in 1962–1968 and a thorough renovation in the first decade of the 21st century, the town hall reopened in 2010. The tower, raised to 28 metres in the 16th century, has a cylindrical section, unusual for Polish town halls; inside it is a historic tower clock, regarded as the oldest working tower clock in Lesser Poland.
Today the branch houses the Gallery of Old Art. The tour also shows the Hall of the Commoners (Sala Pospólstwa) with bells from 1631 and fragments of 18th-century polychromy, and the glazed-over former municipal “dziura złoczyńców” (“hole of the wrongdoers”). A ticket for the tower can be bought separately.
Highlights
- Mannerist 16th-century town hall in the middle of the market square
- Gallery of Old Art
- Hall of the Commoners with bells from 1631
- Tower with the historic tower clock
- Glazed-over former municipal “dziura złoczyńców” (“hole of the wrongdoers”)
Permanent exhibition
- Galeria Sztuki Dawnej – Permanent exhibition of old art in the historic interiors of the town hall.
- Operated by
- Muzeum Ziemi Tarnowskiej (samorządowa instytucja kultury)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 12 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 9 zł |
| Families | 28 zł |
| Social ticket | 6 zł |
| Pass for the 6 sites of the Museum of the Tarnów Land in Tarnów – standard | 40 złReduced PLN 30; valid for 30 days from the date of purchase, entitles to one entry to each site. |
| English-language guided tour (group fee, plus tickets) | 80 złBooking at least 3 working days in advance. |
| Tower – standard | 14 złReduced PLN 9. |
| Standard ticket + tower | 20 złReduced, with tower, PLN 14. |
Free admission: From 3 August 2026, every Wednesday is a day of free admission to the permanent exhibitions in all branches of the museum.
Prices apply from 1 March 2024. Museum lessons cost PLN 12–16 per person.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- 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
Information on the accessibility of this branch has not been published on the website. The museum has an accessibility coordinator (dostepnosc@muzeum.tarnow.pl, +48 602 146 811, also by SMS).
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
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
Hire of the Hall of the Commoners: PLN 1,230 for the first hour and PLN 246 for each additional hour started.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | English-language guided tours require booking at least 3 working days in advance; the branch's Hall of the Commoners can be hired. |
