Muzeum Regionalne PTTK im. Antoniego Minkiewicza w Olkuszu
One of the oldest regional museums in Poland, housed in the Renaissance townhouse Batorówka, showing the history of mining, the history of Olkusz and the ethnography of the region.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The PTTK Regional Museum in Olkusz (Muzeum Regionalne PTTK w Olkuszu) was founded in 1911 through the efforts of activists of the Polish Society for Regional Studies (Polskie Towarzystwo Krajoznawcze, PTTK), and it is one of the oldest regional museums in Poland. It operated until the outbreak of the Second World War, and its collections survived the occupation because they had been entrusted to trusted people. It was reactivated in 1958.
Since 1968 the institution has been housed in the historic townhouse Batorówka at Rynek 20 in Olkusz, built in the 16th century. A medieval mine shaft survives in the building’s cellars. The museum is run by the PTTK branch in Olkusz, and since 1989 its patron has been Antoni Minkiewicz, a mining engineer and one of the founders of the museum.
The exhibition is divided into sections: mining, the history of Olkusz mining, the history of the town and region, ethnography (including folk sacred art) and art. Among the monuments are the executioner’s sword (miecz katowski), a stone mason’s mark (kamienny gmerk), arrow heads, wooden water pipes from the 16th–17th centuries and an archaeological collection. The museum also holds the book collection “ilkusiana”, of around 1,150 volumes about the Olkusz region.
Highlights
- executioner’s sword and a stone mark – a burgher’s coat of arms
- mining section with the history of silver and lead mining in Olkusz
- archaeological and ethnographic collections of the region
- medieval mine shaft in the cellars of the townhouse
- historic Batorówka townhouse from the 16th century
Permanent exhibition
- Wystawa stała Muzeum Regionalnego PTTK – Sections on mining, the history of Olkusz and the region, ethnography and art, in the historic Batorówka townhouse.
- Founded
- 1911
- Operated by
- Oddział PTTK im. Aleksandra Janowskiego w Olkuszu
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 12 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 8 zł |
The prices of PLN 12 and PLN 8 come from a tourist guidebook and may be out of date; it is worth confirming the price list by telephone. A guided tour is included in the ticket price.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 30 min |
|---|
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
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The visit takes about 30 minutes and includes a guided tour in the ticket price. Groups wishing to visit on a Sunday should arrange it by telephone. |
