Muzeum Śląska Cieszyńskiego

About the museum

The Museum of Cieszyn Silesia was founded in 1802 by the priest Leopold Jan Szersznik and is considered the oldest public museum in Poland and one of the oldest in Central Europe. Its present seat is the palace of the Counts Larisch, built in 1790–1796 after the great fire of Cieszyn in 1789.

Emperor Francis I and princes of the Habsburg dynasty visited the palace, and in 1840 it was bought by the lawyer Antoni Demel, after whom the building was called the Demel tenement house. The town bought it back in 1918, and on 21 June 1931 the City Museum was opened here, formed from the combination of Szersznik’s collections, the ethnographic Museum of Silesia, a municipal museum and private collections.

In 1942 a fire broke out in the Roman Hall (Sala Rzymska), and after the war the building was repaired several times; in 1983–2002 a general renovation and adaptation of the palace to the needs of a modern museum were carried out. Today the museum presents a permanent exhibition, which is visited with a guide, a gallery of temporary exhibitions and a café in the former round stable, and it runs branches in Wisła, Górki Wielkie and Skoczów.

Highlights

• The oldest public museum in Poland, founded in 1802
• Larisch Palace with the Roman Hall
• Visit to the permanent exhibition with a guide at fixed times
• Cafe Muzeum in the former stable

Permanent exhibition

• Wystawa stała Muzeum Śląska Cieszyńskiego – The exhibition in the Larisch Palace presents the history and culture of Cieszyn Silesia; it can be visited only with a guide.

Founded

1802

Admission & discounts

Prices refer to the permanent exhibition visited with a guide.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: not available
• 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

The building has a lift; the permanent exhibition and the gallery of temporary exhibitions are accessible to wheelchair users, and there are no thresholds between the rooms. The entrance is at ground level, the adapted toilet is on level 0, and the museum has a wheelchair. The surroundings (ul. Regera, ul. Limanowskiego) have cobbled surfaces. The museum has no disabled parking spaces.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

A family ticket is available; the educational offer includes workshops, lectures and family activities.

Getting there & parking

The entrance to the museum is from the side of Park Pokoju; the museum stands at ul. Regera.

Amenities & dining

• Café

The Cafe Muzeum is located in the former round stable of the palace.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit