Muzeum Śląska Opolskiego w Opolu
The main regional museum of the Opole region, in the former Jesuit building on Mały Rynek, with exhibitions on the history of Opole, archaeology, ethnography, ceramics and Polish painting.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museum of Upper Silesia in Opole was founded in 1900 as the Municipal Museum in Opole (Städtisches Museum Oppeln). From the start it was a multi-departmental institution. It has borne its current name since 1950, and today it consists of seven departments: archaeology, museum education, ethnography, history, natural history, art, and a conservation workshop.
The main building at Mały Rynek 7 consists of two townhouses from the end of the 16th century, which the Jesuits took over in the 17th century and converted into a college; after 1773 they housed, among other things, offices and a hospital. The Municipal Museum opened in this building in 1932, and after the war the Polish institution began operating here in 1945. The building was renovated and extended with a new exhibition pavilion in 2005–2008, and it reopened in October 2008.
In the main building you can see exhibitions on the history of Opole and the region, the prehistory of the Opole region, Upper Silesian ceramics, ethnography and a gallery of Polish painting from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum also runs the Kamienica Czynszowa (tenement house) with burgher interiors from 1890–1960, and the Gallery of the Museum of Upper Silesia, which holds the largest collection of works by Jan Cybis in Poland. Its branch, the Muzeum Czynu Powstańczego (Museum of the Insurgent Deed), is located in Góra św. Anny.
Highlights
- Exhibition ‘Opole – gród, miasto, stolica regionu’ (Opole – stronghold, town, regional capital)
- Prehistory and early Middle Ages of the Opole region
- Gallery of Polish painting from the 19th and 20th centuries (130 paintings)
- Upper Silesian ceramics and Opole porcelain
- Ethnography of the Opole region – tradition and change
- Tenement house and gallery with the largest collection of works by Jan Cybis in Poland
Permanent exhibitions
- Opole – gród, miasto, stolica regionu – The exhibition presents the history of Opole from the early Middle Ages, with the stronghold on Ostrówek, to the post-war reconstruction.
- Galeria malarstwa polskiego XIX i XX wieku – A chronological display of 130 paintings from the museum’s collection, from the mid-19th to the end of the 20th century.
- Pradzieje i wczesne średniowiecze Opolszczyzny – A comprehensive presentation of the region’s history from around 300,000 years ago to the early Middle Ages.
- Founded
- 1900
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 15 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 10 zł |
| Groups (10+ people) | 5 zł per personGroup ticket for groups of 10 or more people, price per person. Groups range from 10 to 30 people; guided tours of the permanent exhibitions cost PLN 100 per group, of a single exhibition PLN 50, in a foreign language PLN 150 (in addition to admission tickets). |
| Audio guide hire | 10 złPrice per item. |
| Tenement house | 10 złReduced ticket PLN 6, group ticket PLN 5 per person. |
| Gallery of the Museum of Upper Silesia | 8 złReduced ticket PLN 5. |
| Guided tour of the permanent exhibitions (group) | 100 złThe guiding fee does not replace admission tickets. |
Free admission: every Thursday (free admission; in the main building until 17:45)
The ticket for the main building covers the permanent exhibitions, the temporary exhibition and the Gallery of the Museum of Upper Silesia. Tickets can be bought at the box office or online.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
On Saturdays, educational activities for children take place as part of the series ‘Sobotnie pogotowie twórcze’ (Saturday creative emergency). The museum also runs lessons and workshops for school groups, as well as educational games and quizzes.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Coat check
The museum’s visiting rules provide for a cloakroom in the museum buildings.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
Room rental is handled by the Communications Department (tel. +48 77 443 17 57).
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | An audio guide can be borrowed for PLN 10. Guided tours are possible for groups of 10 to 30 people. The museum organises museum lessons and classes for groups, as well as classes for individual visitors. |
