Muzeum Westerplatte i Wojny 1939
Branch of the Museum of the Second World War in the making, on the Westerplatte peninsula, with an archaeological exhibition in the former power plant, a visitor centre and a cemetery of the defenders.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Westerplatte and 1939 War Museum is being built on the Westerplatte peninsula as a branch of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk. The peninsula, where the Second World War began on 1 September 1939, served from 1926 to 1939 as the seat of the Military Transit Depot (Wojskowa Składnica Tranzytowa) and was also used for recreation. The museum is carrying out an investment here covering an open-air museum and a new building with a permanent exhibition, financed from the multi-year programme of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for 2023–2030.
The investment is being carried out in stages, so further elements of the exhibition are made available to visitors gradually. The first completed facility was the Cemetery of Polish Army Soldiers, where the found defenders of the depot were buried in November 2022. In April 2025 the Visitor Service Centre opened, with an information point, a shop, a restaurant and a café, and an exhibition in the modernised former power plant of the depot. Since February 2026 another stage of construction has been under way, and the construction site is closed to visitors.
The exhibition ‘Pamięć w ziemi zapisana. Archeologia Westerplatte’ (Memory Written in the Ground: Archaeology of Westerplatte) shows archaeological discoveries related to the history of the peninsula, the everyday life and service of the depot’s soldiers, and the camp for Polish civilian prisoners that the Germans set up after the fighting ended. It also tells the story of Westerplatte from the 17th century to the early 1940s.
Key themes
- The exhibition ‘Pamięć w ziemi zapisana. Archeologia Westerplatte’ in the former power plant of the depot
- Cemetery of Polish Army Soldiers with named steles for the defenders
- Visitor Service Centre with a restaurant and a café with a view
- Relics of the officers’ villa and of Guardhouse No. 5
- Digital Westerplatte and the stories of the defenders online
Permanent exhibition
- Pamięć w ziemi zapisana. Archeologia Westerplatte – Exhibition in the modernised power plant of the former depot on archaeological discoveries, the life of the depot’s soldiers and the camp for Polish civilian prisoners.
- Founded
- 2015
- Operated by
- Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku
Admission & discounts
| Reduced | –pupils and students up to 26 years of age, doctoral students, teachers, seniors over 65, pensioners, retirees and persons with disabilities together with carers, holders of the Culture Card (Karta do Kultury), adults with the Large Family Card (Karta Dużej Rodziny), holders of the Honorary Blood Donor ID and holders of the Gdańsk Resident’s Card. |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 6 · Children under 7 enter free of charge; children and young people up to 18 with the Large Family Card also enter free of charge. |
Current ticket prices for the exhibition in the Power Plant are available in the museum’s online sales system. Employees of museums entered in the State Register of Museums are also admitted free of charge, as are holders of the Gdańsk Resident’s Card (once a year). Discounts cannot be combined with other promotions.
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
The museum states that the building of the Visitor Service Centre is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities; the accessibility of the exhibition in the Power Plant has not been described.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Buses 106 (from the Muzeum II Wojny Światowej stop), 138 and 606 (from the Main Railway Station; line 606 only in the summer season); low-floor vehicles run on the route.
By car
Parking available
On Westerplatte only the car park at the Visitor Service Centre is available; the car parks at the bus loop and the central car park are unavailable because of the investment. Parking outside marked spaces is prohibited.
Westerplatte can also be reached by bicycle along a route of about 10 km (up to 40 minutes one way); there are bicycle racks, a repair station and a MEVO bike station in front of the centre. Access by water is also possible.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
The Visitor Service Centre has a restaurant and a café with a view of the Gulf of Gdańsk (since the end of June 2025), and a gift shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The information point in the Visitor Service Centre helps to plan the route and find a guide. Group ticket bookings: tel. +48 58 766 83 68 or +48 536 810 350 (Monday to Friday); information point at the main seat (Tuesday–Sunday): tel. +48 58 760 09 60. |
