Orawski Park Etnograficzny w Zubrzycy Górnej

About the museum

The beginnings of the open-air museum go back to the 1930s, when descendants of the Orava Moniak family, Joanna Wilczkowa and her brother Sándor Lattyak, handed over the family estate with its 17th-century manor house to the state. Thanks to the efforts of the director of the Tatra Museum, Juliusz Zborowski, and the conservator Bogdan Treter, the donation was finalised on 13 August 1937. The war halted the work, and after 1945 the manor house deteriorated, serving among other things as a sheep barn.

Restoration and conservation of the historic homestead were carried out in 1953–1954 under the direction of Hanna Pieńkowska, and the solemn opening of the “Orava Tourist and Sightseeing Centre in Zubrzyca Górna” took place on 11 September 1955. The museum is recognised as the first post-war open-air museum in Poland. Inside the manor house, interiors of an Orava peasant hut were arranged, along with a parlour, an alcove and a manor office.

From the beginning, field research was carried out on the region's traditional architecture, shepherding and customs. Today the museum presents, among other things, the church of Our Lady of the Snows, the Moniak manor house and the Dziubek cottage with a wedding room. The interiors of the buildings can now be seen through the windows and through grilles in the vestibules, or visited with a guide.

Highlights

• First post-war open-air museum in Poland, opened in 1955
• 17th-century Moniak manor house with parlour, alcove and office interiors
• Wooden church of Our Lady of the Snows
• Dziubek cottage with a wedding room
• View of Babia Góra from the park grounds

Permanent exhibition

• Wystawa stała: zabudowa i kultura polskiej Orawy – A group of wooden buildings from Orava, including the Moniak manor house, a church and cottages, viewed from the outside or, with a guide, also inside.

Founded

1955

Operated by

Muzeum – Orawski Park Etnograficzny w Zubrzycy Górnej

Admission & discounts

Free admission: On Mondays admission is free for a walk around the park, without a guide and without visiting the interiors.

Payment by card or in cash. Photography for private use is free; filming costs PLN 50; an outdoor photo session costs PLN 150, and a session with interiors PLN 300.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entrance to the grounds is at ground level and wheelchair access is possible, although there are uneven surfaces; the road from the gate to the ticket office is 50 m over firm earth. Two steps lead to the ticket office building (Czarna karczma, the Black Inn). The historic buildings are usually reached by two or three steps and high thresholds, and the floors inside are beaten earth or boards; in some buildings portable ramp rails can be used. The toilet is in the building behind the Black Inn (30 m away, along a stony path, with five steps down). The car park has no marked spaces for people with disabilities. The museum lends wheelchairs free of charge (request at the ticket office). Entry with an assistance dog requires a certificate and a vaccination record.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum organises educational classes; on the grounds you can hire an Orava costume and use the bonfire site.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the provincial road; coming from the direction of Jabłonka, the car park is on the left.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Souvenirs and the museum leaflet can be bought in the ticket office building.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit