Oddział Sztuki Nowoczesnej w Pałacu Opatów
Baroque-Rococo abbots’ palace in Oliwa Park, which houses the Modern Art Branch of the National Museum in Gdańsk.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The oldest part of the palace dates from the 15th century and is Gothic. The building was extended after 1577, and in the first half of the 17th century the New Palace was added. The present Rococo appearance is owed to a rebuilding of 1754–1756, financed by the last Oliwa abbot, Jacek Józef Rybiński.
After the dissolution of the monastery in 1831 a museum operated in the palace, and later it served as a warehouse. In 1945, at the end of the war, the Germans set it on fire. It was rebuilt in 1965, initially as an ethnographic branch of the Pomeranian Museum.
Since 1989 it has housed the Modern Art Branch of the National Museum in Gdańsk. The palace stands in Oliwa Park, next to the Oliwa Cathedral and the Ethnography Branch in the Abbots’ Granary; in the park there is also the open-air Gallery of Contemporary Gdańsk Sculpture, belonging to the branch.
Highlights
- Historic abbots’ palace of Oliwa in Oliwa Park
- Modern Art Collection of the National Museum in Gdańsk
- Neighbourhood of the Oliwa Cathedral and the Ethnography Branch
- Open-air Gallery of Contemporary Gdańsk Sculpture in the park
- Tuesdays with free admission
Permanent exhibition
- Kolekcja Sztuki Nowoczesnej – Collections of Polish art of the 19th and 20th centuries (painting, sculpture, ceramics) shown in the historic interiors of the palace; some rooms on the ground floor are accessible to wheelchair users.
- Founded
- 1756
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 25 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 20 złpupils and students, holders of the Large Family Card (Karta Dużej Rodziny), people with disabilities and their carers, and other groups according to the museum’s regulations. |
| Children & teens | –Pupils and students aged 8–26 pay PLN 1. |
| Visitors with disabilities | 20 złThe reduction also applies to carers. |
| Students & apprentices | 1 złPupils and students aged 8–26. |
| Groups (10+ people) | 18 zł per personOrganised group (minimum 10 people): PLN 18 per person. |
| Families | 18 złFamily/friends ticket (3–8 people): PLN 18 per person. |
| 7-day ticket for all branches (standard) | 60 złReduced PLN 45. |
| Annual bearer ticket | 150 złUnlimited entry to each branch for a year. |
| Guided tour for adults in Polish or English (up to 30 people) | 300 złIn addition to admission tickets. |
Free admission: Tuesday – free day.
Exemption from fees applies, among others, to museum staff, members of ICOM and AICA, tourist guides and journalists.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: not available
- 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 involves one step down. Some of the exhibition rooms on the ground floor are accessible to people with mobility impairments, while the other floors can only be reached by stairs. The building has no toilet adapted for people with disabilities and no changing table. An induction loop works at the ticket office, and a sign language interpreter can be used online. There are no tactile maps or Braille signs. Assistance dogs are allowed. There is no disabled parking space at the palace.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | 18 zł · Family/friends ticket (3–8 people): PLN 18 per person. |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Baby changing facilities: not available
- Playground / play area: not available
There is no changing table or separate play area for children in the building.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Opacka · 5-min walk
Trams lines 2, 4 and 6 – stop “Opacka” (about 5 minutes on foot, through Oliwa Park); buses – stops “Oliwa”, “Cystersów” and “Opacka” (5–10 minutes on foot). Rail – Gdańsk Oliwa station, 10–15 minutes on foot.
By car
Parking available
Public car parking spaces are nearby on ul. Cystersów and the surrounding streets of Oliwa; at weekends and during events in Oliwa Park there may be a shortage of spaces.
- Accessible parking: not available
The entrance to the palace is on the right, just behind the gate of Oliwa Park from the side of the Oliwa Cathedral.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Coat check
- Lockers
In the public area there is a clothes rack and lockers for independent use.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photographs and films for private use are allowed without flash or additional lighting. |
| Good to know | A workshop or museum lesson for a group of up to 30 people costs PLN 300 in Polish and PLN 350 in English, in addition to admission tickets. |
