Muzeum X Pawilonu Cytadeli Warszawskiej
Branch of the Muzeum Niepodległości in the former Tsarist remand prison on the grounds of the Warsaw Citadel, devoted to political prisoners from the partition era.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The X Pavilion of the Warsaw Citadel was built in 1828 as a uniform store as part of the expansion of the barracks. From 1833 it was adapted into the central investigation prison for political prisoners, where an investigative commission sat. The Citadel was built in 1832–1836 on the orders of Tsar Nicholas I after the suppression of the November Uprising, and an estimated 40 thousand prisoners passed through it. Several hundred people were executed on the slopes of the fortress, among them members of the National Government with Romuald Traugutt.
Among the prisoners of the X Pavilion were, among others, Apollo Korzeniowski, Romuald Traugutt, Józef Piłsudski, Roman Dmowski, Róża Luksemburg, Ludwik Waryński, Stefan Okrzeja and Fr Piotr Ściegienny. The building was completely destroyed in the explosion of a gunpowder store on 13 October 1923. After the Second World War the pavilion was rebuilt and separated together with its surroundings, and it was opened to visitors on 22 January 1963, on the hundredth anniversary of the January Uprising.
Today it is a branch of the Muzeum Niepodległości in Warsaw, devoted to the national liberation struggles during the Russian partition. The renovation of the building was completed in 2015, when the façade was restored and multimedia were introduced into the exhibition. In front of the building stand busts of five members of the National Government sentenced to death by the Russian authorities. The Galeria Brama Bielańska is also housed in the building.
Key themes
- Former Tsarist prison for political prisoners
- Permanent exhibition on the fate of the Citadel’s prisoners during the partitions
- Cell in the basement of the pavilion
- Busts of members of the National Government in front of the building
- Galeria Brama Bielańska
Permanent exhibition
- Wystawa stała Muzeum X Pawilonu – Exhibition in the former investigation prison on the Citadel’s political prisoners during the partitions, with reconstructed rooms, including a forge and a cell.
- Founded
- 1963
- Operated by
- Muzeum Niepodległości w Warszawie
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 20 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 10 złpupils, students, doctoral students, people over 65, pensioners, people receiving disability pensions, people with disabilities together with carers (citizens of EU, EFTA and EEA countries), teachers, and holders of the badge of merit for culture |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 6 · Children under 7 enter free of charge. |
| Seniors | 10 złReduced ticket for people over 65, pensioners and people receiving disability pensions. |
| Visitors with disabilities | 10 złReduced ticket for a person with a disability together with a carer; holders of the Mazovian Card for Families with a Disabled Child receive a 50% discount. |
| Students & apprentices | 10 złReduced ticket for pupils, students and doctoral students. |
| Ticket with the Large Family Card | 1 złThe discount cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. |
Free admission: Thursdays – free admission on the basis of a free ticket.
The prices apply to a single visit to the museum or a branch of the Muzeum Niepodległości. Free admission is also granted to, among others, veterans, holders of the Karta Polaka (Polish Card) and members of ICOM and ICOMOS. A guide service costs extra.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: not available
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: not available
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The only entrance is adapted for people with limited mobility thanks to mobile ramps. Wheelchair users can reach all floors, including the first floor by lift; the only inaccessible room is the cell in the basement (level –1). The lifts have no voice announcements or Braille markings, and circulation inside the building is narrow. Accessible toilets are on the ground floor next to the museum kiosk and at the end of the lower section of the exhibition. The permanent exhibition has captions in Braille. Guide dogs are allowed into the building. There are no designated parking spaces for people with disabilities in front of the entrance.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kids
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|
Children under 7 enter free of charge, and families with the Large Family Card pay PLN 1 per ticket. The museum runs museum lessons for schools.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking
Parking in front of the museum entrance is free and does not require booking; the nearest marked spaces for people with disabilities are in the underground car park of the Muzeum Wojska Polskiego (Museum of the Polish Army).
- Accessible parking: not available
The museum can be reached from Brama Straceń (Execution Gate) along ul. Skazańców and then turning left into ul. Trojaka, or from Brama Bielańska along ul. Czujna and turning left into ul. Trojaka, to the inner courtyard with the entrance.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
- Coat check
A free self-service cloakroom is available; the building has a museum kiosk.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography with flash and tripods is prohibited. |
| Good to know | It is forbidden to enter in outerwear, and to bring outerwear, luggage and umbrellas into the exhibitions; food and drink are also not allowed. A guide can be booked for an additional fee. |
