Żywe Muzeum Porcelany w Ćmielowie
Museum next to the AS Ćmielów porcelain factory, where a guide shows the hand production of porcelain live and leads through an exhibition of old porcelain.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Living Museum of Porcelain (Żywe Muzeum Porcelany) opened in May 2005 on the site of the private AS Ćmielów Porcelain Factory. It is the first museum in Poland where visitors can watch hand-made porcelain being produced in a working manufactory. The museum belongs to the Centre of Artistic Porcelain (Centrum Porcelany Artystycznej).
The tour begins with the story of how the museum came about and of the manufactory’s link with the pottery tradition of Ćmielów. The group then enters an old, disused porcelain kiln 22 metres high, in which a multimedia room with a film about production has been set up. Next, the guide uses the example of a small cat figure to show the successive stages of work: casting, biscuit firing, glazing, painting in colour and gold, decorating with transfers and marking.
During the visit one can also see pink porcelain, recreated according to a pre-war recipe, and emerald porcelain, produced only at the Ćmielów factory. Over the years the museum has expanded its offer with an Exhibition of Old Porcelain, galleries of contemporary art, an Avenue of Monkeys, the Emerald Chamber and porcelain-painting workshops.
Highlights
- live demonstration of hand porcelain production, with a guide
- entry into the 22-metre kiln with a multimedia room
- Exhibition of Old Porcelain – collections from the start of production in Ćmielów
- pink and emerald porcelain
- porcelain-painting workshops and the Leżąca Kotka café
Permanent exhibitions
- Pokaz procesu produkcji porcelany – Guided tour through the kiln, rooms and workshops, where the successive stages of hand porcelain production are shown.
- Wystawa Starej Porcelany – Collections from the beginnings of faience and porcelain production in Ćmielów up to products from the 1960s, including figurines from factories around the world.
- Founded
- 2005
- Operated by
- AS Ćmielów (Fabryka Porcelany)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 49 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 39 złchildren, young people, people with disabilities, pensioners, recipients of disability pensions and seniors aged 60+ |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 3 · Children under 3 visit free of charge (not applicable to workshops). Children under 13 must remain in the museum in the care of an adult. |
| Seniors | 39 złReduction for seniors aged 60+. |
| Visitors with disabilities | 39 zł |
| Students & apprentices | 39 zł |
| Groups (20+ people) | –Organised groups (minimum 20 people, after advance booking) are priced individually; information at +48 535 588 960. For a school group, one supervisor per 10 pupils attends the workshops free of charge. |
| Museum Package – ticket with Large Family Card, regular | 37 zł25% discount for holders of the Large Family Card. |
| Museum Package – ticket with Large Family Card, reduced | 29 zł |
| Package with workshop: painting a thimble | 139 złGuided visit with workshop, approx. 2–2.5 hours. |
| Package with workshop: painting a mug | 159 zł |
| Package with workshop: painting a cup or a cat figure | 249 zł |
The prices apply to the Museum Package: the production demonstration, the Exhibition of Old Porcelain and the galleries. Tickets can be bought online; at the ticket office only for the current day and hour, if places are still free. Booking online in advance guarantees a place in the chosen slot. On site, payment is possible by card or in cash.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- 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 site is adapted for people using wheelchairs and for older people. Most of the museum is on the ground floor, and a lift leads to the galleries on the second floor.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 75 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
The tour has a dynamic form, and everything can be touched and tried. Porcelain-painting workshops are held for children and adults; only people with a ticket for the session may enter the workshop room, and a guardian of a child under 5 should buy a workshop ticket.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
The car park is next to the factory courtyard.
Nearby are, among others, the Archaeological Museum, the “Krzemionki” Nature Reserve and the Underground Tourist Route in Opatów.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
On site there is the Leżąca Kotka café and a showroom with porcelain products. Food and drink may be consumed only in the places designated for this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 75 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visits are only with a guide; it is not possible to visit independently or to shorten the programme. Arriving 10–15 minutes before the start time is recommended, as a late arrival may prevent participation. An individual visitor group usually numbers up to about 25 people. Small animals may be carried in arms, in a carrier or in a pushchair, but not into the café. |
