Not long back museums in Poland were largely dusty affairs with stupid hours and hawk-like curators ensuring fingers and noses were kept well away from the glass. Well here’s the new face of sightseeing, a spanking new glass building that could well have been sent down from space. Cynics might say a seven floor Olympic Centre is largely wasted on the Poles, a nation which hasn’t exactly dominated the planet in the field of sport. This place is here to prove the naysayers wrong, with over 47,000 exhibits testifying to Poland’s contribution to recreation.
The exhibition starts off with a passing glance at Ancient Greece, with Greco busts and murals celebrating the early pioneers of games, before moving off in a more patriotic direction and leaning towards the more Polski side of things. Included are old penny farthing bicycles as well as trophies and memorabilia from the Warsaw Rowing Association, apparently the oldest sports organization in town.
Split into various zones (inter-war years, 70s glory years, Salt Lake City etc), this is more than just a thorough look at Polish sport, it’s the final word. Film reels and sound effects complement often hilarious pictures (mustachioed supermen from bygone times triumphantly lifting dumbbells). However this is no circus sideshow, and it soon becomes clear that the Poles have a proud and distinguished history across all fields, something apparent in the Olympic Hall of Fame which features scores of medals. Heroes such as ex Man City legend Kazimierz Deyna and ski champ Adam Małysz are all celebrated, and the vast collection even has room for a kayak once used by Pope John Paul II to row around the Mazurian Lakes.

Admission 10/6zł. Sat free.