Found inside 11 conjoined historical tenement buildings on the Old Town Square, the Museum of Warsaw's revamped headquarters stores its collection of over 300,000 items. It's here that you're invited to view the museum's core permanent collection, 'The Things of Warsaw,' consisting of some 7,000 fascinating objects displayed over 22 thematically organised rooms. Included are portraits, postcards, souvenirs, packaging and other unique items with images of the Warsaw Mermaid or representations of the Polish capital. The stories of these carefully selected objects - most of which were donated by Warsaw's citizens after World War II - provide a unique perspective on the cultural history of the city, and a better understanding of the events and processes that formed Warsaw as we know it today.
You'll also learn more about the history of the very buildings the museum is located in, which are a sight to behold; despite severe damage during the war, many of the original aspects of the architecture remain intact and can be viewed during your visit. In addition to the permanent exhibits, the Museum hosts multiple temporary exhibits, a bookstore, reading room, cinema, lapidarium, and viewpoint offering great views of the Old Town Square. They also recently opened a new section of their permanent exhibit titled Testimonies from the Warsaw Ghetto, with artefacts, photos and more detailing day-to-day life under German occupation in the 1940s.
Note, a ticket here also grants entry into the Praga District Museum. Also, every Sunday at noon there's a family tour with a story, and on the weekends between 10:00-14:00 you can pick up a Seekers of Things worksheet at the ticket office!
Average visiting time: 2-3hrs.
Comments
Arnie Neufeld
I had the privilege of visiting the museum on Sunday, September 20, 2009. I felt that the review of the city's history was balanced and well-done. Attention was not focused on only one group of the population. It is a large exhibit and one can not do justice to the displays on only one visit. I would like to return and see it again. I do wish that more of the explanations included English text. Many international visitors, like me, do not know Polish.