The History of Gdańsk museum calls the impressive Main Town Hall (Polish: Ratusz Głównego Miasta) home, a Gothic-Renaissance structure originally built in the 14th century and hosted many visiting Polish kings. The Town Hall spire, with a golden replica of King Zygmunt August on its pinnacle, dominates ul. Długa's skyline, a landmark that flags the very centre of Gdańsk Old Town's main street from a distance. The Town Hall was almost completely destroyed during WWII but rebuilt with extraordinary care.

Access the building by the gate to the left of the main staircase which leads you to the ticket office on your left and then into the interior courtyard. The first rooms you come across are the ornate Great Council Hall and Red Hall, the latter of which features an impressively-sized fireplace and lavish ceilings paintings, including the Apotheosis of Gdansk by Isaac van der Block. Subsequent rooms feature vintage 16th and 17th furniture and a sampling of the museum’s 600 silver pieces, which highlight Gdansk’s silversmithing era. Temporary exhibitions are also shown in the Pile Gallery.

The top floor of the museum features an exhibition showcasing what life was like in everyday Gdańsk right before the war – visitors get a glimpse into the homes and businesses of residents and see a period in time that was about to come to an abrupt end. From here you can begin the climb to the top of the town hall's tower which gives you a great view of the city and the nearby St. Mary's Basilica. While you're up there, check out the Carillon (bell instrument) set-up, which was inaugurated on New Year's Eve 2000 and one of only three that can be found in Poland.