Polish Travel [#21] - Open-Air Museums in Poland

Etnographic museums, also known as open-air museums or countryside museums, preserve the architecture and culture of bygone times. Each site is unique in its structure and authentically presents local history. It is no surprise that the number of visitors to open-air museums is increasing every year, and the museums themselves attract families with increasingly interesting promotional actions and campaigns. Currently, there are about 30 ethnographic museums operating in the country. For easier location and planning of trips, we present a list of open-air museums in Poland divided by voivodeships.

 

Open-air museums uniquely preserve and nurture old traditions and histories. Each museum operates in its own way, influenced by the traditionally preserved farms or households in the area. Some focus on preserving local architecture, while others concentrate on collecting thematic exhibits. Here is a list of currently operating open-air museums in Poland:

 

PODKARPACKIE

1) The Museum of Folk Architecture in Sanok - the largest open-air museum in Poland by area.

2) The Museum of Folk Culture in Kolbuszowa.

3) The Museum of Lemko Culture in Zyndranowa.

4) The Museum of Oil and Gas Industry in Bóbrka.

5) The Museum of the Countryside in Markowa.

6) Carpathian Troy in Trzcinica.

 

MAŁOPOLSKIE

1) The Ethnographic Park in Nowy Sącz.

2) The Tatra Museum in Zakopane.

3) The Farm in Zalipie.

4) The Gypsy Caravan Open-Air Museum in Tarnów.

5) The Open-Air Museum in Zawoja Markowa.

6) The Regional Museum in Dobczyce.

7) The Museum of Folk Culture in Sidzina.

8) The Ethnographic Park in Wygiełzów.

 

LUBELSKIE

1) The Museum of the Lublin Countryside in Lublin.

2) The Biłgoraj Region Museum.

3) The Open-Air Museum of Chełm Region and Podlasie Culture in Holi.

 

ŁÓDZKIE

1) The Museum in Łowicz - Open-Air Museum in Maurzyce.

2) The Open-Air Museum of Wooden Architecture at the Textile Museum in Łódź.

3) The Sieradz Ethnographic Park.

4) The Open-Air Museum of the Pilica River in Tomaszów Mazowiecki.

 

POMORSKIE

1) The Museum of Słowińska Village in Kluki.

2) The Museum of Central Pomerania in Swołowo.

3) The Fishing Farm in Nadol.

4) The Open-Air Museum of Pogórze Village in Szymbark.

5) The Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie.

 

DOLNOŚLĄSKIE

1) The Museum of Folk Culture of the Sudeten Foothills in Pstrążna - branch of the Wałbrzych Museum.

2) The Open-Air Museum in Wambierzyce.

 

MAZOWIECKIE

1) The Blacksmith Museum in Warsaw.

2) The Radom Village Museum in Radom.

3) The Kurpiowska Farm in Kadzidło.

4) The Mazovian Village Museum in Sierpc.

5) The Folk Culture Park in Kuligów.

6) The Ethnographic Centre in Lelisie.

7) The Wooden Architecture Museum of the Siedlce Region in Sucha.

8) The Kurpiowskie Museum in Wach.

 

WIELKOPOLSKIE

1) The Greater Poland Ethnographic Park in Dziekanowice.

2) The Museum of Folk Architecture of Western Greater Poland in Wolsztyn.

3) The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum in Konin.

4) The Museum of Folk Culture in Osiek on the Noteć.

5) The Ethnographic Park of Kalisz Land in Russów.

6) The National Museum of Agriculture and Food Industry in Szreniawa.

 

PODLASKIE

1) The Open-Air Museum of Wooden Architecture of the Ruthenian People of Podlasie in Białowieża.

2) The Agriculture Museum in Ciechanowiec.

3) The Kurpiowski Open-Air Museum in Nowogród.

4) The Ethnographic Museum in Puńsk.

5) The Museum of the Little Homeland in Studziwody.

6) The Museum of the Białystok Countryside in Wasilków.

 

LUBUSKIE

1) The Lubusz Museum in Gorzów Wielkopolski.

2) The Ethnographic Museum in Ochla.

 

ŚLĄSKIE

1) The Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in Chorzów.

2) The Pszczyna Village Museum in Pszczyna.

 

KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE

1) The Kuyavian-Dobrzyń Ethnographic Park in Kłóbka.

2) The Ethnographic Museum in Toruń.

3) The Archaeological Museum in Biskupin.

 

ZACHODNIOPOMORSKIE

1) The Museum in Koszalin - Jamneńska Village.

 

OPOLSKIE

1) The Opole Village Museum in Opole.

 

WARMIŃSKO-MAZURSKIE

1) The Museum of Folk Architecture in Olsztynek.

2) The Ethnographic Park in Węgorzewo.

 

ŚWIĘTOKRZYSKIE

1) The Kielec Village Museum in Tokarnia.

 

DISTRIBUTION OF OPEN-AIR MUSEUMS ON THE MAP OF POLAND

From the presented list of museums, it can be observed that most open-air museums are concentrated in Mazovia, Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Podlasie, and Subcarpathia. This results from historical, geographical, and cultural conditions.

 

PROMOTION OF OPEN-AIR MUSEUMS

During traditional guided tours for organized groups, most provide the opportunity to use the services of a local guide. When choosing a guide, the duration of the visit is about 2 hours. In addition to traditional tours, open-air museums offer numerous attractions. Almost every weekend, family picnics and various attractions are organized - reenactments, demonstrations of butter churning and preparing traditional dishes, knight shows, carriage rides, games and entertainment.