Free museum days in Warsaw: what is free on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
What to know: Plan museum visits around the week: Tuesday belongs to the National Museum, Wednesday to the Royal Castle, and Thursday covers POLIN, Zacheta, the Centre for Contemporary Art at Ujazdowski Castle, Wilanow Palace and the Fotoplastikon. Free admission applies to permanent exhibitions; special shows usually stay ticketed.
Photo: Simon Burchell, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). A state room inside the Royal Castle in Warsaw, free to enter on Wednesdays.
Warsaw is generous with its museums. Most of the big institutions keep one weekday when admission to the permanent exhibitions costs nothing, and a few spaces are free every day. Here is the verified day-by-day picture, with links to the official pages.
Tuesday: National Museum in Warsaw
The National Museum in Warsaw at Al. Jerozolimskie 3 opens its permanent galleries free of charge every Tuesday, according to the museum's official visit page. That covers the galleries of medieval, old and modern art; temporary exhibitions remain ticketed.
Wednesday: the Royal Castle
On Wednesdays the Royal Castle admits visitors free to its permanent exhibitions: the Great Apartment, the Royal Apartment, the Jan Matejko paintings, the Senators' Chamber (viewed from outside) and the Gallery of Masterpieces, all as part of one sightseeing route. Free tickets are collected at the ticket office, and guided tours and reservations are not available that day. The castle is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-17:00.
Thursday: the biggest free day
Thursday is the day to plan around:
- POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews - free admission to the core exhibition.
- Zacheta - National Gallery of Art - free entry all day, ticket office open until 19:30.
- Centre for Contemporary Art at Ujazdowski Castle - exhibitions free on Thursdays.
- Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanow - free admission to the palace, historic gardens and park; palace tickets are limited for conservation reasons and collected at the ticket office, while garden and park tickets are unlimited.
- The Fotoplastikon at Al. Jerozolimskie 51 - free entry every Thursday.
Free at all times
Gallery A on the ground floor of the Museum of Modern Art is free thanks to the museum's partnership with Audi, and the Sculpture Park around the Krolikarnia palace is open free daily from dawn to dusk. Several smaller branches, such as the Zacheta Project Room at Gałczyńskiego 3, also never charge admission.
Good to know
Free days are popular, so come early, especially at Wilanow where palace tickets are limited. Free admission does not always mean walk-in: at the Royal Castle and Wilanow you still collect a free ticket at the office. Always check the museum's page on the morning of your visit, as hours change around public holidays.
FAQ
Which Warsaw museums are free on Thursdays?
POLIN's core exhibition, Zacheta, the Centre for Contemporary Art at Ujazdowski Castle, Wilanow Palace with its gardens and park, and the Fotoplastikon all admit visitors free on Thursdays.
What is free at the Royal Castle in Warsaw?
On Wednesdays the permanent exhibitions - the Great Apartment, the Royal Apartment, the Matejko paintings, the Senators' Chamber seen from outside and the Gallery of Masterpieces - are free as one sightseeing route, with free tickets collected at the ticket office.
Is the National Museum in Warsaw free?
Its permanent galleries are free every Tuesday; temporary exhibitions stay ticketed.
Are any Warsaw museums free every day?
Yes. Gallery A at the Museum of Modern Art is free at all times, and the Krolikarnia Sculpture Park is open free daily from dawn to dusk.
Sources
Follow Warsaw Daily on Instagram
Daily Warsaw news, events, concerts and city tips in English: @warsawdailynews
Related articles
Fotoplastikon Warszawski: 3-D photos from 1905 Warsaw, hours and tickets
The Fotoplastikon at Al. Jerozolimskie 51 has shown stereoscopic photographs since the early 20th century and holds over 10,000 of them. Hours, ticket prices and the free Thursday, from the official site.
Museum of Life under Communism in Warsaw: hours, tickets and the walkman audioguide
The Museum of Life under Communism (MZPR) at Piekna 28/34 recreates everyday Poland of 1944-1989 with genuine relics, a walkman audioguide and a 1950s-style cafe. Current hours and prices from the official visit page.
Krolikarnia in Warsaw: the Dunikowski Museum of Sculpture, hours and the free park
The Krolikarnia palace at Pulawska 113a houses the Xawery Dunikowski Museum of Sculpture, a branch of the National Museum in Warsaw. Hours, ticket prices and the free Sculpture Park, from the official visit page.