Museum of Polish History in Warsaw: Current Exhibition, Hours and Tickets

The Museum of Polish History (Muzeum Historii Polski) is settling into its seat at the Warsaw Citadel in Żoliborz, at ul. Gwardii 1. Its permanent exhibition, which the museum says will present 1,000 years of Polish history, is under construction and scheduled to open to visitors in 2027. Until then, the museum welcomes visitors to temporary exhibitions only.

PRL in the Musical Mirror, until 6 December 2026

The current exhibition, Za czym kolejka ta stoi? PRL w muzycznym zwierciadle (What Is This Queue For? PRL in the Musical Mirror), runs 3 September - 6 December 2026. Prepared in a bilingual Polish-English version, it looks at everyday life in communist Poland through the popular music of 1944-1989, from open support for the system to quiet contestation. The museum's November programme around the exhibition includes curator-led tours (7-8 November), a family Sunday (8 November), an open lecture marking 100 years of Polish Radio (5 November), a PRL fashion show (24 November) and screenings at Kino Cytadela.

Hours and tickets

During this exhibition the museum is open six days a week: Monday 10:00-18:00, closed Tuesday, Wednesday-Friday 10:00-18:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00-19:00. Last entry is one hour before closing. Tickets cost 20 zł normal, 10 zł reduced, 30 zł family (up to two adults with children, maximum six people) and 15 zł per person for groups of ten or more. Children under 7 enter free. On Fridays and public holidays entry is free, but free passes are issued only at the box office, which closes an hour before the exhibition. Karta Dużej Rodziny and Karta Warszawiaka discounts are honoured.

Viewing terrace

The museum's free viewing terrace is open during museum hours, weather permitting. The museum notes that, due to a lift failure, the terrace is currently reachable only by 158 steps, so it is not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

Getting there

The nearest stops are Warszawa Gdańska (metro, tram, bus; enter through the Żoliborska Gate at ul. Dymińska 13), Most Gdański and Park Traugutta (Nowomiejska Gate) and Cytadela (bus; Straceń Gate). Citadel gates keep their own hours, managed by the Polish Army Museum and the X Pavilion Museum. An underground car park (6 zł/h) is reachable only from the side lane of Wybrzeże Gdyńskie heading towards the centre.