National Museum in Warsaw
National Museum in Warsaw
4
Art Museums • History Museums
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10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
The National Museum in Warsaw houses a world class collection of art and artifacts stretching from antiquity all the way up to the modern day. Visitors will find ancient relics from the Nubian region, which hold a unique permanent home of display unseen anywhere else in Europe, the most important and groundbreaking works from Polish artists of the 19th Century, and a groundbreaking and historically crucial display of artworks from the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as a comprehensive and beautiful collection of iconic Polish design, from furniture and posters, to fashion and industry. The National Museum in Warsaw is a must-see on any trip to the city.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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  • Justina P
    Vilnius, Lithuania177 contributions
    A must see (at least for Lithuanian)
    This museum is rather big (at least from my perspective), it is easy to loose at least a few hours here as there are so many different art pieces. For a Lithuanian person you have to see the live painting Battle of Grunwald (Matejko) (Žalgirio mūšis) that is easily recognizable for all of us. For a bonus you can find 19th century painting of Vilnius Town Hall (Rotušė). P. S. we saw online that museum opens at 10 AM, but we could get in only at 11 AM. I am not sure if it was our mistake or some special day
    Visited January 2020
    Written February 3, 2020
  • Rob Nesbit
    Warsaw, Poland3,293 contributions
    All in all, it was a very enjoyable few hours
    As a person more used to the football and the beer, I decided why not get some real "culture" for a change, so on an early Sunday morning i headed over to the National Museum of Warsaw, which wasn't too far away from where I am staying. The entrance fee was a nominal One Zloty (20 cents) and in I was. I had no plan of what I wanted to see, so went in with no ideas or specifics, just have a walk around and look at some great art work. I have to say it is a very impressive museum, and I did learn a lot about Polish history from it..... some wonderful paintings and I was happy to while away a few hours here. Three floors though, and if, you are like me, and want to see as much as you can, going down every nook and cranny, then you will spend about 2 or 3 hours here easily. Suffice to say, I was well knackered after it all. It was great to see a lot of young kids around, getting a good education and learning. There is also a play and learning room for young kids, which if you have young kids, I do, is a great idea. Well done to the museum on that one. All in all, it was a very enjoyable few hours.
    Visited March 2022
    Written March 3, 2022
  • Asa Renda
    Warsaw, Poland133 contributions
    Great collection of Polish art
    Worth seeing mostly for its wonderful collection of Polish 19th century art. Other sections include medieval sacral art (with some impressive wooden altars from Polish churches), Renaissance art / Old Masters (a rather humble selection of European paintings and an interesting collection of pottery), Polish school of design (a small, but fascinating exhibition on Polish 20th century design) and 20th century art (sadly, it was closed when I visited). Newly reopened section on the ancient times had a huge line and was rather disappointing (a very basic selection of Egyptian, Greek and Roman art - plus mummies, of course). Nevertheless, the museum is certainly worth the entrance fee. If you want to see everything, be prepared to spend around 4 hours here.
    Visited March 2021
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.0
622 reviews
Excellent
289
Very good
216
Average
94
Poor
17
Terrible
6

Gargio76
Brussels, Belgium3,981 contributions
Sep 2016 • Couples
Extraordinary collection of Polish art and beyond, housed in a magnificent palace from the typical communist imprint.

This was followed by a lot of very interesting temporary exhibitions but what should attract tourists is the rucchissima permanent collection!

One can not go in and visit it carefully.

Time required 120/150 minutes, we recommend the audio guide. @gargio76
Written September 28, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nikolas M
Athens, Greece34 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
It is a very beautiful museum, nice collection of artifacts and art pieces, especially paintings. Probably the biggest must see museum in Warsaw.
Written July 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

vabudd
15 contributions
Jun 2019 • Friends
I found this art museum to be good but not spectacular. Don't expect the Louvre or Borghese Gallery. Works by Jan Matejko and a few others made the visit worthwhile and enjoyable. The museum also has a good amount of 20th century art ... maybe that works for some people but I actually felt bad for the docents who have to see it every day.
Written July 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicholas M
Stocbridge50 contributions
Oct 2018 • Friends
We spent an hour in the mediaeval section. It is a really excellent collection which shows that Polish and other regional art, ie not the mainstream renaissance art promoted by the papacy, the great Italian families, (Medicis, Gonzagas etc) and the kings and queens of Europe, did not have a monopoly on great art. Well worth a visit. Give yourself plenty of time. An excellent bookshop. And free entry on Tuesdays!
Written October 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steven M
Sydney, Australia145 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
I enjoyed all sections of this museum, as there are many delightful surprises across different media and times. For example, the beautiful sashes woven and embroidered and worn by Polish nobility were unexpected and superb. However, the two highlights for me were the Coptic frescoes from the Faras cathedral and the polychrome Madonnas, altarpieces and crucifixes. Polish conservators worked on the Faras cathedral in Egypt before it was flooded by the Aswan dam. For their labours, they were rewarded by being able to bring back to Poland frescoes and architectural features from the building. These are beautifully displayed in a sympathetic reconstructed basilica setting. The medieval carvings are also well displayed in a dim gallery, where their other-worldliness shines through. Light is filtered through screens, mirroring the effect of stained glass. Some of the panels and statues are displayed away from the walls, so that you can study them from the back. The metal display system used gives a sense of how the works would have originally been placed; above an altar, in a side chapel etc. It is a very thoughtful display for works of immense power. Beautiful Madonnas contrast with gory, agonised images of the suffering and dying Christ, which make Francis Bacon's modern visceral paintings seem like child's play. One of my favourite works is a Last Supper, where the artist plays with perspective in astonishing ways. All at once, we are looking front on at Christ and his apostles, as well as from above. The cups and saucers on the table are stretched, as if caught in slow motion.
Written August 20, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Patricia D
Amherst, MA1,865 contributions
May 2017 • Friends
I was so amazed by the medieval altar and religious pieces. We are well traveled and this collection was amazing. The entire museum is well worth your time. Beautiful art work, tapestries, glass work, and gold work.
Written May 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mrrocko69
conroe115 contributions
Oct 2011
it was great to see the history of warsaw and poland they have been threw alot of wars and their history shows the world they are a strong people and their rebuilding shows they value their history
Written October 17, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tamka_Den
Linden, NJ582 contributions
You may spend the entire day at this museum, so you need to choose what you want to see. I would recommend the Polish Art and European Painting exhibitions. The most well-known works of the Polish artists are displayed; like Matejko and Chelmonski.
Written September 27, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

john phe
Atlanta, GA69 contributions
Sep 2019
National Museum had a little bit of everything. Most of the galleries were by Polish artists. I am not a big art connisseur but this was a nice museum dedicated to polish culture. I especially liked the religious art, ie altar pieces and paintings.
I went on a Sunday at about 10:30 and it had not opened yet. It did open at 11:00 am.
Written December 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

joan t
Victoria, Canada230 contributions
Sep 2019 • Couples
We really enjoyed our visit to the museum in Warsaw
Make sure you have an a couple of hours to spare, there is a lot to see
Written September 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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National Museum in Warsaw - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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Excellent Reviews289
Very Good Reviews216
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