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Museum of Life under Communism

Museum of Life under Communism

Museum of Life under Communism
4.5
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Monday
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
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
We are glad to invite you to our private communist museum. This is the first idea in Warsaw to show how people used to live during communist times. You can see typical furniture, everyday use things as famous washing mashine "Frania", tv-set "Rubin" or unique "Saturator". There are few different sections, where you can experience propaganda, lifestyle, politics or ordinary day from the times. The exposition is a perfect background to the history of Communism in Poland. The main idea is to experience the times and find out the absurds of everyday life.
Duration: < 1 hour
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Śródmieście Południowe
How to get there
  • Plac Konstytucji • 1 min walk
  • Politechnika • 9 min walk
Reach out directly

See what travelers are saying

  • Simonpee17
    Vienna, Austria2,716 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Small museum
    It is a small museum that tells some of the aspects of life in Poland under communism. There are several finds from the time, although perhaps some more detailed information on how the population lived at the time is missing. Still interesting even if not a priority among the many attractions and museums in Warsaw.
    Thank you for visiting our museum.
    Written December 17, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written January 25, 2024
  • John M
    New York City, New York829 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth visiting
    Great spot for those interested in the history of Poland in the 20th century. The space itself is quite small (located, ironically, above a KFC), but it packs a lot of information. Most charming are recreations of apartments typical of the time period, stocked with authentic items from the period. Visiting is unlikely to take more than an hour.
    Thank you, it's good to hear that you are satisfied with your visit to our museum.
    Written December 17, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written May 11, 2024
  • Hanni
    Mexico City, Mexico1,240 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Small but interesting museum
    Life under communism in Poland was very particular. This museum contains data, objects and images that allow us to better appreciate this period of more than 40 years. The cafeteria, with excellent atmosphere, meals and refreshments of that time, is especially noteworthy.
    Thank you for visiting our museum. We are glad to hear that the museum, along with the café, made such a good impression.
    Written December 17, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 6, 2024
  • Nicholas Sillitoe
    Kristiansand, Norway72 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant museum!
    Brilliant museum in the heart of "communist" Warsaw. Painful, informative, yet somewhat uplifting. Perfect place for foreigners to learn, and be reminded of what life was like in this amazing city, and feel the undefeated spirit of polish people under Soviet era. Well worth visiting. Great to sit in the little cinema and watch old propaganda films with elderly poles, now being able to laugh at how it once was. Young people would not believe it! Will def. return. Hopefully the shops can expand with more PRL merchandise.
    Thank you, we are very pleased to hear that, and we invite you to visit again!
    Written December 17, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written September 4, 2024
  • KanelbullG
    Saint-Etienne, France227 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting Small Historical Museum, Beautiful Collections of Objects
    Small typical and interesting museum, both from a historical and fun point of view. Quite a few exhibits or media will even recall some old French memories if you are 45 years old or older. The overall atmosphere is at least there and we find ourselves projected in different eras linked to communism in Warsaw and Poland therefore. The topics are varied: history, politics, daily life, sports, games and toys, etc. Beautiful overall collection and the museum is quite well done. There’s a lot to read, so if you don’t speak English it might be a little less instructive. Some objects even allow to take pictures "in situation", which is always fun. The museum is small but you should have at least 1 good hour to visit so as not to run too much. Note that the museum has a toilet. Award of tickets around €6.50 (full fare) and €4.20 (reduced fare seniors), this remains pretty much correct. In short, a museum worth a few minutes walk from the Palace of Culture and Science, and a good plan for a rainy day for example.
    Thank you for visiting our museum. We are glad that you were able to travel back in time and reminisce.
    Written December 17, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written October 22, 2024
  • Croqui
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting
    Very interesting museum to see objects of life under the Communist regime. The staging of an apartment of the time is captivating. The museum is very small but there are many things to look at. The only downside is the fact that they let in several classes at the same time, making the museum very noisy and the passage between students painful. The small coffee inside is very nice.
    We are very glad that visiting the museum was an interesting experience!
    Written December 17, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 28, 2024
  • Serban C
    Bucharest, Romania43 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A nice place to visit in Warsaw
    A nice place to visit if you are interested in finding the way of life in the communist period. Or if you are just nostagic about your childhood from the 80s. Very nice decorated rooms with objects from the real life of 80s Polish families, a very nice cafeteria where you can serve a juice and a cookie from the era. Unfortunately a very crowded narrow space, with a lot of written info on the walls that you cannot follow due to the crowded interior.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written January 6, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles350 reviews
Excellent
182
Very good
114
Average
39
Poor
7
Terrible
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Nat
Mexico City, Mexico1,124 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Family
I suggested to my family that we visit this museum because by the look of the pictures, I imagined it would be like the DDR Museum in Berlin —with replicas of an entire house and a very detailed and well presented explanation.

While the museum is not bad, because it does present a lot of interesting information and has one set of the “communist era house”, I still felt disappointed to discover that that was all.

I actually thought that the first room was just the introduction and that the house “set” would be an entrance to a long series of rooms that would replicate different places: kitchen, living room, children’s room, main bedroom, garage, etc. —but no.

It’s not bad, but I consider it way too small. The cafeteria was a highlight though, as its ambience resembles the era of the museum —and even offers old fashioned drinks.
Written September 25, 2024
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.
Thank you for visiting our museum. We are glad that the cafeteria met your expectations.
Written December 17, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Niklas
Helsingborg, Sweden162 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
The museum itself is very small, but with many interesting items from the communist era. It is interesting to get an insight into how the Poles lived and lived during the communist era. However, the museum is small, albeit quite informative. The cost of entry is absolutely reasonable for the experience.

Google
Written November 28, 2023
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.
Thank you, and we are glad to hear that you enjoyed visiting the museum.
Written December 18, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

JL
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
Cool little museum located next to a Kentucky Fried Chicken. It has knick-knacks, historical items, and products (electronics, consumer goods, etc.) from the period before the Berlin Wall fell. Gives you an idea of what life was like under Communism -- and why we should never let America become a socialist country.
Written September 10, 2022
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.

ozge83
Istanbul, Türkiye128 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019 • Couples
Literally the best museum in Warsaw. It’s not so big but gives you an elaborated frame about communism period. If you grew up in a poor country you can find lots of things from your childhood. Take your time, look at photo album and discover everything carefully in there.
Written January 1, 2020
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.

Dylan15046
North Lawrence, NY88 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
If you remember Communism then this little museum is a trip down memory lane. My favorite item was a water dispensing machine. I remember seeing them in Moscow in 1977 and how I was appalled at how everyone used the communal glass. There are lots of other fun items in their collection to bring back memories. And the lady at the ticket desk was very nice and helpful.
Written October 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.

travelisfun2011
Chandler, AZ223 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
This was an interesting museum. We enjoyed learning about the communist way of life. The entrance is hard to find as they are re-doing the front of the building. The girl at the front desk was not very friendly but you didn’t need anything from her anyway
Written October 11, 2023
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.

adventurebugs
Miami, FL84 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Family
We visited this museum on the afternoon of December 31, just prior to starting our New Year festivities. I read a few other reviews which suggest this museum is small, and while it's true that the physical space is apartment-sized it is CRAMMED with stuff. All the bases are covered here. You could take 4 people in who have completely different interests and they will all enjoy this. You see a kitchen and all the utensils and tech of the era (potato peeling machine!), housekeeping items, furniture, decorations, letters, awards, currency, tons of military items, toys, books, art, maps, photographs, desk sets, radios, bathroom items - everything a person would have in an apartment living back then combined with historical and culture items. Really fascinating! They also have an old-timey phone booth which blew my 9 year old's mind. He went in and pretended to make a phone call and laughed his head off. They had small, interesting souvenirs and really reasonable prices, a few treats for kids AND a VERY COOL set of slides to view in some old-fashioned view master glasses. Barely able to peel kids away. Don't let the outside of the building deter you - it's a bit rough. Don't miss this!!!!!!!!
Written January 26, 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.

krystyna384
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK13 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2016 • Friends
It wasn't as difficult to find the museum as people say - from the street. The inside of the building is a bit spooky and the museum isn't that well marked. But once you open the door you are transported into a different world. I grew up in communist Poland and all the items in this two-room museum I either had at home, or my friends or relations had.

The museum is arranged in two rooms, one is a whole flat. This isn't a mistake. People actually lived in tiny flats, rooms were hardly bigger than your average boxroom. Most rooms in a flat would be both daytime rooms and bedrooms, most beds were fold-up beds, people were very creative in making space to have everything they needed to live. But then in those times you somehow needed less stuff!
Anyway - I am digressing a bit. The museum is jam packed with the actual stuff from the bygone era - you have a complete flat, furnished, there is an office, there are games and toys and clothes and newspapers, books, crockery and pans, tickets and cameras and even a washing machine!. In the second room there is a shop and oh, the glory of it, newspaper cuttings of the Polish football team victories in the World Cup in 1974.

Most of the stuff we lived with then was really rubbish, badly designed, badly made, but maybe it wasn't so after all, if the museum has the originals...... It still brought back many, many memories of my childhood and youth. My husband recognised many of the things in the museum from the times we lived in Poland, our daughter and her fiancee loved it too.

Go - have a look what life was still like just one generation ago...or one and a half :)

I took away one star from the rating as I wish there was more stuff there!
Written July 23, 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.

TheChoclateFactory
Amsterdam, The Netherlands366 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2015 • Friends
This was one of the greater surprises of Warsaw. This museum was featured in a item on the Dutch tv, that how I found out about it. We went to visit my sister in Warsaw and we thought, lets check it out. My brother-in-law took us and after parking the car in a neighborhood resembling a film-set from dark 50-ties, we walk into a building with looked like a lot of people went in and never came out! But once in the museum, we found a very enthusiastic, young owner, who welcomed us in warm fashion. He turned out to be a great storyteller too. The museum itself was very small, but was packed with interesting items from the communist period. Starting with the nostalgia from this time, to the darker period of martial law. Its was dressed in a very smart and inspiring way. I recommend this place to everybody who's into going to the less touristic places! And the fair is only 8 zloti, which is ridiculously cheap for what you get! Go see this place!!!!
Written January 3, 2015
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.

Surasak Netraprajag
Hong Kong, China11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Having been to so many CIS countries, incl. the one in Vilnius and Tbilisi, and Gdansk, this one in Warsaw is much more details, more tourist friendly but smaller. It is located near Soho Factory in Praga.district, 10 minutes by tram from Centrum or easy 25 minutes walk. The site is located one old abandoned look warehouse, pretty communitsm and 8 zloty for entrance definitely worth it. Staffs were friendly and.l tell you the history and what happened during the communist era. Worth it.
Written October 23, 2014
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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Museum of Life under Communism, Warsaw

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