Museum for 1 PLN in Kraków - ten National Museum branches and one condition
In Kraków, “Museum for 1 PLN” means one institution: the National Museum in Kraków (MNK). That institution, though, has ten branches open to visitors, and in every one of them a pupil or student under 26 gets into the permanent exhibitions for a single złoty. The biggest saving is at the Czartoryski Museum: Leonardo’s “Lady with an Ermine” for 1 PLN instead of 65 PLN (about €15).
The scheme is run by Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. According to the ministry’s page, the ticket is for anyone aged 8 to 26, covers permanent exhibitions only and runs all year. The only Kraków institution on its list is the National Museum; Wawel Royal Castle, the Museum of Kraków and MOCAK are not on it.
Who pays one złoty
This is where the one trap lies. The ministry talks about age: 8 to 26. The MNK branch profiles, based on the museum’s price list, talk about status: the 1 PLN ticket is for pupils and students under 26, on showing a valid student card. A 23-year-old who works and does not study should expect to pay the regular price. Bring your student card; an ID card alone may not be enough.
Children under 7 get into MNK branches for free. A parent or guardian who does not meet the condition pays the regular price.
Ten branches where the ticket costs 1 PLN
The last column is the regular ticket, which is what you save. Euro amounts are rounded.
| Branch | Address | Hours | Regular ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czartoryski Museum | Pijarska 15 | Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00 | 65 PLN (about €15) |
| Main Building | al. 3 Maja 1 | Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00 | 45 PLN (about €10.50) |
| Sukiennice - Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art | Rynek Główny 3 | Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00 | 35 PLN (about €8) |
| MNK Arsenal | Pijarska 8 | Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00 | 18 PLN (about €4) |
| Jan Matejko House | Floriańska 41 | Tue 10:00-18:00, Wed-Sun 10:00-16:00 | 18 PLN (about €4) |
| Józef Mehoffer House | Krupnicza 26 | Tue 10:00-18:00, Wed-Sun 10:00-16:00 | 18 PLN (about €4) |
| Bishop Erazm Ciołek Palace | Kanonicza 17 | Tue 10:00-18:00, Wed-Sun 10:00-16:00 | 18 PLN (about €4) |
| Szołayski House | pl. Szczepański 9 | Tue 10:00-18:00, Wed-Sun 10:00-16:00 | 18 PLN (about €4) |
| Emeryk Hutten-Czapski Museum | Piłsudskiego 12 | Tue 10:00-18:00, Wed-Sun 10:00-16:00 | 18 PLN (about €4) |
| Stanisław Wyspiański Museum | pl. Sikorskiego 6 | Tue, Thu-Fri 10:00-16:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-16:00 | 18 PLN (about €4) |
Every branch is closed on Monday, and the Wyspiański Museum on Wednesday as well. All of them except the Main Building on al. 3 Maja are in the Old Town district.
How to make the most of it
- On Tuesday you do not need the złoty. The permanent exhibitions of every MNK branch are free that day for everyone, whatever their age. The 1 PLN ticket matters from Wednesday to Sunday.
- Book the Czartoryski Museum. Tickets there are sold for a set day and time, at the desk and on bilety.mnk.pl, and in season the next few days can sell out. Entry to the room with the “Lady with an Ermine” is limited.
- The small branches close at 16:00. From Wednesday to Sunday the Matejko House, the Mehoffer House, the Ciołek Palace, the Szołayski House and the Czapski Museum close at 16:00, and most of them let the last visitors in 20 minutes earlier.
- A day for a few złoty. The Czartoryski Museum and the Arsenal on the same street, Pijarska, the Matejko House on Floriańska on the way, and Sukiennice on the Main Square to finish: four branches for 4 PLN instead of 136 PLN (about €32).
- Temporary exhibitions cost extra. So does the audio guide: at the Arsenal it is 10 PLN (about €2), ten times the ticket.
What the złoty does not cover
The 1 PLN ticket covers permanent exhibitions only. Temporary exhibitions, special events, workshops, museum lessons and guided tours are outside the scheme.
The ministry’s list also names the Kraków Saltworks Museum in Wieliczka, with the note that under the scheme it offers educational classes only. An individual visitor cannot buy a 1 PLN ticket there.
Sources
The list of institutions, the age condition and the scope of the scheme come from the ministry’s page gov.pl/web/kultura/muzeumza1zl, checked on 27 September 2026. Prices, hours, the student-card condition and booking rules come from the branch profiles on muzea.org.pl linked above, which in turn rely on the museum’s official website mnk.pl. Prices and hours may change, so check the museum’s website before you go.