National Maritime Museum - Main Building

What to expect

The National Maritime Museum (Narodowe Muzeum Morskie) in Gdansk has its main building in three historic granaries on Ołowianka, and the route of the main exhibition runs through their interiors. At the same address the Sołdek museum ship, a branch of the museum, welcomes visitors, so a single trip to Ołowianka can take in both places.

The exhibition spans four floors. The route ends with the Maritime Gallery (Galeria Morska), which the museum calls the only display of marine painting in Poland that is so rich and varied. On the ground floor are the Arsenal (Arsenał) and the temporary exhibition rooms.

The museum was officially established on 1 January 1962. According to the Polish Wikipedia, 389,364 people visited all its branches in 2024.

Visitors rate the main building well: on Google Maps it has 4.6 out of 5 from 4360 reviews (read on 25 October 2026).

Who it suits: those curious about a maritime museum set in historic granaries, and lovers of marine painting, for whom the Maritime Gallery may be the main reason to visit. Wheelchair users can reach all floors, but some doors and the platform at the entrance to the Arsenal need the help of a member of the museum’s staff.

Who should skip it: visitors who do not read Polish and want to understand the whole exhibition. The captions in the exhibition are in Polish only, and the audio guide in Polish and English covers only the Maritime Gallery.

How long: the museum gives an average visiting time of 2 hours. If you add the Sołdek on a combined ticket, plan for more, because the ship is a separate visit right next door.

Tips

• Allow time. The museum closes its ticket offices and the entry to the exhibition earlier than the museum itself, so with an average visit of two hours, do not arrive at the last minute. The opening hours are in the practical box.
• One day from the afternoon. On one day of the week the museum opens only in the afternoon; the practical box shows which day. For a morning visit, choose another.
• Combined tickets for several branches. The museum sells a combined ticket for the main building with the Sołdek, and a larger one that also covers the Gdansk Crane (Żuraw) and the Maritime Culture Centre (Ośrodek Kultury Morskiej), without its interactive hall. The prices are in the price list on the museum’s website (link in the practical box).
• The Maritime Gallery alone for less. The museum also sells a cheaper ticket for the temporary exhibitions and the Maritime Gallery only, without the permanent exhibition; for comparison, the ticket for the permanent and temporary exhibitions is standard ticket 23 PLN (about 5 EUR), reduced 17 PLN (about 4 EUR). It makes sense if you come mainly for the paintings.
• Audio guide on your phone. You can tour the Maritime Gallery with an audio guide in the Movi Guide app, in Polish or English. Download the app before you go in.
• Cloakroom and lockers in the lobby. In the lobby there are a cloakroom, left-luggage lockers and toilets next to the ticket offices, as well as a souvenir and book shop. Leave a large backpack there before you start the route.
• Access with assistance. There is a lift adapted for people with reduced mobility and with visual impairments, and toilets for wheelchair users are in the lobby. The entrance to the corridor to floors +1, +2 and +3 and the stair platform at the Arsenal need a staff member’s help, so ask for it straight away at the ticket office.
• Guided tours for groups. Guided tours for groups of up to 30 people are given in Polish or English. You book them at rezerwacje.nmm.pl or by e-mail at edukacja@nmm.pl ; the prices are in the museum’s price list.

Getting there

• Address: Ołowianka 9-13, 80-751 Gdańsk.
• Nearest stops: according to the ZTM Gdańsk timetable, the closest stops are “Żuraw 01” (about 132 m), “Targ Rybny 01” (about 271 m) and “Targ Chlebowy 01” (about 402 m); all of them are served by line 100 only.
• Tram and bus: the museum directs visitors to the “Akademia Muzyczna” stop and gives a 900 m walk from there, about 11 minutes. According to the ZTM Gdańsk timetable, trams 8 and 9 stop there, as do buses 106, 111, 112, 138, 166, 178, 186, 212 and C80 and the night lines N8, N9 and N78.
• SKM commuter rail: the museum suggests taking the SKM to Gdańsk Główny station and walking from there over the footbridge to Ołowianka; it gives 1900 m, about 23 minutes on foot.
• By bike: there are 10 bicycle spaces at the museum entrance.
• By car: the museum says it has no free parking spaces for cars or coaches; there is only paid parking nearby.

Nearby

Three places that are easy to combine with a visit to Ołowianka (distances as the crow flies):

• Sołdek Museum Ship , ul. Ołowianka 9-13 - about 70 m. Since 1985 it has been a branch of the same museum, and the museum sells a combined ticket for both places.
• Gdansk Crane (Żuraw) , ul. Szeroka 67/68 - about 110 m. A port crane built in its present form in 1442-1444; the museum gives an average visit of an hour for it, and the larger combined ticket covers it.
• Baszta Tajemnic - Wax Museum , ul. Motławska 14 - about 430 m. It describes itself not as a classic museum but as an interactive adventure over five floors, so it is more entertainment for families than a second helping of history.