Palace of Art of the Society of Friends of Fine Arts

What to expect

The Palace of Art in Krakow is a gallery you also visit for the building itself: the Art Nouveau home of the Society of Friends of Fine Arts (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Sztuk Pięknych) at plac Szczepański 4, which Franciszek Mączyński designed on the model of the Secession Building in Vienna. The Society was founded in 1854, and the museum calls it the oldest in this part of Europe.

Before you go in, stop in front of the facade. The frieze running across it was composed by Jacek Malczewski, drawn full size under his direction by the Czajkowski brothers and executed in stucco by Jan Iwan. Inside, the exhibitions occupy three spaces: the Upper Palace of Art, the Lower Palace of Art and the Wyspiański Room (Świetlica Wyspiańskiego). Opening the Lower Palace enlarged the exhibition area by 60%.

Exhibitions have been held here since 1904 and they are what fills the rooms, so what you see inside depends on the current programme. Check it on the museum’s website before you come. Visitors rate the place well: on Google Maps the Palace has 4.4 out of 5 from 301 reviews (read on 30 October 2026).

Who it is for: those interested in Art Nouveau architecture who want to see one of Krakow’s Art Nouveau buildings from the inside as well, and anyone who is on plac Szczepański anyway and has an hour for an exhibition. Families can come too: Google Maps marks the place as suitable for children, and the museum sells a family ticket.

Who should skip it: anyone looking for a particular permanent collection, because the sources describe the Palace as a gallery with exhibition rooms and make no mention of a permanent display. Wheelchair users should also be cautious: neither the museum’s website nor Google Maps gives any information on accessibility.

How long: allow about an hour for the three rooms and a few minutes in front of the facade. If you also want to see the neighbouring Bunkier Sztuki, the combined ticket is valid for three days from first validation, so you need not see both galleries on the same day.

Tips

• You can see the frieze without a ticket. Malczewski’s frieze decorates the facade facing plac Szczepański, so you will see it even if the current exhibition does not interest you.
• Combined ticket with Bunkier. The Palace and the neighbouring Bunkier Sztuki gallery sell a joint ticket valid for three days from first validation; its prices are on the websites of both galleries.
• Tickets for seniors and families. Besides the standard ticket and the reduced ticket for pupils and students (standard ticket 20 PLN (about 5 EUR), reduced 10 PLN (about 2 EUR)), the museum has a separate reduced ticket for retirees, disability pensioners and seniors, and a family ticket for up to four people, including at least one child in education. The prices of both are on the museum’s page for visitors.
• Mind the Monday. At the Palace: closed on Mondays. From Tuesday to Sunday the hours are the same, Saturday and Sunday included.
• Guided visits with the curator. In August and September 2026 the museum announced curator-led visits to the exhibition on Facebook: on 22 August at the price of a standard entry ticket, and at the end of September for a separate ticket sold at the Palace box office, limited to 50 people per group. Look for further dates on the museum’s Facebook page.
• School groups: ask about the next edition. In September 2026 the museum had a special ticket for organised groups from primary and secondary schools, whose “first edition” ran until 27 September. A teacher planning a class visit should phone and ask whether there is another one.
• Wheelchair: ask in advance. Google Maps lists a toilet but shows no information on accessibility for wheelchair users. If this matters to you, phone or email the museum before your visit; the phone number and email address are in the practical box.

Getting there

• Address: plac Szczepański 4, 31-011 Kraków.
• Tram: the “Teatr Bagatela” stop, about 110 m (platform 02) and 190 m (platform 01) in a straight line. According to the ZTP Kraków timetable, trams 14, 18, 72, 74 and 78 stop there on all the days checked, Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; tram 75 runs only on the checked Monday and Friday.
• Bus: line 502 runs from the “Teatr Bagatela” stop (about 100 and 200 m in a straight line), and line 704 from the “Garbarska” stop (about 200 m in a straight line); both ran on the checked Monday, Saturday and Sunday.
• At night: the stops are also served by night bus lines 601, 605, 609, 611, 664, 669 and 902, and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday by night tram 69.
• Verdict on getting there: five daytime tram lines and two bus lines within about 200 m, running from early morning until late evening, make this an easy choice; the last services leave long after the Palace closes, so after the exhibition you need not keep an eye on the timetable.

Nearby

Closest of all, at plac Szczepański 3a, about 60 m in a straight line, is Bunkier Sztuki . This is the gallery with which the Palace sells the combined ticket valid for three days, so the two are easiest to plan together.

On the same square, at number 9, about 100 m in a straight line, stands Szolayski House (Kamienica Szołayskich). At ul. Jagiellońska 1, about 110 m in a straight line, is MICET - Interactive Museum / Theatre Education Centre .

Background

The building you are standing in front of on plac Szczepański is an Art Nouveau structure designed by Franciszek Mączyński, according to Wikipedia; the Krakow edition of “Gość Niedzielny” and culture.pl add that it was completed in 1901. Today it is the seat of the Society of Friends of Fine Arts and works as an art gallery.

The Society began building its own Palace of Art on 26 June 1899, as both the museum’s website and the English Wikipedia state. The president of the Society at the time was Edward Aleksander Raczyński, and it was he who formally opened the building on 11 May 1901.

The first exhibition was another three years in coming: according to “Gość Niedzielny” and culture.pl it was held in 1904, and art has been shown in the Palace’s rooms ever since.