Home Army Museum in Krakow. Getting there, prices, visiting

Kraków, although it was not destroyed, is a city that bears significant scars from World War II. This is reflected in the well-known and lesser-known museums located in the city. One of the lesser-known museums among foreign tourists is the Home Army Museum (Muzeum Armii Krajowej) at Wita Stwosza Street, which, in our opinion, is one of the most interesting museums in Kraków, especially for those interested in World War II. How to get to the Home Army Museum in Krakow? Where is it located? What are the opening hours? We check the ticket prices and explore what you can see inside Museum of Polish Army AK. In this museum you can see a report prepared by a Pole (Witold Pilecki) who voluntarily went to german Auschwitz camp to describe it.

Foreign tourists are familiar with the Auschwitz Museum located near Kraków and the Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory (which focuses on the occupation period in Kraków, not on Oskar Schindler himself). Some also visit the Eagle Pharmacy Museum, related to the history of the Kraków Ghetto, as well as the Gestapo prison cells in the Śląski House at the Pomorska Street Museum.

However, few people know about the Home Army Museum (Muzeum Armii Krajowej), which, in our opinion, is the most interesting museum in Kraków dedicated to World War II.

How to get to Home Army Museum in Krakow

The museum is located near the Main Market Square at 12 Wita Stwosza Street. It is about a 25-minute walk from the Main Market Square, less than 13 minutes from the Galeria Krakowska shopping center, and less than 10 minutes from the main train station and bus station.

Although the museum is very close to the city center, it feels distant due to urban infrastructure barriers such as railway tracks, a busy street, and underpasses. As a result, few people choose to walk there. If you prefer to take an Uber or Bolt, the ride will cost around 20 PLN (approximately 4.75 EUR, 4.9 USD, or 3.95 GBP). If you are arriving at the museum by car, park on Kątowa Street or Żelazna Street. These streets are located within the paid parking zone, in its most affordable area. Parking is essentially free only on Sundays.

The museum is housed in one of the restored buildings of a military barracks and storage complex located between the main train station and the historic Rakowicki Cemetery.

This complex was built during the Austrian occupation of Poland in the late 19th century, and the specific barracks and storage building (number 4), which now houses the museum, was constructed in 1911.

Other buildings of the former military barracks and storage complex of the Kraków Fortress, located near the museum, have not been restored and are falling into greater ruin with each passing year.

Home Army Museum in Kraków – ticket prices and booking

Unlike tickets for visiting Auschwitz (both free and paid), Schindler’s Factory, or Wawel Castle, tickets to the Home Army Museum do not need to be booked in advance. They also cannot be purchased online. Tickets are bought at the museum’s ticket office, located in the building, directly before the visit.

As with most regular museums in Kraków, there is a day with free admission. The Home Army Museum can be visited for free on Sundays. The ticket prices for the Home Army Museum in Kraków are very reasonable. It is one of the best museums in terms of the price-to-quality ratio of its exhibitions.

A standard ticket to the Home Army Museum in Kraków costs 20 PLN (approximately 4.75 EUR, 4.9 USD, or 3.95 GBP). A reduced ticket is 10 PLN (approximately 2.38 EUR, 2.43 USD, or 1.97 GBP), and a family ticket (2+2 or 1+3) costs only 45 PLN. These prices are half the cost of tickets to Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, and in our opinion, the collections here are more interesting.

What are the opening hours of the AK Museum in Krakow? The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and it is closed on Monday as many museums in Poland. The last entry to the exhibition is possible one hour before closing, i.e., at 4:00 PM.

Home Army Museum – visiting

The collections of the Home Army Museum in Krakow are truly fascinating, both for those specifically interested in Polish history and World War II.

The museum’s collection includes, among other items, the report by Witold Pilecki, a Pole who voluntarily entered Auschwitz, escaped, and then described the German atrocities to the world.

The museum also touches on pre-war history. Here, you can see, for example, badges from various pre-war Polish military regiments, everyday objects, and photos from private archives. The collection includes camp uniforms (pasiaki) of Polish prisoners from Nazi concentration camps, Polish military uniforms, including those of key Polish generals, such as the uniform of General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski.

There are exhibits related to the pre-war Polish army, the attack on Poland by Germany and Russia, as well as the Nazi and Soviet occupations, and the fate of Polish soldiers persecuted by the post-war communist authorities.

Among its collections are memorabilia from the Lwów District of the Home Army, authentic documents, uniforms, weapons (including pistols from the Warsaw Uprising), as well as exceptional items such as the first version of Witold Pilecki’s report written after his escape from Auschwitz, the chess set of General Emil Fieldorf “Nil”, and equipment used by the Cichociemni (elite Polish special forces).

The museum also features 1:1 scale reconstructions of a German V-2 rocket, a Vickers tank assembled from fragments of two original tanks, and a section of the fuselage of a British Handley Page Halifax strategic bomber.

The Home Army Museum in Krakow was established on the initiative of former soldiers of the Polish Underground State. After 1989, they took steps to create an institution commemorating the history of the Home Army. The idea originated among Krakow’s veterans from the Home Army Soldiers’ Association, who began collecting memorabilia, documents, and weapons from the World War II period.

In 1992, after losing its headquarters in the Mańkowski Palace, the exhibition was moved to a building at ul. Bosacka 13 (now Wita Stwosza 12 Streer). Since then, the historic building No. 4 of the former complex underwent a comprehensive modernization designed by AiR Jurkowscy, which included, among other things, covering the courtyard with a glass roof structure.

The adaptation of the building was recognized in the Brick Award 2013 competition in the category of Renovation/Adaptation/Rebuilding/Reconstruction.

The tour begins with the September 1939 exhibition and ends with information about communist repressions. The Home Army Museum features, among other things, details about the Gray Ranks (Szare Szeregi), Operation Tempest (Akcja Burza), the Polish Underground State, as well as labor camps and concentration camps, and daily life under German and Soviet occupation.

Notable exhibits include German propaganda publications such as Ilustrowany Kurier Polski, editions of Goniec Krakowski and Nowy Głos Lubelski, as well as propaganda posters. There are also documents issued by the authorities of both occupiers, as well as unique photographs, for example, from the defense of Lwów. Information about the Katyn massacre is also presented.

Compared to the most popular Schindler’s Factory Museum, the Home Army Museum gives the impression of greater authenticity in its exhibitions. For instance, items made by Polish female prisoners in workshops in Nazi camps leave a strong impression. Reproductions, artistic installations, and multimedia displays take up less space here, with more emphasis placed on unique, original artifacts that visitors can see.

On the upper floor of the building, there is a substantial collection of various types of weapons, as well as a collection of military buttons. This is also where temporary exhibitions are held, and you can find a simulation of firing polish anti-tank rifle and a parachute jump simulator.

How long does it take to visit the Home Army Museum in Krakow?

For a quick overview of the exhibits, you need about 60 minutes. However, if you want to thoroughly study all the information panels, descriptions, and use the audio guide (which lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes), you can spend a bit more time in the museum, perhaps up to 2 hours. The museum also has a small souvenir shop.

Drawbacks of the museum

Aside from parking issues and the unremarkable surroundings, one drawback is that some areas are too dark, and certain exhibits are not well-lit. A designated “quiet day” for visiting is the first Tuesday of the month from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, when the exhibition sounds are turned off, and the lighting is improved. The museum, in its current form, requires some basic knowledge of Polish history. For foreign tourists unfamiliar with the subject, the exhibit descriptions could be more detailed.

The directional markings on the floor can sometimes be confusing, and in a few places, after scanning QR codes and visiting the indicated links, no additional information or multimedia appeared because they had been removed. These are the main shortcomings of the museum.

Home Army Museum summary

Compared to the highly advertised and popular Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, the Home Army Museum is, in our opinion, more interesting, primarily because it focuses on presenting authentic artifacts (some of them even bear traces of the blood of Polish heroes) from the period of Poland’s occupation by Germany and the Soviet Union, rather than relying on multimedia and reconstructions. It is also quieter and less crowded here. For us, it is one of the best museums in Krakow.

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