Museum of Warsaw (Muzeum Warszawy)

The Museum of Warsaw (Muzeum Warszawy) occupies a group of reconstructed townhouses on the north side of the Old Town Market Square, at Rynek Starego Miasta 28-42, in Warsaw, Poland. It traces the story of the capital of Masovia from its medieval beginnings through the wars, partitions and reconstruction to the present day. The permanent exhibition is arranged across several floors and combines archaeological finds, paintings, prints, furniture, everyday objects, maps and film, including footage of the 1944 destruction and post-war rebuilding of the Old Town. Visitors move through rooms that recreate historic interiors and learn how the district they are standing in was rebuilt from sketches, paintings and surviving fragments. A fifth-floor viewpoint, sold as an optional extra ticket, looks across the Old Town Market Square and is a favourite photo spot because it frames the Mermaid statue and the colourful rooftops. A normal visit takes one to two hours, with extra time if reading all labels. Admission to the permanent exhibition costs about 25 PLN full and 18 PLN reduced, the viewpoint adds about 10 PLN, and Thursdays are free. The museum is closed on Mondays and on certain holidays. Weekday mornings are the quietest time, while free Thursdays and weekend afternoons attract larger crowds and school groups. The museum is also the organisation behind other sites in the city, including the Fotoplastikon on Aleje Jerozolimskie. The Old Town Market Square location makes it easy to combine with a walk through the square and to Castle Square, five minutes away on foot.