Night of the Museums Krakow 2025 - tickets, programme, map, MPK

Since 21 years - always on a May night - Krakow's museums and galleries open their doors wider than usual, inviting residents and tourists to visit for free or for a token. Night of the Museums Krakow 2025 (Friday, 16 May) is organised by the Department of Culture of the City of Krakow and the Permanent Conference of Directors of Krakow Museums under the patronage of the Mayor of the City. This year it is attended by more than 60 institutions - From the royal Wawel Castle, through the Garden of Experiences, to the niche Butterfly Museum. In this guide you will find the most important information: timetable, bookings, buying tickets at branches, routes, MPK transport and recommended museums.

Schedule of the Museums' Night Krakow 2025

Start: most establishments are opening o 18:00 and works to 24:00; some - such as the Wawel Royal Castle - welcome visitors until the 1:00.

Time block	What's happening	Where to be
18:00-19:30	Official opening + first wave of visitors	Wawel Royal Castle, Main Building of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews
19:30-21:30	Workshops and family attractions	Archaeological Museum (Kamishibai), Galicia Jewish Museum ("Crown - symbol")
21:30-23:00	Concerts & special shows	Museum of Nowa Huta (sound-scape), Experimental Garden (ZORBA)
23:00-01:00	Night panoramas and final ascents	Town Hall Tower, Market Square Underground, Schindler's Factory

News 2025

• Home Army Museum - Exhibition on the Chrobry Battalion.
  
• Stained Glass Museum - Start of the 3-year construction of Sichulski's Art Nouveau stained glass window 'Spring'.
  
• Experimental Garden - chemical 'Crown of Sulphur' and ZORBA ball rides.
  

How to get tickets and passes to museums

Highlights: some of the most popular museums require online booking of entry times, but physical tickets (PLN 5) you buy directly at branches - not on the internet.

1. Online booking (mandatory where limits are smallest)

• From 6 May, the portal krakow.pl/nocmuzeow a calendar will open in which you block the time slot (Wawel, Schindler, Market Underground, VR Museum).
  
• Confirmation takes the form of an e-mail with a booking number - it's not a ticket; you can buy the right ticket for £5 at the entrance.
  

2. purchase of tickets at branches (symbolic PLN 5)

• Payment by cash or card - to be decided by each establishment separately.
  
• One ticket = one branch. If the Krakow Museum has eight branches, you buy a separate ticket at each of them (or choose only the most interesting ones).
  
• Children up to 7 years of age - free admission without having to collect a ticket.
  

3. entry without reservation

• Around 40 establishments operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Queues admitted in 20-minute rounds.
  

The most interesting museums and their programme

1. royal classics

Wawel Royal Castle
Night tour of the seat of the Polish kings.

National Museum - Main Building
Interactive show 'Alchemy under the patronage of Polish kings' (entrances every 30 min).

2. History and patriotism

Home Army Museum
New exhibition about Battalion Chrobry I and Grouping Chrobry II; VR stations will transport you to the barricades of 1944.

Schindler's factory
Permanent tour "Krakow - the time of the 1939-1945 occupation", sound installation "Voices of the survivors". Online booking compulsory.

3. learning & experience

S. Lem Experimental Garden
"Crown of Sulphur" - chemical experiment in the open air, ZORBA rides and night sky observations (if the weather is good).

Stained Glass Museum
Start of the construction of the stained glass window 'Spring' - demonstration of glass grinding and oxide staining techniques.

4 Family & interactive culture

Archaeological Museum
Three Kamishibai séances about Boleslaw the Brave (limit 40 people, booking by e-mail).

Cracow Museum - Krzysztofory Palace
Family guided tour of '1,000 years of the royal crown' with a replica of the Szczerbiec.

5. News 2025 - opening hours

Museum	Why is it worth it?	Hours on pt (16 V)	sb (17 V)	nd (18 V)
Butterfly Museum	Living terrariums + "origami wings" workshop	10-20	10-21	10-20
House of Illusions	Ames room, 3D graphics, levitating balls	10-22	10-23	10-22
VR museum	10-min. balloon flight over the Cloth Hall, VR duels	12-22	12-23	12-22

If you're planning a marathon through the 'novelties', start at the Butterfly Museum before 6pm and then move on to the Museum of Illusions and the VR Museum, which will be open the longest anyway.

Route planning and map of the Museums' Night - 3 ready-made variants

Even the most seasoned museum goers cannot "tick off" sixty establishments in one night, so we have prepared a three proven loops - You can see each one on the free Google My Maps map (the download link is below the paragraph).

1. Classic route (approx. 3 km, 2 - 3 h)
   Start: Main Market Square → Market Square Underground (booking) → Cloth Hall of the MNK → Town Hall Tower → Grodzka Street → Wawel Royal Castle → finish on Vistula Boulevards.
   For whom? First contact with Krakow; nice night panoramas; convenient for pushchairs.
   
2. Family route (approx. 4 km, 3.5 h)
   Start: Butterfly Museum (last entry 20:00) → Museum of Illusions (until 22:00) → Archaeological Museum (Kamishibai) → Krzysztofory Palace (insignia) → walk through the Planty to the Experimental Garden (ZORBA, sulphur crown).
   For whom? Children 6-12 years; lots of interaction and workshops; family toilets at every point.
   
3. Alternative route (approx. 6 km, 3 - 4 h)
   Zabłocie & Nowa Huta: Schindler's Factory (booking) → MOCAK → VR Museum (until 22/23) → night tram 22N to Central Square → Museum of Nowa Huta (ambient concert).
   For whom? Fans of contemporary art, industrial spaces and... the night sounds of the city.
   

MPK transport, parking and additional lines

MPK on Museums' Night

Line	Route (shortened)	Frequency 16 V 18:00-1:00	Comments
1N	Salwator ↔ Nowy Bieżanów	every 15 min	extended to Cichy Kącik loop
8N	Bronowice Małe ↔ Maly Płaszów	every 20 min	stops just outside Schindler's Factory
22N	Czerwone Maki ↔ Central Square	every 15 min	convenient access to the Museum of the New Steelworks
902	Night bus East Main Station ↔ Wieliczka	every 30 min	for visitors to the Cracow Saltworks Museum

Night tickets valid for 90 minutes (£6 normal, £3 concession) you can buy at any ticket machine or on the mobile app. Holders of Krakow Card they drive for £1.

Parking

• Park&Ride: Czerwone Maki, Nowy Kleparz, Mały Płaszów - open until 2 a.m., price 10 PLN/all night (MPK ticket included).
  
• Zone A and B at the Market Square is payable by 20:00, later free of charge. Count on no vacancies after 18:30.
  
• In Zabłocie, it is worth using the free car park on Lipska Street (10 min walk to MOCAK).

Where to eat and where to sleep during Museum Night

Night gastro (until 2 a.m.)

• Andrus Food Truck (Kazimierz, pl. Wolnica) - maczanka and dumplings with goose.
  
• Algae (2 Matejki Square) - vege-swiss table, £20 a plate.
  
• Streat Slow Food (Dajwór 20) - ramen and bao buns, 22:00-02:00.
  

Hotels within 500 m of the Plantation

Hotel	Price 16/17 V (for 2 persons).	Pros
** Wawel Queen Hotel ****	From £450	terrace overlooking the castle, underground parking
Vienna House Andel's	From £390	A stone's throw from Schindler's Factory
Mammut Hostel	From £120	4-bed family rooms, late check-in option

Tip: some hotels give -10 % discount when showing a Museum Night ticket - ask at reception.

Reviews and reports from previous years

Last year's edition was visited by more than 120 000 people - the Underground Market Square, Schindler's Factory and Wawel Castle were the most popular. This year, the organisers expect even more interest due to three new interactive museums.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

Does it really only cost £5 to enter?
Yes, but only for museums taking part in 'museum night'. Attractions such as the Living Butterfly Museum have their own individual prices.

In some places, entrances are also free. It is best to check the price at the specific establishment or on the website.

Is online booking always required?
No. Valid only in a few establishments with limited capacity (Wawel, Schindler, Market Underground, VR Museum).

What if I am late for my booked time?
You have a 15-minute tolerance; after that the booking is forfeited and you join the current queue.

Can you enter with your dog?
Most establishments only allow assistance dogs. The exception is the Experimental Garden (on a lead).

Are night trams included in the normal ticket?
Yes, the standard MPK fare (90-minute or monthly ticket) applies.

Summary

Night of the Museums Krakow 2025 is more than sixty open institutions, three new interactive museums, special MPK lines and one evening full of excitement. Plan your route, book seats in the most crowded establishments, buy a symbolic ticket for 5 PLN on site and have fun - whether you choose the majestic Wawel Castle, experiments in the Experimental Garden or fluorescent origami at the Manggha. See you on 16 May!