Centre of Polish Sculpture in Orońsko

On the former estate of the painter Józef Brandt, in a park dotted with more than 100 sculptures, artists from around the world have been working since 1965. The Centre of Polish Sculpture in Orońsko is a landscape park, contemporary art gallery, set of studios and historic manor complex all at once – one of the few places in Poland where you look at art on the lawn, beside a pond and under old elms. The Sculpture Park is open every day and free of charge.

History: from the Christianis to Brandt

From the Middle Ages Orońsko belonged to several noble families. It flourished in the early 19th century, when the estate was bought by the engineer Franciszek Ksawery Christiani; he brought the first sculptures into the park. The classicist manor chapel, modelled on a Greek temple and dating from 1841, is the oldest historic building on the site. In 1869 the indebted estate was bought by Helena Pruszak, later the wife of Józef Brandt – a painter of battle scenes who spent his summers here, taught students and entertained friends. During the First World War German soldiers looted the palace, and Brandt was forced to leave for Radom, where he died in 1915. After 1945 the estate was nationalised and the manor housed a school, a health centre and the offices of a state fish farm. Sculpture workshops began here in 1965, and in 1981 the Centre of Polish Sculpture was founded; today it is a national cultural institution.

What to see

• Sculpture Park – an English-style park from the first half of the 19th century covering 12.3 ha, with ponds and tall European white elms. It holds more than 100 works, from carved stone to steel, concrete and sound installations, plus 7 historic sculptures from the Christiani era. The newest pieces come from the 2025 International Symposium of Contemporary Sculpture (on display until September 2027).
• Oranżeria Gallery – a former winter garden built after 1869 to a design by Alfred Schouppé; Brandt and his students used it as a summer studio. Its glass walls let you see sculpture in daylight.
• Wozownia Gallery – the former carriage house of 1905; from 19 September to 15 November 2026 it hosts the exhibition "Przeznaczenie" (Destiny).
• Taras Gallery in the Sculptor's House, a former manor granary from the 1860s.

Important: museum rebuilding

The Museum of Contemporary Sculpture (built 1989–1992 above the Kaskada pond) is being extended and modernised in a project worth about PLN 55.4 million, which adds a new entrance pavilion and a second exhibition hall. While the work continues, the museum, the Józef Brandt Palace (a neo-Renaissance Italian-style villa with reconstructed interiors) and the Chapel Gallery are closed. According to the centre, vehicle access is restricted – park by the sports centre or in the spaces off ul. Radomska.

Tripto tip

The Sculpture Park is open daily: from 1 April to 31 October 06:00–21:00, in winter 06:00–18:30. The galleries open Tuesday to Sunday (in summer Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, weekends 10:00–18:00; in winter 10:00–16:00), and entry to the Oranżeria and Wozownia is on the hour. A pass to all exhibitions costs PLN 20 (reduced PLN 10, family PLN 50), sold at the ticket desk in the Sculptor's House. Allow 1–2 hours for the park and half a day with the galleries. Guided tours in English can be booked in advance. Orońsko lies about 15 km from Radom off the S7 expressway (Radom-Południe junction); the Sculptor's House has the Cafe Art café and guest rooms.