Hipolit House in Kraków

Hipolit House (Kamienica Hipolitów, pronounced roughly "kah-myeh-NEE-tsah hee-po-LEE-toof") is a small branch of the Museum of Kraków on Mariacki Square, right behind St. Mary's Basilica in the city's UNESCO-listed Old Town. Medieval cellars, Baroque stucco and a facade decorated with restored sgraffito saints tell the story of a wealthy merchant home over six centuries. It is an easy, low-key addition to any list of things to do in Kraków, especially if you want to step inside a real Old Town townhouse.

A merchant house through the centuries

The building goes back to the 14th century, which is the age of its cellars and stone doorways. Its name comes from the Hipolit family, merchants who owned the house in the 17th century, according to the Museum of Kraków. Later in that century it passed to another merchant family, the Zaleskis, and then through many owners and tenants.

Each period added a layer:

• a Renaissance window column and painted decoration,
• Baroque stucco by Baltazar Fontana and a frieze,
• Rococo and 19th-century wall paintings.

In the early 1600s the facade carried unusually rich sgraffito (a scratched plaster technique) showing saints and plant motifs. It was chipped off in the late 1920s, and conservators partly recreated it in 2016. Look up from the square to spot the figures, interpreted as St. Helena and St. Sigismund.

What you can see now

The museum branch opened in 2003. Its long-running permanent exhibition, "The Burgher's House," recreated rooms from the 17th to the 19th century, including a collector's room with one of the largest clock collections in Polish museums.

Be aware that the permanent exhibition is currently closed, with no reopening date announced. The branch itself is open and hosts temporary shows. Until October 30, 2026 you can see "Open Townhouse: The Imagined Object," created with the Faculty of Intermedia at Kraków's Academy of Fine Arts, in which artists reinterpret everyday objects from the museum's collection.

Is it worth visiting?

Hipolit House is worth a stop if:

• you are already exploring the Main Square and want a quiet, uncrowded interior,
• you like architecture and want to see the restored facade up close,
• you are interested in contemporary art inspired by historic objects.

If your main goal is the furnished period rooms, check the museum's notices first. Plan about 30–60 minutes. Labels may be mainly in Polish, so ask at the desk about English materials.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026:

• Address: pl. Mariacki 3, 31-042 Kraków.
• Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed Monday, Tuesday, November 1 and November 11.
• Tickets: prices are not listed on the branch page; check at the ticket desk or on the Museum of Kraków website. Payment is in Polish zloty (PLN). The KrakowCard is accepted.
• Contact: +48 12 422 21 18, hipolitow@muzeumkrakowa.pl.

How to get there

Mariacki Square sits in the pedestrian zone, steps from the Main Market Square. From Kraków's main railway station (Kraków Główny), walk through St. Florian's Gate and along Floriańska Street. Trains link Kraków John Paul II Airport with the main station. There is no parking in the Old Town core, so leave a car outside the center or use trams. Nearby you can combine the visit with St. Mary's Basilica, the Cloth Hall and Mały Rynek, the "Small Market."