Museum of Engineering and Technology in Kraków

In Kraków's Kazimierz district, at ul. św. Wawrzyńca 15, stands a group of halls that since the late 19th century has housed horse-drawn trams, narrow-gauge electric trams and buses in turn. The museum calls it unique in Europe — an almost completely preserved depot that shows the whole development of urban transport. Since 1998 it has been home to the Museum of Engineering and Technology, and its main attraction is the permanent exhibition "City. Technosensitivity", winner of a Sybilla award in 2023.

History: the depot that became a museum

The city of Kraków founded the museum on 1 October 1998 as the Museum of Municipal Engineering; it has had its current name since March 2022. The idea went back to 1975 and the centenary of public transport in Kraków. The museum moved into the historic halls of the city's oldest depot: the Kraków Tramway Company building of 1882, the former horse-tram shed and a hall of 1912 for standard-gauge trams.

After a rebuild completed in 2021, the exhibition space doubled to about 6,000 m². During the works, a historic petrol tank from 1923 was uncovered in the courtyard; it is now on display under a glass pyramid.

What to see

The exhibition "City. Technosensitivity" looks at the city through 12 fields of engineering — from waterworks, power and gas supply to urban planning, transport and ecology. It presents more than 600 historic technical objects, including:

• an Edison phonograph and the first Polish telephones,
• a German Feldfernschreiber cipher machine,
• a Polski Fiat 508 car and an Odra 1305 computer,
• Marconi and Olympic radio sets and a Capello Roma music system.

In the LAB Zone you can carry out your own experiments with SI units. A separate Hall F displays historic tram cars. The exhibition won the Sybilla 2023 award, Poland's museum event of the year prize, in the category of new and modernised permanent exhibitions.

Good to know

The museum has two branches: the Stanisław Lem Garden of Experiences in Lotników Park and the Czyżyny Hangar. Its collection numbers more than 3,000 objects — machines, tools and electrical and electronic equipment. Tracks were laid into Hall F for the Kraków Museum Line, on which historic trams run occasionally.

Tripto tips

The museum recommends allowing at least 1.5 hours. The depot is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00) and closed on Mondays. A ticket to the permanent exhibition costs PLN 35, reduced PLN 28, family PLN 95; on Tuesdays entry to the permanent exhibition is free, but places are limited, so collect a free entry ticket in advance. An audio guide is included in the ticket. It is a good choice for a rainy day with children, and when you leave you are a few minutes from Plac Nowy and Szeroka Street.