Kościerzyna Railway Museum

In a locomotive shed from 1929 and on the tracks around it stands the largest collection of rail vehicles in northern Poland – about 45 items of rolling stock, from a 1915 steam engine to the prototype of a Polish diesel locomotive. The Kościerzyna Railway Museum occupies the former engine depot by the station, and you can climb into most of the steam locomotives. Families can also ride a hand-pumped draisine and a miniature railway.

History: from the coal trunk line to an open-air museum

The first train reached Kościerzyna on 2 November 1885, and, following Prussian railway practice, a fan-shaped engine shed was built at the same time. The junction became more important after Poland regained independence, when the Coal Trunk Line linking Silesia's mines with the new port of Gdynia was routed through Kościerzyna. That is when the four-track, through-type shed of 1929 was built – the one you visit today. The 1930s were the busiest period.

As steam was phased out, the depot lost its purpose and closed in the early 1990s. On 1 November 1992 the PKP Kościerzyna Open-Air Museum was set up on the site; it also kept working steam engines for heritage trains. From 2001 it was run by the freight operator PKP Cargo, and in 2009 it became a branch of the Kościerzyna Regional Museum. In 2013–2014 the shed and office buildings were renovated, and the former workshops became exhibition rooms.

What to see

The collection fills the shed and the yard of the old depot. Look out especially for:

• Ok1-112 – a passenger steam locomotive from 1915,
• Tw1-90 – a heavy freight engine from 1918,
• TE 7175 – a 1943 locomotive that worked in the Kaliningrad region until 1985,
• SP47-001 – the prototype of a Polish passenger diesel locomotive,
• a car from the Gubałówka funicular in Zakopane, in service since 1938,
• an ET21 electric locomotive, an electric multiple unit and a snow plough.

The SR61-001 railcar serves as a souvenir and snack shop on site. For blind visitors there are bronze models of two steam engines and of the depot complex, with Braille labels.

Hours and tickets

The museum is open daily, including public holidays. In the summer season it opens on Mondays 10:00–16:00 and Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00; off-season it closes at 16:00 every day. On Mondays the engine shed and permanent exhibitions are closed and there are no draisine or miniature-railway rides or guided tours. A standard ticket costs PLN 20, reduced PLN 15, and children under 4 enter free. The ticket office stops selling half an hour before closing.

Tripto tip

Come between Tuesday and Sunday – only then can you see the shed and use the rides. The miniature railway runs from April to October. Set your navigation to "Muzeum Kolejnictwa w Kościerzynie" (ul. Towarowa 7): from the station you need to walk to the viaduct and double back along Towarowa Street, because the museum lies on the other side of the tracks. Allow 1.5–2 hours for an unhurried visit.