Podkarpackie Museum in Krosno

The Podkarpackie Museum in Krosno (kROHS-noh) is housed in the former Bishop's Palace on the edge of the old town, a yellow building at ul. Piłsudskiego 16. It is best known for "The History of Lighting," one of the most valuable kerosene lamp collections in the world. You will also find regional archaeology, the history of Krosno, glass from local glassworks and an exhibition of Japanese art and arms. If you are looking for things to do in Krosno, especially on a rainy day, this is the town's main museum.

Where it is

Krosno is a town in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, about 65 km from Rzeszów, the nearest airport, and about 170 km from Kraków. The museum is on the old town's edge, within walking distance of the market square. Come by car or by train to Krosno. We found no parking information on the museum's website.

About the museum

The museum was founded in 1954 as a regional museum of the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society, became a state institution in 1958 and took its present name in 2000. It runs a branch, the Carpathian Troy archaeological open-air museum in Trzcinica near Jasło. The lamp collection counts, according to museum materials, more than two thousand objects, and alongside the lamps you will see items linked to Ignacy Łukasiewicz, the pharmacist who invented the kerosene lamp in 1853 and went on to start Poland's oil industry.

Permanent exhibitions

• The History of Lighting: lamps and lighting devices, the heart of the museum.
• A Revived Past: an archaeology exhibition with finds from the region, including the Hłomcza hoard.
• From the History of Krosno and the Region and Poland in Emigration.
• Art gallery: Krosno artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Glass of Podkarpackie Glassworks and Art and Arms of Japan.

How to visit

Allow 2 to 3 hours for all exhibitions, or about an hour for the lamps. You can buy one ticket for all permanent exhibitions or for selected ones. With children, start with the lamps and the archaeology. On Sundays the permanent exhibitions are free.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

• Address: ul. Józefa Piłsudskiego 16, 38-400 Krosno. Phone: +48 13 432 13 76; e-mail: muzeum@muzeum.krosno.pl.
• Hours: May to October Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 to 16:00; November to April Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 to 15:00. Closed Mondays. The website gives no last-entry time.
• Tickets: all permanent exhibitions: adult 30 PLN, reduced 25 PLN, family 60 PLN. "The History of Lighting" and the art gallery: 20 and 16 PLN. One chosen permanent exhibition: 10 and 8 PLN. Temporary exhibition: 15 and 10 PLN.
• Guides: 50 PLN for a group of up to 30; a guided tour in English costs 100 PLN.
• Accessibility and dogs: not specified on the website; ask the museum.

Nearby

In Krosno's old town, see the market square and the parish church. Dukla Palace, the Konopnicka Museum in Żarnowiec and Kamieniec Castle in Odrzykoń are within a short drive.