Tony Halik Travelers' Museum

The Tony Halik Travelers' Museum (Muzeum Podróżników, "moo-ZEH-oom pod-roo-ZHNEE-kov") in Toruń is a small, colorful museum devoted to one of Poland's best-known TV explorers, who was born in this city, and to journeys across Latin America, Africa and Asia. Housed in two townhouses on Franciszkańska Street in the UNESCO-listed Old Town, it displays Maya textiles, pre-Columbian figurines, Papuan ornaments and African artifacts. It's one of the more family-friendly things to do in Toruń, especially on a rainy day.

Who was Tony Halik?

Toruń is a medieval Hanseatic city on the Vistula River, about 130 miles (210 km) northwest of Warsaw and best known as the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus. Tony Halik was born here on January 24, 1921. From 1950 he worked with the American network NBC, covering events in Latin America, and from the 1980s he and his partner Elżbieta Dzikowska hosted the hugely popular Polish travel show "Pieprz i wanilia" ("Pepper and Vanilla").

In 1999 Dzikowska donated more than 800 objects collected on their expeditions to the city. The museum opened in 2003 at Franciszkańska 11; the neighboring building at number 9 was later added, and Dzikowska still donates new pieces every year.

What to see

The visit starts in an entrance hall with copies of old maps under a ceiling painted as a star chart. Then:

• "Tony Halik: My Great Adventure," on his South American trips as an NBC reporter
• Mexico and Guatemala, with woven Maya huipil blouses and nine pre-Columbian ceramic figures from Jalisco and Colima
• "In the Lands of the Headhunters," body ornaments from Papua, India and elsewhere
• "Across the Dark Continent," objects from Namibia, Ethiopia and Gabon
• "Great Travelers and Explorers," from Marco Polo to James Cook
• Chinese textiles and jewelry from Ladakh in India on the top floor
• A final room on Polish explorers and how they mapped and described the world

Is it worth visiting?

If you grew up in Poland, it's a nostalgia trip; if you didn't, it's still a compact, well-stocked ethnographic collection with a personal story behind it. The museum suggests about one hour. Kids usually enjoy the masks, costumes and jewelry. We could not confirm whether exhibit labels are translated into English, so a translation app may help. For accessibility details, see the "Dostępność" section of the museum website.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026:

• October 1 – April 30: Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed Mondays. Last entry 30 minutes before closing.
• May 1 – September 30: Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Closed November 1, December 24, 25 and 31, and January 1.
• Tickets: 30 PLN standard, 25 PLN reduced (Polish złoty), also valid at the Museum of Asian Art in the House Under the Star on the Market Square.
• Free admission on Wednesdays. You can buy tickets online.

Heads-up: the museum has signed an EU-funded agreement for a complete renovation of the building and a redesign of the exhibition. No closure date had been announced as of October 2026, so check the website before you travel.

How to get there

The museum sits on ul. Franciszkańska 9/11 in the northwest part of the Old Town, a few minutes' walk from the Market Square and right next to the Planetarium. Trains from Warsaw take roughly 2.5–3 hours; Toruń Miasto station is closer to the Old Town than Toruń Główny across the river. The nearest airport is Bydgoszcz, about 25–30 miles (40–50 km) away. Drivers should use the Park & Ride lots (ul. Olimpijska 42 or ul. Dziewulskiego 38), as the Old Town has restricted traffic and paid parking.

Nearby

• Toruń Planetarium, a few steps down the same street
• Museum of Asian Art (House Under the Star), on the same ticket
• St. Mary's Church, right around the corner
• Old Town Hall and its viewing tower