Natural History and Hunting Museum in Uzarzewo

The Natural History and Hunting Museum in Uzarzewo (say "oo-zah-ZHEH-vo") is a family-friendly museum in a 19th-century palace set in landscaped parkland about 15 km east of Poznań, in western Poland. It traces hunting from the Stone Age to the 20th century, recreates the wildlife habitats of Greater Poland in large dioramas, and shows animals from several continents plus a colorful parrot collection. It makes an easy half-day trip from Poznań.

Where it is and how to get there

Uzarzewo is a village in Swarzędz municipality, just off the main road from Poznań to Gniezno. Poznań, the nearest city with an international airport, is about a 15 km drive away. By car, follow the road toward Gniezno and turn onto the local road to the village after Kobylnica. There is on-site parking (a fee applies to coaches and minibuses). By train, get off at Kobylnica station on the Poznań–Gniezno line and walk about 3 km along a field track marked as the yellow hiking trail. The museum also lists suburban bus connections via Swarzędz, so check current routes before you travel.

The palace and the collection

The palace was built in 1860–1865 as an Italian-style villa, with a three-story tower added around 1900. The Żychliński family owned the estate for about 90 years, from 1855 until 1945. The surrounding park, roughly 6 hectares, was given its final shape by the landscape gardener August Denizot.

The museum opened in 1977 and since 1982 has been a branch of the National Museum of Agriculture in Szreniawa. Highlights include:

• Hunting through the ages: Stone Age tools, a Neanderthal bear-hunt scene, and firearms from a 16th-century matchlock onward.
• A period hunting salon furnished in early 20th-century style.
• Watercolors by Jan Bogumił Sokołowski, a leading Polish ornithologist and bird painter.
• Wildlife dioramas in the old stable and carriage house, showing field, wetland and forest habitats, including protected species such as the great bustard, otter and beaver.
• Animals of the world: 125 mounted specimens, from an elephant and a lion to a polar bear and a musk ox.
• Parrots of the world: 100 specimens of 78 species.

Allow 1 to 1.5 hours inside, more if you want to explore the park.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026, according to the museum's website:

• April 1 – October 31: Tue–Fri 9 am–4 pm, Sat–Sun 10 am–4 pm.
• November 2 – March 31: Tue–Fri 9 am–3 pm, Sat–Sun 10 am–3 pm. From December 1 to February 15, weekend visits are for pre-booked groups of 15 or more only.
• Closed on Mondays (except Easter Monday) and on several public holidays, including November 1 and 11. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

Tickets cost 15 PLN (adults), 10 PLN (reduced) and 30 PLN for a family ticket. Entry is free on Saturdays, except during ticketed events. Cards are accepted. Exhibit labels are mainly in Polish.

Is it worth visiting?

If you are traveling with children or have an interest in wildlife, yes. The dioramas and the large-animal pavilion are memorable, the park is peaceful, and it is far less crowded than the big museums in Poznań.

Nearby

In the village you can also see a half-timbered parish church from 1749 and the remains of a 13th-century earthwork stronghold in the Cybina valley. The Pobiedziska Stronghold and the Piast Trail Miniature Park are about 10 km to the east.