Jan Nikodem Jaroń Regional Museum, Olesno

Olesno's museum is housed in a mid-18th-century Baroque townhouse on ulica Jaronia, with a distinctive gable framed by scrolls and topped by a semicircle. It is the easiest place to get to know the town's history – from its first settlers to figures such as Józef Lompa and Jan Nikodem Jaroń.

History of the museum

The museum was founded in 1960 and first operated at ulica Pieloka 18. In the 1980s it moved to the town hall on the market square, where it remained until 2005. The collection then moved to its present home – a listed historic townhouse on ulica Jaronia. The museum is named after Jan Nikodem Jaroń, a poet and playwright who fought in the Silesian Uprisings, and is run by the town.

What to see

• The archaeology display, with finds from excavations around Olesno.
• The history display, covering the town from its beginnings to the present day and the people connected with it, including Józef Lompa, Jan Nikodem Jaroń and Emanuel Kania.
• The Forestry and Hunting Room, created by the Olesno Forest District, with hunting trophies and specimens of local wildlife.
• The house itself – a two-bay building with a through passage and a three-window façade, a surviving example of Baroque burgher architecture.

Tripto tip

The museum is on ulica Jaronia, a few steps from the market square and town hall. Allow 30–45 minutes. In the past it was open on weekdays and on the second Sunday of the month, with free admission – check current hours and temporary exhibitions on the museum website before you go. Afterwards walk over to the square to see the town hall with its columned portico and the nearby Church of St Michael.