Star Wars Museum in Witaszyce

In a Greater Poland village near Jarocin, within the grounds of a neo-Baroque palace from 1899, you'll find something you'd hardly expect here: a collection devoted to "Star Wars". Armour, figures, dioramas and Lego models share the palace complex with a museum of the Napoleonic era, described as the only one of its kind in Poland, and with the exhibition "World War II in Miniature".

How the saga reached Witaszyce

The collections grew out of the palace owner's passions. First, the restored late-Baroque manor house in the park became home to the Museum of the Napoleonic Wars, and since 2007 it has also hosted a permanent exhibition devoted to the "Star Wars" saga. Some of the exhibits have found a second life as props for themed summer camps for children held at the palace. Today Witaszyce Palace presents three museums that can be seen in a single visit: the Star Wars Museum, the Napoleonic Museum and "World War II in Miniature".

What to see

• Star Wars Museum – armour and iconic items from the saga's universe, a collection of figures, dioramas with miniature scenes and Lego builds inspired by vehicles and places from the films.
• Napoleonic Museum – large dioramas of the battles of Waterloo and Raszyn, hundreds of figures of soldiers from all the armies involved, uniforms, weapons and documents. Descriptions of the collection mention more than 10,000 figures, Napoleon's death mask and a lock of his hair.
• "World War II in Miniature" – soldiers, equipment and hardware at 1:6 scale, large enough to show the details of the uniforms.
• The 1899 palace – a neo-Baroque residence designed by Ludwik Otte, with a four-column portico and the von Ohnesorge family arms in the pediment, set in a park.

Did you know?

The manor house that holds the Napoleonic museum has its own legend: tradition says the so-called Jarosławiec Convention was ratified here. Witaszyce was once described as the most industrialised village in Poland, with a sugar factory, a refinery, a flax-processing plant and a brickworks with its own narrow-gauge railway.

Tripto tips

The museums have no fixed public opening hours – contact the palace before you come and arrange a visit, especially with a group. Tailor the visit to the children's ages: the Star Wars collection is enough for the youngest, while older kids will appreciate all three exhibitions. Allow about 1.5–2 hours for all three museums, and take a walk in the park afterwards.