National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk (Ołowianka Granaries and SS Sołdek)

The National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk (Narodowe Muzeum Morskie, roughly "nah-ro-DOH-veh MOO-zeh-oom MOR-skyeh") is Poland's leading museum of seafaring, shipbuilding and life at sea. Its headquarters fill three rebuilt granaries on Ołowianka Island in the heart of Gdańsk, and moored right outside is the SS Sołdek, the first oceangoing ship built in Poland after World War II. For anyone looking for things to do in Gdańsk beyond the Old Town streets, it is one of the most rewarding stops on the riverfront.

Where it is

The museum sits on the Motława River opposite the medieval Crane (Żuraw), a few minutes' walk from Long Market. Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (GDN) is about 15 km away, and the main train station, Gdańsk Główny, is roughly a 15-minute walk. Warsaw is about three hours away by express train.

A short history

The museum was founded on January 1, 1962, and was known as the Central Maritime Museum from 1972 until it became the National Maritime Museum in December 2013. Since 1989 its main home has been the Miedź, Panna and Oliwski granaries. They stand on an island once used for warehouses, including lead stores that gave Ołowianka its name (ołów means lead). The granaries were rebuilt in 1985 after their wartime destruction. Look for the flood marks from 1745, 1775 and 1829 on the facade of the Panna granary.

Today the museum runs a network of branches, including the Crane and the Maritime Culture Center in Gdańsk and the tall ship Dar Pomorza in nearby Gdynia. In 2024 its branches welcomed nearly 390,000 visitors.

What to see

• "Poles on the Seas of the World": Polish shipping, ports and navies, with ship models, navigation instruments and sailors' keepsakes.
• "Maritime Archaeology and Diving": finds from Baltic wrecks and the story of underwater research.
• The Maritime Gallery: a collection of marine painting.
• Rotating temporary exhibitions.

Aboard the SS Sołdek

This steam-powered coal and ore carrier entered service in 1949 and sailed until 1981, completing 1,479 voyages and carrying more than 3.5 million tons of cargo. The museum describes it as the only surviving ship of its kind in the world. You can explore the main deck, the fully equipped engine room, crew quarters and an exhibition in the holds about postwar Polish shipbuilding. Captions are in Polish and English, and a free audio guide is available in both languages through the Movi Guide app. From September 1 to October 31, 2026, the superstructure is under renovation, so the route is shorter.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you are curious about Gdańsk's identity as a port city, or traveling with kids who will love the engine room. Plan 1.5–2 hours for the granaries and another 45–60 minutes for the ship. Combine it with the Crane across the river; a pedestrian drawbridge links the two banks and lifts regularly to let boats through.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

Main building (Ołowianka 9–13): Tuesday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Wednesday 1–5 p.m., Thursday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., closed Mondays. Valid through December 31, 2026. Ticket sales end 60 minutes before closing.

SS Sołdek: same hours, but published only through October 31, 2026. Winter hours had not been announced at the time of writing; in winter 2025/26 the ship closed temporarily because of the weather, so check nmm.pl before a November–March visit.

Tickets (regular/reduced, in Polish złoty, PLN):

• Main building: 23/17 PLN
• Sołdek: 23/17 PLN
• Main building + Sołdek: 39/29 PLN
• Main building + Sołdek + Crane + Maritime Culture Center: 64/48 PLN

On Wednesdays, the permanent exhibition in the main building is free (except the third floor). English-language guided tours cost 80 PLN per group of up to 30.

Getting there

Walk from Long Embankment (Długie Pobrzeże) across the footbridge near the Fish Market (Targ Rybny). Drivers should use a paid parking lot outside the Main Town, as central Gdańsk is a paid parking zone and access to Ołowianka is limited.

Nearby

• The Crane (Żuraw), the museum's medieval harbor crane branch
• Ołowianka Island and the Polish Baltic Philharmonic in a former power plant
• Granary Island and the riverside promenade
• European Solidarity Centre, about a 20-minute walk north