Stanisław Lem Garden of Experiences in Kraków

At the Garden of Experiences you learn physics not from a blackboard but on a swing, at a giant Newton's cradle or while pushing a heavy crate. Named after science-fiction writer Stanisław Lem, the park covers 6 hectares of the Polish Airmen's Park at al. Pokoju 68 and was the first attraction of its kind in Poland. It is the outdoor branch of the Museum of Engineering and Technology in Kraków — a good half-day out with children, and just as much fun for curious adults.

History: Kraków follows Nuremberg

The foundation stone was laid by Kraków's mayor Jacek Majchrowski on 20 November 2006. The project was launched by the city and the SIEMACHA association under the EU's EQUAL programme, modelled on the "Field of Sensory Experiences" in Nuremberg and the Parc de la Villette science park in Paris. It was designed by the architects Ingarden & Ewý. The first 22 installations opened in June 2007, followed by another 35 in September.

What to see

The devices are grouped into themed zones:

• Optics — a spiral, Newton's disc, the "breathing rectangle" and mirrors that easily fool your eyes.
• Hydrostatics — a Cartesian diver, a water vortex and a "Bermuda Triangle".
• Acoustics — a keyboard aerophone, stone chimes, a xylophone, wind gongs, a humming stone and speaking tubes.
• Mechanics — the largest zone: a bicycle ride on a wire, "magic cones", a toboggan run, curling, a small carousel and an air cannon.
• Magnetism — magnet experiments showing how electric current and the eddy currents used in induction hobs are created.
• The Science Gym, the Sand Planet for younger children and a playground with a 6-metre rocket.

Prices and hours (2026 season)

Tickets: standard PLN 21, reduced PLN 17, child (pre-school age) PLN 14, family PLN 60 (2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children). The planetarium (PLN 12) and the gyroscope or toboggan run (PLN 7) cost extra; children under pre-school age go free. During the season the garden opened Monday to Friday 9:00–19:00 (until 17:00 from 1 September) and at weekends 10:00–19:00. No booking is needed, and tickets are valid for 30 days from the date printed on them.

The garden in winter

The 2026 season ran from 20 April to 11 October, and the next one starts on 22 April 2027. In winter the grounds become a light show: from 6 November 2026 the Park of a Million Lights "Animal Kingdom" features illuminated giraffes, elephants, flamingos and dinosaurs, open 17:00–20:00. This exhibition has its own price list.

Tripto tip

The main gate is on al. Pokoju, opposite the M1 shopping centre; there are also entrances from al. Jana Pawła II (by the AKF car park) and from the Dąbie and Wieczysta estates. Allow 2–3 hours and wear comfortable shoes, as the exhibits are spread over a large area. On weekdays the ticket office closes for two short 15-minute breaks, including one at 13:15–13:30. A visit is easy to combine with the museum's main site in the Kazimierz district.