Izrael Poznański Palace (Museum of the City of Łódź)

The Izrael Poznański Palace in Łódź (say "WOODGE") is the grandest factory owner's residence in Poland and the best place to see how a 19th-century textile boomtown made its fortunes. Locals call it the "Louvre of Łódź." Today it houses the Museum of the City of Łódź: you walk through the ballroom, dining room and family apartments, then explore the city's history and the world's largest collection devoted to pianist Arthur Rubinstein.

Where it is and how to get there from Warsaw

Łódź is Poland's third-largest city, in the very center of the country. Direct trains from Warsaw reach Łódź Fabryczna station in roughly an hour and a half, which makes the palace an easy day trip from the capital. From Łódź Fabryczna, take tram 4 to the Ogrodowa–Nowomiejska stop; the palace stands at Ogrodowa 15, directly opposite the Manufaktura shopping and leisure complex. The museum has no parking of its own, but Manufaktura's free parking lots are 200 to 500 meters away.

A short history of the "Louvre of Łódź"

In 1877 textile magnate Izrael Poznański bought a corner plot next to his factory and replaced a modest tenement and warehouse with a building that combined his family home, company offices and a goods store. Office clerks worked on the ground floor, the family lived upstairs, kitchens filled the basement and servants slept under the roof. It was one of the first buildings in Łódź to have electricity.

The palace kept growing for decades. Architect Hilary Majewski drew the first design, later developed by Adolf Zeligson and Franciszek Chełmiński. In 1898 a winter garden under glass domes was added and a wing was extended to fit a ballroom. The building reached its final shape in 1903, after the founder's death. Painter Samuel Hirszenberg designed the decoration of the dining room and ballroom.

Between the wars the palace served as the regional government office. In 1975 it became a museum, and since 2015 it has been part of a national Historic Monument covering Łódź's multicultural industrial landscape. A major restoration of the façades, roof and garden ran from 2017 to 2020.

What to see inside

• State rooms on the first floor: the ballroom, the dining room and the private rooms, presented in the exhibition "The Poznańskis: Palace, Power, Generations."
• Arthur Rubinstein Music Gallery: two rooms devoted to the Łódź-born pianist, described by the museum as the world's largest collection about him.
• "Łódź in Europe, Europe in Łódź": a multimedia exhibition in the basement about the city's leap from a small craft town to an industrial giant, the "Promised Land" of Władysław Reymont's novel and Andrzej Wajda's film.
• Lost Quarter model: a scale model of a part of prewar Łódź as it looked in 1939.
• Exhibitions on famous locals, including Jan Karski, Marek Edelman and novelist Jerzy Kosiński.
• The palace garden with its fountain, open in the summer season.

Plan on 2 to 2.5 hours to see everything at a relaxed pace, or about an hour for the palace interiors alone. Information about English-language signage is not published on the museum website, so it is worth asking at the ticket desk about the audio guide.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

• Tuesday–Thursday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Friday–Sunday: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Monday: closed; last entry 45 minutes before closing.
• In 2026 the palace is closed October 27–31, November 1 and December 24–26. No separate winter schedule is announced.

Ticket prices are in Polish złoty (PLN):

• all permanent and temporary exhibitions: 30 PLN, reduced 24 PLN,
• permanent exhibitions only: 27 PLN, reduced 21 PLN,
• permanent exhibitions are free on Wednesdays (the museum occasionally moves the free day, so check its announcements),
• combined ticket with the Central Museum of Textiles: 74 PLN / 50 PLN, valid for seven days.

Accessibility and families

The step-free entrance is on Zachodnia Street, where a stair platform is operated by staff (ring the bell). The museum offers audio description, an induction loop and quiet hours. Children usually enjoy the city model and the opulent ballroom more than the text-heavy displays, so plan the route accordingly.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you want one stop that explains Łódź. The palace shows both the luxury of the industrial elite and the story of the multicultural city (Polish, Jewish, German and Russian) that built it. Combine it with Manufaktura, Poznański's former factory across the street, and finish on Piotrkowska Street, the city's main promenade, about 1.5 km away.