Chabówka Railway Heritage Park (Parowozownia Chabówka)

At Chabówka near Rabka, more than 100 historic railway vehicles stand on the tracks, and some of them still run. It is the largest collection of heritage rolling stock in Poland and one of the few places where you don't just look at steam locomotives but hear and smell them too. In July 2026 the site, known for 33 years as the Rolling Stock Heritage Park (Skansen Taboru Kolejowego), began a new chapter as Parowozownia Chabówka – the Chabówka Engine Shed. For families and technology fans it is one of the best stops on the way to the Tatras.

History: from railway junction to museum

Chabówka station opened on 16 December 1884, and an engine shed operated here from the start. After the line to Zakopane opened in 1899, Chabówka became a railway junction. In January 1945 retreating German troops destroyed the station and the shed, which were rebuilt in 1947. At its peak, some 80 steam locomotives were based here, hauling trains to Kraków, Nowy Sącz and Zakopane.

Historic rolling stock began to be collected in the mid-1980s, as steam was disappearing from the timetables. In 1991, on the initiative of Paweł Zaleski, head of the locomotive depot in Sucha Beskidzka, a museum was set up, and it officially opened on 11 June 1993. For years it was run by the freight operator PKP Cargo. In 2026 PKP S.A. and PKP Intercity created the Parowozownia Chabówka Foundation to take over the collection, with a founding fund of PLN 6.4 million.

What to see

According to PKP Intercity, the collection comprises more than 100 vehicles: 17 in working order (including 3 operational steam locomotives), 33 awaiting periodic overhaul and 53 static exhibits. On the tracks you will find:

• steam locomotives – from heavy Ty2 and Ty42 freight engines to narrow-gauge locos,
• TKb-1479, built in 1877 and regarded as the oldest surviving steam locomotive in Poland,
• electric locomotives (including EU06, ET21 and EU07 classes) and diesels,
• passenger and freight wagons, snowploughs and railway cranes,
• the working infrastructure: repair halls, a historic platform and steam servicing equipment, plus a small memorabilia room with documents and objects in the administrative building.

Interesting facts

Chabówka's rolling stock has appeared in films, including "Schindler's List" and "Katyń". Since 2004 the site has run public steam-hauled trips, and every August since 2005 it has hosted Parowozjada, a parade of working steam locomotives. In the 2026 season, heritage trains ran on summer Sundays and public holidays between Chabówka, Rabka-Zdrój, Rabka Zaryte and Jordanów, with a break built in for visiting the collection.

Tripto tip

Allow 1.5–2 hours to walk around the exhibits, or half a day if you combine the visit with a heritage train ride. The park is right by Chabówka station, so you can arrive by train. Most of the collection is outdoors, so wear comfortable shoes and bring a rain jacket. As the site is changing hands, check the latest Parowozownia announcements for opening hours, ticket prices and train dates before you travel.