Pszczyna Open-Air Museum (Zagroda Wsi Pszczyńskiej)

In the eastern part of Pszczyna's historic park, in the shade of old trees, stands a village that never stood here. Its cottages, barns, granaries and forge were moved from villages around Pszczyna, and since 1975 they have formed the Zagroda Wsi Pszczyńskiej, the "Pszczyna Village Farmstead" open-air museum. The oldest building dates from 1784, and you buy your ticket inside a former hay shed.

History of the museum

The museum opened in the mid-1970s, thanks to the efforts of the Society of Friends of the Pszczyna Land. Over a dozen wooden rural buildings, most of them in their original materials, were gathered on almost two hectares in the eastern part of the historic park, a section known as Station Park. Since 2008 the museum has been run by the Pszczyna Land Development and Promotion Agency. Between 2013 and 2015 new buildings went up: a multi-purpose building with the ticket office, a shop and a workshop room, an inn, a wooden pavilion with a pier over the pond, and a water wheel with a grain mill modelled on 18th-century technology.

What to see

• The manor granary from Czechowice (1784), the oldest building in the museum.
• The octagonal barn from Kryry (18th century), an unusually shaped building that was the focus of a Polish-Czech project on local traditions.
• The cottage from Grzawa (1831), standing on a rubble-stone foundation, with a through hallway, two living rooms, a kitchen and a store room. Inside are a bed, 18th-century wardrobes, kitchenware, holy pictures and folk costumes.
• The forge from Goczałkowice (19th century), with a stone hearth, a hood that carried smoke out through a hole in the roof, and blacksmith's tools.
• The stable from Wisła Wielka, dated 1799, built for horses and carts and filled with wooden pitchforks, harness collars and a harrow.
• The hay shed from Frydek at the entrance. It's really a reconstruction, because the original was in too poor a state to move.
• The small windmill from Zebrzydowice, plus an apiary, carriage sheds and a well.

The houses are furnished with authentic objects: farm and craft tools, ladder-sided wagons known locally as drabinioki, freight sledges, carriages and furniture. Together they show what everyday work looked like in Pszczyna's villages in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Interesting facts

The museum is busy beyond regular sightseeing too. It hosts folk events such as Spotkania pod Brzymem and Mały Brzym, a Herb Festival and a Bee Festival, plus workshops on bees and herbs. The farmstead is on the Wooden Architecture Route of the Silesian region.

Tripto tip

• Opening hours (2026): in October daily 9:00–17:00; in November, December and January 9:00–16:00; in summer (June–August) 9:00–19:00. Tickets are sold until one hour before closing.
• Prices (2026): standard ticket PLN 22, reduced PLN 18, family ticket (2 adults + up to 3 children aged 4–16) PLN 68. Children under 4 go free. A combined ticket with the European bison enclosure costs PLN 40 (reduced PLN 30). You can pay by cash or card.
• Guided tours: a guide for a group of up to 25 people costs PLN 150 and must be booked at least 3 days ahead (tel. +48 32 210 57 77).
• Parking: free, on ul. Dworcowa, which is also the most convenient way in.
• Time needed: about an hour. Add the bison enclosure and the castle and you have a full day in Pszczyna.