Ignacy Historic Coal Mine, Rybnik

In the Głowacki shaft engine house stands a steam winding engine that ran without a break for 108 years, until 2008. Its younger sibling at the Kościuszko shaft still works and starts up for visitors every Sunday, while former mine engine drivers explain how steam moves a mine hoist. The Ignacy Historic Coal Mine in Rybnik's Niewiadom district shows Industrial Revolution technology in motion rather than behind glass.

History: from Hoym to Mościcki

The mine was founded in 1792 on the initiative of Karl Georg von Hoym, the Prussian minister for the province of Silesia, who gave it its first name. During the 19th century it changed hands several times: in 1834 it was bought by Councillor Cuno of Racibórz, who added further mining fields, and in 1890 most of the shares went to Prince Hugo zu Hohenlohe-Oehringen. In 1936 the mine was renamed "Ignacy" in honour of Polish President Ignacy Mościcki. From 1968 it operated as part of the Rydułtowy colliery.

After mining ended, the surface buildings were opened to visitors in 1999. The "Ignacy-Hoym" complex is a listed monument (no. A/165/05), and since 2006 it has been part of the Silesian Industrial Monuments Route. Today the mine is run as a cultural institution.

What to see

• The steam winding engine at the Kościuszko shaft – a working, roughly 100-year-old machine and the centrepiece of the "Age of Steam" exhibition on how steam engines changed the world.
• The Głowacki shaft engine house – a 530 hp engine, no longer in use; the interior has been restored to its 1980s state, and you can still smell cylinder oil.
• SOWA, a small hands-on science centre created with support from the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw.
• The viewing tower in the former 46 m water tower: 222 steps of winding steel stairs with three landings, and a 360° platform at the top. On a clear day you can see the Sudetes and the Tatra Mountains.
• The industrial playground on more than a hectare of former wasteland, with rope pyramids, an experiment garden and a steam fountain.

There are no underground tours – the shafts have been filled in for safety reasons. Everything you see is in the surface buildings and the grounds around them.

Hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

The mine is open Tuesday to Sunday. From October to March: Tue–Fri 8:00–16:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–19:00; from April to September weekdays until 17:00. Mondays are reserved for pre-booked groups. Steam engine demonstrations take place on Sundays at 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00, and also at 17:00 in summer.

• Combined ticket (engine demonstration + "Age of Steam" + SOWA + tower): PLN 50 standard, PLN 30 reduced, PLN 35 per person on the 2+2 family ticket.
• Without the engine demonstration (exhibition, SOWA, tower): PLN 45 / PLN 25.
• Single attractions: tower only PLN 12, SOWA PLN 14, "Age of Steam" exhibition PLN 24.
• In the last hour before closing, combined tickets are half price.

Tripto tip

If you want to see the engine running, come on a Sunday and plan your visit around the demonstration times. A self-guided visit takes 1.5–2 hours; guided group tours take about 3 hours. There are about 50 free parking spaces at the mine. By train, take Koleje Śląskie to Rybnik Niewiadom station, then walk 700 m uphill, about 10 minutes. Climb the tower at the end, when the sun is lower and the panorama of the upper Oder region has more contrast.