Kościuszko Museum Kraków
Aleja Waszyngtona 1, 30-204 Kraków
Tourist region: Kraków i okolice
Scenes from the life of Tadeusz Kościuszko are contained within so-called memory capsules. They let the viewer follow the protagonist from his family home in the Belarussian town of Myerachowshchyna to the Cadet School in Warsaw. The viewer accompanies Kościuszko through Philadelphia and the American War of Independence, the war against Russia in defence of the 3rd of May Constitution,and all the way to Kraków's Market Square – the site of the oath and the start of the uprising – and on to the battlefield of Racławice. The capsules are equipped with audio as well as visual effects. The exhibition is also rich in interactive tasks for the youngest visitors. The exhibition was prepared on the basis of elements of a script by Michal Niezabitowski.
The most important part of the museum is the multimedia and interactive exhibition ‘Kościuszko: a hero still needed’. The threads from the life of the main character are locked in memory capsules. They lead the viewer after Kościuszko from his family home in the Belarusian Mereczowszczyzna, to the Cadet School in Warsaw, through Philadelphia and the years of the war for the independence of the United States, the war with Russia in defence of the Constitution of May 3, to the Krakow Market Square — the place of oaths and the beginning of the uprising and the battlefield near Racławice. The capsules are packed with sound and visual effects. The interactive exhibition was prepared by Adventure Multimedia Museums, based on elements of the scenario by Michał Niezabitowski, PhD.
The story of Kościuszko is also supported with valuable exhibits, including the original door to the manor house in Miłocice, where Tadeusz Kościuszko rested after the Battle of Racławice and wrote a report to the nation about the victory, or the gorget with Our Lady of Częstochowa, which according to tradition belonged to the uprising commander. The exhibition also features a ring with a portrait of Kosciuszko from 1792 and faithful replicas of objects he would turn in wood, his sabre, a Cadet School uniform, decorations and a token that Kościuszko brought from his trip to the United States.
The new museum also includes an educational route adapted to the needs of people with disabilities, a themed garden, a bronze model of the Kościuszko Mound and the fort, a playground for children, and a Kościuszko library: a unique collection of books purchased thanks to the efforts of the Committee. All this creates an impressive ensemble, complemented by wonderful views of Krakow and Lesser Poland from the top of the Kościuszko Mound in Krakow.