The Krystyna and Włodzimierz Tomek Nature Museum in Ciężkowice was established in 1989, when the collection was made available in a building owned by the Ciężkowice Gmina (‘county’). The history of the collection is much longer and is closely connected to Doctor Włodzimierz Tomek, who together with his wife Krystyna collected exhibits and worked in nature conservation for over 50 years. Before then (since the 1980s), the collection was available to the public in the Tomek family house at Św. Andrzej Street in Ciężkowice. After 1995 and Doc. Włodzimierz Tomek’s death, the gmina bought the collection from the family with financial support of the Voivodeship Environmental Protection Fund in Tarnów (‘Wojewódzki Fundusz Ochrony Środowiska’). In 2009, the museum was moved to the former ‘Sokół’ headquarters, the ‘Podgórzanka’ house at 3 Maja Street. The most important part of the exhibition consists of around 200 bird species presented according to taxonomic groups (orders and families). Among rare and extinct species, more than 20 are on the Polish Red List of Threatened Animals. The entomological collection consists of approximately 500 insects, primarily butterflies (approx. 300 specimens).