Muzeum Tatrzańskie (Tatra Museum) in Zakopane Gmach Główny (Main Building) Zakopane
ul. Krupówki 10, 34-500 Zakopane
Tourist region: Tatry i Podhale
A brick building in the Zakopane Style at the famous promenade, Krupówki, until the time of major renovation, housed, among others, a wonderful collection of nature. The core of the exhibition consists of the collection of Doctor Tytus Chałubiński, known as the “explorer of Zakopane”. For now, due to the renovation of the interior, take a closer look at the architecture of the building, which was erected in 1913–22 to the design by Stanisław Witkiewicz, the creator of the Zakopane Style. The museum collects and exhibits numerous Tatra rocks and minerals. You can also learn about the flora of the mountains at the exhibition on the altitudinal zonation in the Tatras. The fauna collection includes about 230 species of stuffed animals, mainly mammals and birds. The ethnographic exhibition on the culture of the Podhale, Orava and Spiš highlanders looks interesting. You enter this part of the museum through the original doorframe of a highlander's hut from 1905. The interiors of traditional chambers in highlander's cottages, the so-called black and white chambers were recreated. The next part of the exhibition is devoted to various forms of economy in Podhale, such as hunting, shepherding and agriculture. The exhibition presents folk costumes from Podhale, musical instruments, sculpture, ceramics, as well as glass paintings. The third section is devoted to the history of Podhale, Zakopane, and above all, Tatra tourism. Currently, a major renovation is underway – the building will be, inter alia, equipped with a lift and will become accessible to the disabled. There will also be additional exhibition rooms and learning spaces. There are also plans to launch a café, and the existing exhibitions will be slightly changed and enriched with multimedia elements.