Study the design of some of the 20th century’s early aircraft and browse memorabilia at the Polish Aviation Museum. See photographs and old uniforms of the pilots that have served in Poland’s air force over the last century. Children can pretend they are flying airplanes themselves in the interactive area. A well-stocked library and a cinema holding regular screenings add to the museum’s appeal.
The Polish Aviation Museum is located on the site of the Rakowice Czyzyny airfield. This was opened in 1912 and was one of the first airfields in Europe. In 1964 the space was given to the museum. Several large aircraft hangars and an exhibition hall built in 2010 now house over 200 aircraft, numerous engines, flight memorabilia and other information.
Start in the main exhibition hall. Here there are 21 aircraft, including France’s 1909 Bleriot 11 and the only surviving example of a Polish PZL P11. Test your skills as a pilot in the flight simulator or learn more about life in the cockpit by watching a documentary in the screening room.
Adjacent aircraft hangars make up the rest of the museum space. Inside the first you’ll find the Great War Aircraft exhibit, which contains several prewar planes that were once part of a private collection owned by Hermann Goering. Go to the Main Exhibition Hangar to find fighter planes from World War II, gliders and sailplanes. In the third hangar you’ll see the Stories of History exhibit. This space contains more than 100 airplane engines for keen mechanics to examine in detail.
The Polish Aviation Museum is located about 2 miles (3 kilometres) northeast of Krakow’s Old Town (Stare Miasto). Several bus and tram lines stop nearby. There’s free parking. The museum is closed on Mondays. Entry is free on Tuesdays on all other days there is a small charge.
