Warsaw museum free days and discounts: MNW and POLIN (2026)
Short answer: MNW permanent exhibitions are free on Tuesdays and half price on Friday evenings from 17:00. POLIN is free on Thursdays. Both offer 1 zł tickets to young people, as of 15 October 2026.
Warsaw has two big museums that many residents visit only once: the National Museum (MNW) on Aleje Jerozolimskie and POLIN, the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Both have regular free or cheaper slots, and both run a 1 zł scheme for young people. This guide lists the arrangements published on the museums' own websites as of 15 October 2026. Prices and hours change, so check the official page before you go.
National Museum in Warsaw (MNW)
The main building is at Aleje Jerozolimskie 3. According to the museum's visit page, it is closed on Mondays. It is open 10:00-18:00 Tuesday to Thursday and on weekends, and 10:00-20:00 on Fridays. The box office closes 45 minutes before the museum does.
Free and cheaper slots
- Permanent exhibitions are free on Tuesdays.
- On Fridays from 17:00 to 20:00 all tickets are 50% off, except the 1 zł ticket.
- Children up to 7 years old enter free.
- Warsaw Pass holders get free entry.
Standard prices (as of 15 October 2026)
- Permanent galleries: 30 zł normal, 15 zł reduced.
- Combined ticket including the branches: 60 zł normal, 40 zł reduced.
- Temporary exhibition (currently Menzel): 35 zł normal, 25 zł reduced. A family ticket is 55 zł.
- Annual ticket: 300 zł normal, 200 zł reduced.
The museum also sells a "ticket for 1 zł" for people aged 8 to 26. It is available at the box office only. Holders of the Large Family Card (Karta Dużej Rodziny) get 50% off as adults, and children and young people up to 18 pay 1 zł for the permanent galleries.
An audioguide headset costs 10 zł. The museum says you can also use the audioguide free online on your own phone, so bring headphones.
The museum notes that its gallery of 20th and 21st-century art is temporarily closed. If that is the part you want to see, check before you buy a ticket.
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
POLIN stands in Muranów, on the site of the former Warsaw ghetto. According to its admission page, it is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, and on Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00. It is closed on Tuesdays. Last entry to the core exhibition is two hours before closing, and the core exhibition takes a good two to three hours, so plan for that.
Free and cheaper slots
- Thursday: free admission to the core and temporary exhibitions.
- "Museum for 1 zloty": for ages 7 to 26 who are in the education system and have a Polish school or university student card.
Standard prices (as of 15 October 2026)
The core exhibition ticket with an audio guide and the Legacy Gallery costs 45 zł regular, 35 zł reduced, and 30 zł per person for groups. Audio guide languages include English and Ukrainian.
Note the 1 zł scheme: it asks for a Polish student card. A foreign student card or a university ID from another country may not qualify, so confirm with the museum if that applies to you.
Planning a free Warsaw museum day
The closing days are different, which helps. MNW is closed on Mondays and POLIN on Tuesdays. MNW is free on Tuesdays, but POLIN is closed that day. POLIN is free on Thursdays, when MNW charges its normal price.
- A Tuesday visit to MNW and a Thursday visit to POLIN cover both for no entry fee.
- If you only have a Friday evening, MNW offers 50% off from 17:00 and stays open until 20:00.
- Free days draw crowds. Arrive early, and check if the free tickets need to be collected in advance.
- A Warsaw Pass covers MNW entry if you are already buying one for other attractions.
How to check before you go
Both museums publish current hours and ticket types on their websites. Special exhibitions, holidays and building works can change the schedule. Look at the "visit" or "admission" page on the day you plan to go. The details above are a snapshot from 15 October 2026 and not a guarantee.
* Photos: National Museum facade by Artinpl (Wikimedia Commons, CC0). POLIN building by Wojciech Kryński (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl).
Frequently asked questions
Which day is the National Museum in Warsaw free?
According to the museum's website, permanent exhibitions are free on Tuesdays. Temporary exhibitions are not covered, so check the page before you go.
Which day is POLIN free?
Thursday is free for the core and temporary exhibitions, according to POLIN's admission page as of 15 October 2026.
Can foreign students use the 1 zł tickets?
POLIN asks for a Polish school or university student card. MNW sets an age range of 8 to 26 and sells the ticket at the box office. Ask the museum if you hold a foreign card.
