Subcarpathian Museum in Krosno

The Subcarpathian Museum in Krosno (Muzeum Podkarpackie w Krośnie) is the largest museum of this town at the foot of the Low Beskids, known above all for its collection of kerosene lamps, one of the biggest in Europe. It is housed in the old town, in the former Bishops’ Palace (second half of the 16th century) on Piłsudskiego Street. On 25 June 2026 the museum reopened after a major renovation, with refreshed exhibitions.

The museum was founded in 1954 by the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (PTTK) as a regional museum; in 1958 it became a state institution, from 1975 it was a district museum, and it has had its present name since 2000. Its branch is the "Carpathian Troy" archaeological open-air museum in Trzcinica near Jasło, opened in 2011. The museum has departments of archaeology, history, art, the history of lighting and the history of glass, plus a library; besides the permanent exhibitions it prepares travelling exhibitions, including one about Ignacy Łukasiewicz, "the man who changed the world".

What to see

• "History of Lighting" – the museum's pride: according to the Podkarpackie tourism portal, about 2,140 objects related to the history of lighting and 1,300 archival items. There are lamps from England, the USA, France and other countries in the styles of 1860–1920, parts of period interiors, and items connected with Ignacy Łukasiewicz – the inventor of the kerosene lamp, who worked in this very region.
• "Glass of the Subcarpathian Glassworks" – Krosno is called the "City of Glass": the town's glass story began in 1923; later the Krosno Glassworks opened plants in Jasło and Tarnów and exported to more than 60 countries on every continent. The exhibition shows how the shapes, techniques and decoration of glassware made in the region changed over time.
• "The Past Brought to Life" – the archaeological exhibition, including the early Iron Age hoard from Hłomcza.
• "From the History of Krosno and the Region", "Poland in Exile" and the art gallery – works by Krosno artists of the 19th and 20th centuries and early sculpture.
• "Art and Arms of Japan" – a new permanent exhibition.

The museum also holds temporary exhibitions, lectures, concerts and academic conferences, and its guides lead tours of the old town, the parish church and the Old Cemetery – an easy way to combine the museum with a walk around the old market square.

Practical information

Krosno is a rail and bus hub of Subcarpathia; from the station to the old town is about a 15-minute walk. You can leave a car in the municipal car parks around the centre. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, until 16:00 in summer and 15:00 in winter; a full ticket for all permanent exhibitions costs 30 zł, and on Sundays they are free (all fares in the "At a glance" box). Seeing all the rooms on your own takes about two hours; a guided group needs 1–1.5 hours. Tours are offered in Polish and English and must be booked in advance. Families can buy a family ticket, and the lamps and glass usually appeal to children too.

Nearby: trails and peaks

The best follow-up to the lamps is the Museum of the Oil and Gas Industry in Bóbrka, 10 km away, where Łukasiewicz founded one of the world's first oil mines. In Krosno itself, drop in at the Glass Heritage Centre, and on the way south towards the border, at the Historical Museum in the Dukla palace. To relax after the museums, head to the spa of Iwonicz-Zdrój and its mineral-water pump room.

Official website: muzeum.krosno.pl

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