Firefighting Museum of the Olkusz Land

What to expect

The Firefighting Museum of the Olkusz Land, named after Stefan Ząbczyński, gathers fire-service equipment and mementoes of the history of the volunteer fire brigade. It opened on 27 May 1978, marking the centenary of the Olkusz brigade and five hundred years of local firefighting. Run with real enthusiasm by the fire-service community, it is a place where old technology meets local history.

The collection includes fire engines, axes, uniforms, horse-drawn pumps, helmets and banners assembled since 1885. Its star exhibit is a vintage fire truck from the Second World War, affectionately nicknamed “Jasiek”, while one of the oldest pieces is an alarm bell cast in 1647. For anyone with a taste for machinery, and for families with children, it is a very tangible lesson in the story of emergency rescue.

Visiting in practice

The museum is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:00. On Saturdays and Sundays visits are possible for groups of more than ten people by prior telephone reservation. About 45 minutes is enough to see the exhibition. Labelling is chiefly in Polish.

Getting there

Olkusz lies about 40 km north-west of Krakow on the Krakow-Częstochowa Upland. By car the DK94 road takes roughly an hour. Trains and buses also run from Krakow, and it is a walk of about fifteen minutes from the station to the centre. The museum is on Floriańska Street, close to the Olkusz market square.

Nearby

For a technical companion visit, Krakow’s Museum of Engineering and Technology and the Polish Aviation Museum both hold historic machines. For regional history of western Małopolska, try the Kłosiński Museum in Kęty.