Order of the Smile Museum

What to expect

The Order of the Smile Museum in Rabka-Zdrój tells the story of a decoration unlike any other: an award that adults receive from children. Inspired by Janusz Korczak’s call to treat children as full human beings, the Order of the Smile was created in the late 1960s and is still granted to people nominated in applications sent by children from around the world. Rabka, a children’s health resort since the late 19th century and nicknamed the “Town of the World’s Children”, is a fitting home for the collection. The museum was inaugurated here in 1996 during the first World Rally of the Order’s laureates, and since spring 2003 it has occupied a purpose-built wooden pavilion on the grounds of the Rabkoland family amusement park.

The single, focused display is built around a tableau of six mannequins showing the knighting ceremony, with the actress Anna Dymna at its centre. Portraits of the successive Chancellors of the Order’s International Chapter line the walls, and a large map marks the countries the laureates come from, alongside memorabilia connected to them. For an international visitor, this is a small, curiosity-driven stop rather than a half-day museum - most rewarding if you already have children with you and are visiting Rabkoland anyway. Note that the exhibition is Polish-language and does not advertise English tours.

Visiting in practice

The museum sits inside the Rabkoland family amusement park in Rabka-Zdrój, so a visit works best combined with the park itself. The Order’s official website does not publish separate opening hours or ticket prices for the museum - its museum page carries only the institution’s history. The museum therefore has no fixed timetable of its own: access follows the Rabkoland calendar, which is kept day by day. In the 2026 season the park is open daily until 31 August (Monday to Friday 10:00-18:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00-19:00), and from 1 September only Friday to Sunday (Fridays 10:00-17:00, weekends 10:00-18:00); the last announced day of the season is Sunday 11 October. The calendar lists future dates only, so the park does not announce next season’s opening date in advance - check it directly before you travel. The exhibition itself is compact - a single themed room you can see as part of a walk through the park - so budget only a short stop for it.

Getting there

Rabka-Zdrój lies about 65 km south of Kraków on the main Zakopane road (the S7/DK47). By car the drive usually takes a little over an hour, longer in summer when traffic builds towards the Podhale region. You can also reach Rabka-Zdrój by train and by the buses and minibuses that run from Kraków; from the town centre the Rabkoland park, where the museum is located, is a short hop.

Nearby

If you are making a day of it beyond Kraków, it is worth folding in other museums from our network on the way back. For folk and regional culture, visit the Ethnographic Museum in Kraków, while small, themed Małopolska collections are represented by the Phonography Museum in Niepołomice. Families with children will also enjoy the interactive Cogiteon Science Centre.