I cannot believe how unexpectedly Vast the aircraft collection is, they have everything from…read morefighter jets, WW1 Biplanes, WW2 Monoplanes, Helicopters, and a handful of civilian planes. In addition to this, they have a collection of debris, engines, ground vehicles including Sams. If you are a person who enjoys this kind of stuff, you need to check this out! Even after going there 5 times there is still plenty of stuff for me to see.

I will make this a short review, since I don't speak Polish…read more The Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow is a world class collection of aircraft rarely, if ever, seen in the USA. There are rows of MiGs, parked wingtip-to-wingtip, from the Korean War vintage -15 to the currently operational -29, and virtually all models and variants inbetween. Sukhoi is also quite well represented in this primarily outdoor museum. The variation in designs and colors of the camouflage livery was highly interesting, as were the various national insignia represented. In addition to being a world-class collection of military aircraft, there are a few civilian models, such as the extremely rare PZL Mielec M-15, a jet powered biplane (!), used for agricultural spraying. Not surprisingly, it is the slowest jet powered aircraft ever produced. It was designed and built in Poland, and also was used in Russia. Ag planes, ya gotta love 'em. Inside the lobby area, there was a very extensive display of air-to-air missiles, one of the best displays I can recall seeing. There were several other military displays as well. There were no heavy or medium bombers presented, however, probably due to the difficulty of transporting them to this location. In truth, I felt privileged to be visiting this sprawling museum. There was a very modest admission fee of a few zlotys. Well worth it !!

One of the things that surprised me most was learning that the factory wasn't originally…read moreSchindler's. It began in 1937 as "Rekord," an enamelware factory founded by three Jewish businessmen before the German invasion. After Poland was occupied in 1939, the business was confiscated through the Nazi expropriation process and became Schindler's Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik (DEF). Schindler himself is a fascinating contradiction--a Nazi Party member and war profiteer who gradually risked everything to protect more than 1,000 Jewish men and women by employing them in his factory and shielding them from deportation. The exhibits are immersive, emotional, and incredibly well designed. Every room serves a purpose. By the time you reach Schindler's office, where the famous "list" was created, you understand that it wasn't just paper--it represented lives.

This is an extraordinary museum in Krakow. It really is much more than a museum about Oskar…read moreSchindler's life, the people he saved and the factory. It covers decades of history. You get to see Schindler's actual desk and some of the ceramic pots that were manufactured here. I definitely learned a lot about him. But the scope of the museum is much broader than just the factory. It goes into a lot of depth with what Schindler did to save Jewish people, the factory laborers, what happened in the Holocaust and basically decades of the Polish history surrounding it, building up to it, and why it happened, what happened in Krakow, etc. Everything is so detailed and well done and you could spend hours here because the exhibits are so multi faceted and there are so many videos and things to watch. Make sure to buy your tickets in advance. I was really lucky because I went off-season in the middle of the week and waited in line for about half an hour and was able to get tickets, but I don't think it's going to be that easy if you go in the summer at peak times. It's definitely worth visiting and it's so easy to get to from old town Krakow. It's walkable here from the old town, about 35 minutes. The area surrounding the museum is quite trendy and has some great art museums. There's actually a fabulous modern art museum attached to this museum. And there are all kinds of coffee shops and some interesting shops around the neighborhood. It was really a very deep and moving experience to visit this museum and I highly recommend it. Just try to get your tickets in advance if you can, otherwise go early in the morning and you probably will be able to get in if you wait in line during the mid week.

For a small museum and one that is entirely focused on photography, I enjoyed visiting for an hour…read more The main exhibit shows signs of the Polish Jewish community once the Soviet Union fell. It's Holocaust heavy, but the detailed description of each photo is helpful and makes you think. Even if you don't buy a ticket, go. The bookstore and kosher cafe inside are inviting. There's an excellent collection of books and several tables to enjoy a coffee. There's even a kids play corner with toys.

This is the Jewish Museum. We stayed about 25 mins. After all the other museums this one was…read morebare-bones. It was mildly interesting, but I can't highly recommend.

A truly cool place worth a visit even for those who aren't huge fans of contemporary art. Yes, I…read moremean it :). A relatively new museum (opened in 2010), MOCAK is spacious, visually pleasing, and simply intriguing. The staff is friendly and helpful. There are just two floors, with an additional two small outside spaces with temporary exhibits. On 'Free Thursdays', only the lower floor is free, which doesn't make any sense. Seeing everything is a must. A normal ticket is inexpensive, so there's no need to hesitate. Just come and enjoy the art (or not :). Plus, I don't know if it was just a temporary promotion, but when you buy a ticket, you get a discount on coffee at the Little Paris Cafe located at the museum. My espresso was delicious. One more thing. Every Wednesday from 4pm to 7pm is observed 'hush time', a quiet time when no exhibitions, guided tours or workshops will take place in the exhibition rooms, and any works that emit loud noise or are strongly lit will be turned down or off. Just so you know. In my case it sucked, but now I remember to avoid visits at that particular time.

The MOCAK is now my favorite modern art museum in the world! Tons of cool, immersive exhibits of…read moreVERY varying types! I'd say so long as you like contemporary art at least a little bit, you'll find something to enjoy here! As someone else mentioned it's not a very cohesive collection, but honestly, I like seeing thinks that are totally off the wall in different ways. Money-saving tip: the museum is free to EVERYONE on Tuesdays! And they don't make you feel like a jerk for coming on the free day, like some museums do around the world (and especially, it seems, in the US) :)

We visited this gallery today, as we discovered it after visiting a museum across the street. The…read morespace is bright & airy and a good size. There were many colorful pieces of glass art, some of which were rather whimsical.