MOCAK Krakow: Museum of Contemporary Art guide

MOCAK, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, shows international art of the last few decades in one new building and six converted older ones at ul. Lipowa 4 in Zabłocie. It stands on the site of the former Schindler factory, two minutes on foot from the Schindler's Factory Museum, so the two are easy to combine. Keep your Schindler's Factory ticket: it gets you into MOCAK at a reduced price.

What is MOCAK in Krakow?

MOCAK is a cultural institution of the City of Krakow. It sets itself two main goals: to present the art of the last 20 years in the context of the post-war avant-garde and conceptual art, and to explain why art is made at all. The collection is international, and roughly half of it is work by Polish artists. The oldest pieces date from the 1970s, but the museum concentrates on art made since the early 1990s.

History of MOCAK

The project began in 2004, when the city took over the buildings and land of the former Schindler factory on Lipowa Street. In 2007 a competition jury chose the design by Claudio Nardi and Leonardo Maria Proli, which called for one new building and the conversion of six existing ones. Construction started in the middle of 2009 and the building was handed over on 16 November 2010. The museum opened on 19 May 2011 with six exhibitions.

The largest part of the holdings is the Potocka Gallery Collection, transferred to the museum in two parts, in 2011 and 2014. Its creation was bound up with Maria Anna Potocka's efforts to give Krakow a museum of contemporary art.

What to see at MOCAK

• The building: Claudio Nardi's design takes the sawtooth roof of the old factory halls and continues it over the new structure. Part of the new building is sunk into the ground, and the concrete south wall is 10 metres high.
• The MOCAK Collection: shown on level -1 and rearranged once a year, with at least half of the works changed each time, so a visit a year later shows a largely different display.
• Live Factory 2: Warhol by Lupa: an installation by theatre director Krystian Lupa, built from the set of his play Factory 2. You can walk in, touch the walls and furniture and sit on a copy of Warhol's sofa.
• Permanent displays from the collection: the gift of Teresa and Andrzej Starmach, shown as Great Contemporaries, and an exhibition of work by VALIE EXPORT.
• Library and bookshop: the Mieczysław Porębski Library, about 4,000 volumes in a room arranged like Professor Porębski's study, can be visited by appointment. The MOCAK Bookstore is open during museum hours, with a cafe next to it.

MOCAK tickets, opening hours and free Thursdays

MOCAK is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 19:00 and closed on Mondays. The ticket desk sells tickets until 18:30. A standard ticket costs 30 PLN, a reduced ticket 20 PLN and a family ticket for up to 5 people 65 PLN, and one ticket covers every exhibition. Show a ticket from Schindler's Factory at the MOCAK desk and you pay 15 PLN. Children up to 7 need no ticket of their own when they come with an adult who has one.

On Thursdays the MOCAK Collection on level -1 is free with an entry card from the desk, and the other exhibitions are at the reduced price. Every Wednesday from 16:00 to 19:00 the museum holds quiet hours, with works that emit loud sound or strong light turned down or switched off. For the rest of 2026 the closed days are 1 November and 24 and 31 December. Bags go into self-service lockers, lifts reach every floor, and you can pay by card. Details checked in October 2026; see the MOCAK website for current exhibitions.

How to get to MOCAK

The nearest tram stops are Plac Bohaterów Getta, Limanowskiego and Zabłocie; the museum gives the tram ride from the main railway station to Zabłocie as 8 minutes. On foot it is about nine minutes from Ghetto Heroes Square (Plac Bohaterów Getta), a little over 20 from Plac Nowy in Kazimierz and about 35 from the Main Market Square. MOCAK has no car park of its own and the area is a paid parking zone. Our electric cart tour of the former ghetto passes Schindler's Factory, next door.

Tips for visiting MOCAK

See Schindler's Factory first and keep the ticket for the MOCAK discount. If the Collection is all you want to see, come on a Thursday, when it is free. If you want a calm visit, come on Wednesday after 16:00, during the quiet hours. Because the Collection is rehung every year and the temporary shows change, check what is on before you choose between MOCAK and another museum. With half a day in Podgórze you can add the Eagle Pharmacy on the same walk.

Frequently asked questions

What is MOCAK?

MOCAK is the name used by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, in Polish Muzeum Sztuki Współczesnej w Krakowie.

How much is a ticket to MOCAK?

A standard ticket costs 30 PLN, a reduced ticket 20 PLN and a family ticket 65 PLN. With a ticket from Schindler's Factory you pay 15 PLN (prices checked in October 2026).

Is MOCAK free on Thursdays?

Partly. On Thursdays the MOCAK Collection on level -1 is free, and tickets for the other exhibitions are sold at the reduced price.

Is MOCAK in Schindler's Factory?

No. MOCAK stands on the site of the former factory, but the Schindler's Factory Museum is a separate institution in a neighbouring building, about two minutes away on foot.

When is MOCAK closed?

Every Monday. For the rest of 2026 it is also closed on 1 November and on 24 and 31 December.

Photo: MOCAK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.