Schindler's Factory Museum: Krakow Attraction

Schindler's Factory Museum at ul. Lipowa 4 occupies the former administration building of Oskar Schindler's enamelware factory in Zabłocie, just east of the former ghetto. Run as a branch of the Museum of Krakow, it houses the permanent exhibition "Krakow under Nazi Occupation 1939-1945". The story of Schindler, the German industrialist who saved about 1,200 Jewish workers, anchors the museum, but its real subject is the entire city during the war.

What is Schindler's Factory Museum?

This is a history museum rather than a film location tour. The exhibition leads you chronologically through occupied Krakow: the German invasion of 1939, everyday life under occupation, the creation of the ghetto in Podgórze in March 1941, deportations, resistance, and liberation. Scenography plays a large role, with recreated streets, a tram, apartment interiors and ghetto walls, all woven with photographs, documents and recorded testimonies of residents and survivors.

History of Oskar Schindler's factory

Oskar Schindler took over the enamelware factory known as Emalia in 1939 and employed Jewish workers from the ghetto and later from the German camp at Płaszów. By shielding them from deportation, and ultimately evacuating about 1,200 people to a new site in Brünnlitz in 1944, he saved their lives; Yad Vashem later honored him as Righteous Among the Nations. The factory's administration building became a museum in 2010. The production halls behind it now house MOCAK, Krakow's museum of contemporary art.

What to see in Schindler's Factory Museum

• The permanent exhibition: an immersive, room-by-room account of Krakow from 1939 to 1945, built around the experiences of the city's Polish and Jewish inhabitants.
• Schindler's office: the preserved office with its map of Europe and the Survivors' Ark, a memorial installation holding the names of those he saved.
• The ghetto rooms: sections devoted to the ghetto the German occupiers set up in Podgórze, its overcrowding and its liquidation by the Germans in March 1943, presented with restraint and documentary detail.
• Personal testimonies: film and audio accounts by survivors and witnesses, which give the scenography its weight.

Schindler's Factory tickets and opening hours

The museum uses timed entry and personal (named) tickets. Online sales through the Museum of Krakow open 90 days before the visit date, so book as early as you can, bring the original ID of every ticket holder, and arrive on time: entry is possible within 15 minutes of the time on the ticket. A normal ticket costs 60 PLN and a reduced ticket 45 PLN; Monday is the free admission day for the permanent exhibition: free tickets cannot be booked in advance and are issued at the ticket office on the day, in limited numbers. The museum is open on Mondays from 10:00 to 15:00 and from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 20:00; it is closed on the first Tuesday of each month, and last admission is 1.5 hours before closing. Plan 2 to 3 hours for the visit. The subject matter is serious and parts of the exhibition are intense, so it suits adults and older children best.

How to get to Schindler's Factory

Lipowa 4 is in Zabłocie, about a ten-minute walk from Ghetto Heroes Square; trams from the centre stop at Plac Bohaterów Getta and Zabłocie. The museum pairs naturally with the memorial sites of the former ghetto, covered on our Podgórze ghetto district page. Our Memory Trail tour links Kazimierz, the former ghetto and the factory in one guided route, and many visitors continue the story with an Auschwitz-Birkenau tour from Krakow on another day.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to book Schindler's Factory tickets in advance?

Yes, in practice. Entry is timed and capacity is limited. Online sales through the Museum of Krakow open 90 days before the visit date and close 6 hours before the visit; tickets bought online are personal, so bring the original ID of every ticket holder. The ticket office sells tickets only on the day of the visit, if any are left.

Is the museum about the film Schindler's List?

No. The film made the place famous, but the exhibition is about Krakow under Nazi German occupation from 1939 to 1945. Schindler's office and the story of his workers form one part of a much wider account.

How long does a visit take?

Most visitors need 2 to 3 hours to walk the full exhibition at a reasonable pace. Audio guides and guided tours are available and add depth without adding much time.

Is there a free entry day?

Yes. Monday is the free admission day for the permanent exhibition. Free tickets cannot be booked in advance: they are issued at the ticket office on the day and their number is limited. Check the official museum site shortly before your visit.

Is Schindler's Factory suitable for children?

The exhibition deals with occupation, the ghetto and the Holocaust, presented soberly but directly. In our view it suits teenagers and older children best; parents of younger children should preview the themes first.

Photo: Spudgun67, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.