Footsteps of WWII · Poland
Warsaw Rising Museum
Museum · 1 Aug – 2 Oct 1944
The story
At 17:00 on 1 August 1944, 'W-hour', the Home Army rose against the German garrison of Warsaw as the Red Army approached the Vistula. The insurgents took much of the city but never linked their districts. From 5 August German forces massacred civilians in Wola, where this museum now stands, and in Ochota. Allied airdrops from Italy were small and often fell to the Germans, while the Soviets stayed on the far bank. After 63 days the Home Army surrendered on 2 October. Between 150,000 and 200,000 civilians died; the survivors were expelled and the Germans then demolished the city. The museum opened on 31 July 2004.
What to look for
Housed in a former tram power station in Wola. Look for the full-size B-24 Liberator in the hangar hall, the replica sewer you can crawl through, insurgent armbands and weapons, and the 3D film 'City of Ruins'. The Memorial Wall in the park lists thousands of the fallen.
Plan your visit
Closed Tuesdays. Mon and Wed–Fri 08:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00. Tickets 35 PLN (reduced 30 PLN), best bought online at bilety.1944.pl. Busy at weekends. Check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
All 160 sites in Footsteps of WWII →
Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The whole Second World War in Europe, from the first shots at Westerplatte on 1 September 1939 to the German surrender in May 1945: Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne, Stalingrad, Berlin and the camps, in 15 areas from Britain to Russia.
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