Herbst Palace Museum

Two museums in one, with some attractive gardens, the Herbst Palace was built in 1876 for the daughter of the industrialist Karl (or Karol) Scheibler. This 19th-century gem shows the grandeur of life for a wealthy capitalist, with lavish rooms, exquisite furniture and decoration. The site is also home to a small but excellent gallery of European art, mostly from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

Herbst Palace Museum

As with the Izrael Poznańki palace, this is a glimpse at the life of the big Łódź textile industrialists. In this case, the surrounding buildings make the stark wealth divide even clearer. The interiors here are delightful and would have been the very height of fashion at the time. There are some pretty gardens too. Although the area is slightly out of the centre, it is also worth the visit to see the Księży Młyn workers’ housing.

Best of all, if you plan it properly, you can buy a carnet ticket then see the MS1 and MS2 art galleries on one day, followed by the Herbst Palace on the next. This will give you access to the main house, as well as the small but delightful Old Masters Gallery on the Herbst Palace grounds.

Boudoir

What To See In Herbst Palace Museum

Herbst Palace is a luxurious urban villa with gorgeous interiors from the late 19th and early 20th century, as well as some fine gardens. The old carriage house has been transformed into a small gallery of mainly pre-20th century paintings from the city collection. Herbst Palace becomes even more fascinating in the context of the huge factory complex which generated its wealth and the district of workers’ housing in the vicinity.

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What To Expect When Visiting Herbst Palace Museum

You’ll enter a small gatehouse on the corner of the street in front of the main palace building. You can buy tickets here or gain entry by getting your MS carnet stamped – this gives entry to the MS1 and MS2 art galleries. See below for more information.

Once you are within the gates, you can head directly to the main building in front of you or visit either the gardens or the Old Masters’ gallery to the left. All are well signposted and easy to find.

I’ll walk through some of the highlights in the following sections:

Exhibition about the Herbst family

Herbst Story

When you first enter the main building, you’ll be ushered around to the left. There’s a cloakroom (and some toilets), then you go down to a few rooms about the Herbst family, whose house this is and who were key figures in the growth of the city of Łódź.

There are photographs and films, alongside objects and family trees, but not a lot of text. Luckily, you can pick up a leaflet in English which fills you in on the backstory.

The ballroom

The Ballroom

Back on the ground floor, the main room is this majestic ballroom. With exquisite details and fine tapestries, this is evidence of the great wealth generated by the city’s textiles industry. There are fine views of the garden and a conservatory at the end. This is actually the museum cafe, which you can return to via the garden. Unfortunately none of the signs were in English.

Salon Lustrzany

Salon Lustrzany

Most of the rooms on the ground floor were originally public-facing, for receiving guests and other social affairs. They are loosely themed, such as the Oriental Parlour, and appropriately spectacular. One highlight is the Salon Lustrzany – or Mirror Room. There are gorgeous tentacled lighting fixtures and maximalist decoration. The helpful staff guide you around and tell you where to go next.

Pokój Gościnny

Pokój Gościnny

The first floor has a number of bedrooms and private study areas and offices. The interiors up here tend to be more modern and fashionable, with elements of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. You’ll notice bits of modern technology, such as radio sets and electric desk lamps. The rooms also have contemporaneous paintings and other artworks. The impression is of a sophisticated lifestyle.

Herbst Palace seen from the garden

The Gardens

With an abundance of roses, herbs, and other sweet florals, the Herbst Palace garden is intoxicating at the height of summer. The space is laid out geometrically with some shady places to sit when it’s hot. The cafe in the conservatory is also worth a visit, although it’s strictly drinks and small snacks.

The Historic Art Gallery

The Historic Art Gallery

The former carriage house has been converted into a smart, small gallery of mostly late 19th-century masters. The route is well signed and the location is fairly easy to intuit. Your ticket will be checked again when you enter, so make sure you keep it with you. Exhibitions are temporary, so the works listed below may not be on display when you visit.

Henryk Rodakowski’s Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

Henryk Rodakowski’s 1853 painting was declared a true masterpiece by Delacroix when he first saw it. The emotive image of the artist’s mother is a striking work of suggestion, as only her face, hands, and details of clothing emerge from the shadows.

Departure from an Island at Night by Henryk Siemiradzki

Departure from an Island at Night

Henryk Siemiradzki’s variation on The Isle of the Dead is a sombre almost surreal work that brings to mind Max Ernst. The work is displayed in one of a series of small, intimate rooms, which let you get close to the images without any distraction.

Fisherman by Leon Wyczółkowski

Leon Wyczółkowski

The final room of the gallery has a wall of luminous paintings by Leon Wyczółkowski, that capture the golden light before sunrise and sunset. These include a searching self-portrait. As with the other main galleries in Łódź, this museum is a good opportunity to learn more about Poland’s rich artistic heritage, such as the Young Poland period at the turn of the century.

Vision by Jacek Malczewski

Jacek Malczewski

Jacek Malczewski is another symbolist painter well represented by the gallery. Even his more straightforward work has a hallucinatory element of the surreal.

Private office

How To Visit Herbst Palace Museum

The Herbst Palace Museum is in the eastern part of Central Łódź and is served by the 55 bus going to the Tymienieckiego – Przędzalniana stop or the 70, 96, and Z13 buses, and 14 tram, all stopping at Śmigłego Rydza – Milionowa. Use this official Łódź timetable to plan your journey.

Herbst Palace Museum address: Przędzalniana 72, 90-338 Łódź, Poland

Herbst Palace Museum is open from:

• Tuesday-Sunday: 11am-5pm
• Thursday: 12noon-7pm
• Monday: closed

Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

The museum is closed on New Year’s Day, Epiphany (January 6), Easter, Independence Day (November 11), Christmas (December 24-26), and New Year’s Eve, as well as a handful of other public holidays. Check the official MS Herbst Palace Museum page for clarification.

The Herbst Palace is effectively two museums in one. A ticket for the main house only costs 20zł (10zł reduced) and the separate MS art gallery costs 15 zł (also 10zł reduced). Children and students under 26 get entry for 1zł for each exhibit. Children under 7 are free.

Entry to the permanent exhibitions is free on Wednesday.

However, you can also buy a carnet for 45zł (30zł reduced), which last two full days and gives you access to both Herbst Palace museums as well as both the MS1 and MS2 art galleries. This carnet is also 1zł for children and students under 26.

Advance tickets are available online from the official MS ticket site or you can just buy one at any of the three branches. These will be stamped as you visit each museum.

All times and prices are subject to change, and opening hours may be different during public holidays.

In addition to the MS site Herbst Palace page, there is an official Herbst Palace website with more information.

The conservatory cafe

Tips For Visiting Herbst Palace Museum

• Entry numbers are supposedly limited, although there were parties of people exceeding this when I visited.
• This is not a big museum, but sitting out in the garden is nice if the weather is good. Expect to spend between two and three hours in total.
• Audio guides are available for 10zł. This is recommended as few of the signs in the exhibition are in English. You can bring your own headphones or buy some at the ticket office. The official site also has a PDF of recommended tour guides with their contact details.
• There is a cloakroom inside the front door and just to the left. You’ll also find some lockers further into the museum if you need them. Ask a member of staff when you first enter the main building.
• Personal photography is allowed, without flash or tripod, as long it does not interfere with the exhibits or spoil the enjoyment of other visitors.
• The palace is very grand and children should enjoy some of the rooms, although the temptation to touch some things might be very great! Children should also enjoy hiding in the maze-like gardens.
• Accessibility is limited around the palace and it is not possible to fit an elevator in the main museum building. However, visitors in wheelchairs can gain entry via the entrance in Tymienieckiego Street, and there is a stair climber within the main house – but this needs to be booked in advance. Some of the exhibition space is narrow and there are small steps all over the main building. The Old Masters’ Gallery is fully accessible, with a toilet adapted for different needs. Assistance dogs are allowed into the museum. In terms of comfort, the museum can get very hot, so don’t overdress. You are free to leave the museum and find somewhere to sit on the grounds.
• There is a very nice greenhouse cafe with shady seating out in the garden, but the range is mostly limited to drinks.
• There is a very small gift shop in the ticket office at the front gate.
• You can pay with cards and cash.
• There are toilets in both of the main exhibition areas.
• The gardens extend to the park next door, which includes a lot of ducks on the lake.
• Fluent English is not widely spoken by the staff but communication wasn’t much of an issue when I visited.