Łódź City Culture Park

Attached to the Central Museum of Textiles, Łódź City Culture Park is a street of relocated period houses telling the story of the city through a series of detailed microhistories. This portal to Łódź’ industrial past, begins with the homes of 19th-century craftspeople, and moves through Poland’s eventful history during the 20th century. There is also a church, a tram stop building, and a summer holiday villa to explore.

Łódź City Culture Park

This open air museum of eight buildings is a lot of fun. In most cases, these are original houses from different eras, transplanted to this small avenue on the grounds of the so-called White Factory. The ground floor of each house has been filled with objects from a different period, explaining what life was life for workers and artisans at the time. There is also a church and summer villa, hosting temporary exhibitions.

The exhibition starts with the 1826 house of Christian Gottlieb Bennig, a wool weaver who lived at 105 Piotrkowska. He ran the business from his home with a handsome wooden loom and office area, as well as an example of contemporary living space. Each house has a ‘context room’ with historical timelines, filling in the personal and more general histories of Łódź. We see the effects of the textiles revolution on the city and the sometimes prosperous modernisation of daily life.

The Interwar Period

The interwar period brings some overcrowding, with whole families crammed into a single room, and many families in one house. However, this era also brings universal education and a flourishing cultural life. Two houses explore daily life under early and late communism. The latter displays Christmas across three decades from the 60s to the 80s, with a heavy sense of bittersweet nostalgia. One nice touch is a map of contemporary craftspeople in Łódź with the address of their shops and a short biography about their work.

Tucked in behind the Central Museum of Textiles, Łódź City Culture Park is served by the same Piotrkowska – Czerwona bus and tram stop on the southern end of ul. Piotrkowska. However, you can also enter the grounds via side gate, close to the Milionowa – Piotrkowska bus stop, and tickets can be bought from a machine in the summer villa. Use this official Łódź timetable to plan your journey.

Łódź City Culture Park address: Piotrkowska 282, 93-034 Łódź, Poland

The museum is open as follows:

• Monday / Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday: 12noon-5pm
• Thursday-Saturday: 12noon-7pm
• Sunday: 12noon-5pm

Last entry to the museum is 30 minutes before closing.

If you just want to visit the Łódź City Culture Park, the set-up is a little confusing, as the museum is well-integrated into the Central Museum of Textiles. In that case, you’d just want a 19zł ticket to the Microhistories: Łódź and its People exhibition (12zł reduced), which also gives you access to the demonstration of the weaving machines on the ground floor in Building D.

However, a joint ticket costs 58zł (38zł reduced) and will give you access to everything. See the price list for details.

Entry to the permanent exhibitions is free on Wednesday.

All times and prices are subject to change, and opening hours may be different during public holidays. Be sure to check the official Central Museum of Textiles website for the latest information.

Tickets are available at the ticket office at Piotrkowska 282 or in advance online (Polish only).

Late communism

Tips For Visiting Łódź City Culture Park

• Though fun and quite engrossing, this is a relatively short museum to get around. I would estimate 1 hour to 90 minutes here. Consider that you may also spend several hours in the Textiles Museum.
• The cloakroom is on the ground floor in Building D at the back of the main Textiles Museum, where you can also find some toilets. With the start of the City Culture Park to your right, turn left – look for the white pillars that say ‘entrance / wejście’ and for the word ‘Szatnia’ once you’re inside Building D. There are no lockers.
• The museum has the usual policy of no flash or tripods regarding photography and filming. Some of the rooms are a bit cramped and get quickly crowded, so you may have to be patient to get your shot!
• There are a few books for sale by the main ticket office but no real giftshop.
• There is an Italian restaurant and cafe on site called Marco’s Bistro with a delightful outdoor area. You can find it on the other side of the yard, opposite Building D (see above). You’ll also find benches around if you want to sit outside with your own food.
• Guided tours are available in English, though they need to be specially arranged in advance. See the official CMWL website for contact details.
• Though the Textiles Museum is fully accessible, the City Culture Park has a step to get into most of the model houses and mobility will be quite constrained inside the exhibits. It’s also worth noting that you’ll be outside as you move between the different houses – so dress according to the weather!
• Kids should enjoy this museum quite a bit although they will be reminded not to touch anything before entering any of the model houses.
• Keep your ticket handy as you’ll need to show it before entering each of the exhibits.
• If you enter via the side gate (rather than the main Textiles Museum entrance), you can buy a ticket from the machine in the small villa to the right – card only.
• Don’t miss the small statue of the three bears on site, near the side entrance. This is part of the delightful Łódź Fairyland Trail.

Where Is This Place Located?

Find this location on the Visit Łódź map:

• Open the Visit Łódź map
• Click on a marker and it will give you the name of the landmark, with a brief description and links for more information and directions. You can pan, scroll, and zoom around the map, or use the + or – buttons in the bottom left of the map to zoom in and out
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side, sorted by category. Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map
• Each category is on a different layer, which can be switched on and off. So you can just see the Hotel or Restaurant pins, for example
• If you are using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location

Map pins are color coded:

• YELLOW / ORANGE: Łódź Sightseeing
• GREEN: Łódź Transportation
• BLUE: Hotels in Łódź
• PURPLE: Shopping In Łódź
• DARK RED: Restaurants in Łódź
• LIGHT RED: Nightlife in Łódź