Museum in Białowieża
Nature and Forest Museum (Muzeum Przyrodniczo-Leśne)
The national park's natural-history museum in Palace Park, with forest dioramas and a viewing tower.
Reviewed and updated July 2026
What to see at the Nature and Forest Museum
The museum uses dioramas to show the forest's animals in their habitats, from bison, lynx and wolves to deer and elk, and covers plant communities, fungi and the role of deadwood. It works well as an introduction before walking into the strict reserve.
A museum with deep roots in Białowieża
Its collections trace back to the interwar years, and it is regarded as the oldest museum among Poland's national parks. It is housed in Palace Park, part of the complex rebuilt after the tsars' palace was destroyed.
The viewing tower at the Białowieża museum
The building includes a viewing tower over the park and forest canopy, and the tower is covered by the museum ticket. Opening hours change with the season, so check the museum's official channels before visiting.
Frequently asked questions
More to explore in Białowieża
National Park
Bialowieza National Park
A fragment of primeval lowland forest, never logged in its core, protecting Europe's largest wild population of bison.
Nature
European Bison Show Reserve
A managed enclosure west of the village where you can reliably see European bison along with wolves, lynx and elk.
Attraction
Palace Park (Park Pałacowy)
Landscaped grounds around the site of the tsars' burned hunting palace, now the setting for the national park museum.
Attraction
Orthodox Church of St Nicholas
A tsarist-era Orthodox church holding a rare glazed-ceramic iconostasis, unusual in Poland.
Restaurant
Restauracja Stoczek 1929
A traditional Eastern European restaurant on Stoczek known for pierogi and a fireplace-warmed room.
Attraction
Obelisk of 1752
The oldest monument in Białowieża, a sandstone obelisk marking a royal hunt held by King Augustus III in 1752, with inscriptions listing the game taken.