Emigration Museum

The Emigration Museum in Gdynia (Muzeum Emigracji w Gdyni) is a city-run cultural institution telling the story of Poles who left their homeland, from the early 19th century to the present day. It stands on the Gdynia waterfront, at the very spot from which ships once carried passengers hoping to start a new life across the ocean.

What is the Emigration Museum in Gdynia?

It is a history museum founded in February 2012 and opened to the public on 16 May 2015. The institution documents the history of Polish emigration: why people left, how they reached the port, what the sea voyage was like, and what daily life looked like in a new country. It is the first museum in Poland devoted to this subject, and it resonates with many visitors because almost every Polish family has someone who once emigrated.

Where is it, and why there?

The museum occupies a historic complex on Nabrzeże Francuskie (the French Quay): the 1930s Maritime Station (Dworzec Morski) and the neighbouring transit warehouse. From here ocean liners such as the "Piłsudski", "Batory", "Sobieski" and "Chrobry" set sail. The authentic port setting gives the exhibition a special atmosphere, because you explore the story in a place that witnessed it.

What can you see?

The main exhibition fills the spacious hall of the former warehouse and guides visitors through two centuries of Polish journeys. One of the best-known highlights is a large model of the transatlantic liner MS "Batory", which sailed between Gdynia and North America from 1936 to 1969. The ship became a symbol of Polish emigration and of Gdynia's maritime legend, and the model helps visitors grasp the scale of those voyages.

The exhibition presents emigration as a many-sided phenomenon: economic, political, wartime and postwar departures. Instead of dry dates, you meet people, their luggage, their documents and their stories, which together show how Poles built lives in many parts of the world.

The station building: culture in historic interiors

Besides the permanent exhibition, the former Maritime Station serves as a cultural space. It was planned to host a cinema, meetings, theatre and music events, and a reading room. This makes the museum not only a place to visit but also part of the city's cultural life.

Who is it for?

• Families – stories of travel and luggage are easy for children to follow.
• History lovers – two centuries of history in one place.
• Anyone tracing their roots – many families will find their own thread here.
• Fans of maritime Gdynia – the port, the quay and the legendary ships.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Emigration Museum in Gdynia? A city history museum documenting the history of Polish emigration from the 19th century to today.

When did it open? It was founded in February 2012 and opened to the public on 16 May 2015.

Where exactly is it? On Nabrzeże Francuskie in Gdynia, in the former Maritime Station building and the adjoining transit warehouse.

Which ships are linked to the place? Liners including the "Piłsudski", "Batory", "Sobieski" and "Chrobry" departed from this port.

What is the most distinctive exhibit? A large model of MS "Batory", the liner that sailed to North America between 1936 and 1969.

Is it worth visiting while walking around Gdynia? Yes. It sits by the port, so it is easy to combine with a walk along the waterfront and through the city centre.