Scout Ethnographic Museum

The Scout Ethnographic Museum in Katowice has been run since 1965 by scouts of the 4th Scout Troop named after the Defenders of Katowice. The collection, over 750 exhibits, was gathered by the scouts during camps and bivouacs: folk costumes, everyday objects, tools and elements of folk decoration.

Where the exhibits come from

The objects come from Upper Silesia, the Beskids, Orava, Spiš and Kashubia. They are obtained during scout ethnographic expeditions, and according to the museum's website the institution combines scouting service with museum work. The collection includes, for example, a tortoise shell from Guinea, brought to the museum as a gift.

What a visit looks like

The museum is housed in the building of Primary School No. 11 in Katowice, in the Załęska Hałda-Brynów district. It can be visited in a group or individually, using multimedia devices, and workshops have been prepared for schools and kindergartens. There are no fixed opening hours, so a visit has to be arranged in advance with the troop leadership.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Nasypowa 16, 40-551 Katowice.
• The visiting date is arranged with the scouts in advance; contact details are given on the website hme.zhp.pl.
• About 2 km from the museum lies Tadeusz Kościuszko Park.
• About 2.5 km from the museum begins the Katowice Forest Park.