The Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk is one of Europe’s largest and most comprehensive museums dedicated to WWII, opened in 2017 near the historic Gdańsk Shipyard close to Westerplatte, where the first shots of the war were fired. The main exhibition traces the war’s causes, course, and aftermath through immersive galleries, artifacts, and personal accounts from both military and civilian perspectives.
The museum is closed on Mondays; Tuesday hours run 9:30am-2:30pm, while Wednesday through Sunday it’s open 9:30am-5pm. Visiting the main exhibition typically takes 2-3 hours, and guided tours run about 3 hours, so allowing a half-day is advisable for a thorough visit. The museum is closed on several Polish public holidays including November 1, November 11, and the days around Christmas and New Year.
The building itself, a striking tilted tower designed by Studio Architektoniczne Kwadrat, is set partly underground and has become a landmark of Gdańsk’s waterfront district. It’s a short walk from the city’s Old Town and pairs well with a visit to the nearby European Solidarity Centre.
