Share This Article
The Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice is a place that I associate most with this city in terms of tourism! I have been there several times and I think it has a lot of potential. It nicely combines several different themes, so there’s a good chance that even if one doesn’t catch your interest, the next will suit your taste!
Location and access
The Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice is also sometimes referred to as the Eco-Museum. It is located at 1 Wielkopiecowa Street. There is a parking lot in front of the museum where you can easily leave your car. The institution is about 2 kilometers away from the Starachowice market square.
Starachowice is located in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, and the nearest larger (county) cities are Skarżysko-Kamienna (20 km) and Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski (30 km). The city is about 50 kilometers away from the capital of the voivodeship – Kielce.
The Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice – Tickets and Opening Hours
Tickets for the Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice during the winter season cost 15 PLN for adults and 8 PLN for visitors with a discount. In the summer season, the prices are 20 PLN and 12 PLN.
You can combine your visit to the museum with a trip to Wąchock and purchase a combined ticket to explore both sites. The tour route varies depending on the season. In the winter season (November 1 – March 31), the Historic Great Furnace from 1899, the Star Truck Brand Exhibition, and the Paleontological Exhibition are available for visitors. In this text, I will describe these three exhibitions to you, as we had the opportunity to visit the Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice in winter. During the summer season (April 1 – October 31), you can additionally explore the remains of the Great Furnace Plant from the 19th century, the steam engine, and the mining exhibition. Reserve about one hour for the winter season tour and about one and a half hours for the summer season.
The museum’s opening hours also vary. In the summer season, it is open from Tuesday to Thursday from 8:00 to 16:00, on Thursdays from 8:00 to 17:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00. In the winter season, the museum welcomes visitors from Tuesday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:00 and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00. Entry to the museum is only with a guide at the full hour. For certainty, check the information on the museum’s website.
Exhibitions
Outside the tourist season, the Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice offers three exhibitions, and I will write a few words about them for you. Each one covers a completely different topic and will appeal to a completely different group of visitors, so no one should leave dissatisfied.
Iron Production
The first exhibit and part of the Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice, which our guide will take us to, is the Great Furnace dating back to 1899. Here we will learn everything about iron production at this site. We will see where the raw material arrived from, but also how the finished product and waste left the plant.
The guide will also present to us all the necessary raw materials that were used for production. We get an up-close look at the Great Furnace and learn everything about iron production. An interesting story concerns the bricks made from the waste of the great furnace, which were used to build many buildings in the area. Years later, their production was halted, as research showed they were not too healthy for the residents.
One of the rooms, where the pig iron was once poured, solidified, and packed into wagons, has undergone an interesting renovation. It now contains seating and is perfectly suited for various cultural events.
Dinosaurs
The paleontological exhibition could be a perfect reason for the youngest visitors to visit the Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice. In two sizable halls, not only will you find animal tracks from millions of years ago, but also many models showing what these organisms looked like.
Why is this exhibition located in Starachowice? You might not know, but in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, many dinosaurs lived, and their traces are found in many places. One of these locations near Starachowice is Wióry. In addition to these, you will find specimens from locations such as Sołtyków, Zapniów, Błaziny, Wierzbica, and Bałtów.
The exhibition will introduce you to animals that lived in our region during the Triassic and Jurassic periods. The tracks come from various environments such as river, lake, and beach sediments. The tracks found in Wióry are considered to be some of the oldest in the world from the Triassic period of archosaurs. You can read about each set of tracks and the creature that left them on the informational panels.
STAR Trucks
The last part of the museum exhibition you will visit pertains to the STAR brand from Starachowice! These iconic trucks have strongly marked the history of the city. You can encounter them on the streets as part of the “STAR Trail” project. One of the points on the trail, required to earn the Tourist Badge, is also a visit to this very exhibition.
In a large tent, you will find STAR trucks in various versions and applications. There you will find the iconic Star 20, but also vehicles that served for years in the Fire Brigade, Police, and Military. There is also a replica of the Popemobile – the vehicle in which Pope John Paul II traveled during one of his pilgrimages to Poland. This replica was recreated based on the original documentation, as the original(s) (there were two) did not survive.
An interesting feature at the Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice may also be a STAR prepared for off-road racing. Finally, at the exit stands one of the youngest models that left the factory in Starachowice.
Jan Pazdur
The patron of the Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice is Jan Pazdur. He was the author of the idea to establish the museum in the Kamienna River Valley. He was a Polish historian and archivist with a rich scientific output. His Monograph of Kielce is considered by many to be the most comprehensive of that period. After completing his studies, he worked as a history teacher in the St. Stanislaus Kostka high school in Kielce. Professor Jan Pazdur died in 2001 in Warsaw.
What’s in the area?
Although Starachowice is not strongly associated with tourism, there are a lot of curiosities waiting to be discovered. In the city itself, you can explore the STAR Trail, where you will find beautifully restored Star brand cars that were produced in Starachowice. The Jewish community is also an integral part of the history of Starachowice. A remnant left by this community is the cemetery. It is not large, but the tombstones are preserved in very good condition. They are richly decorated and impressive. The Jewish cemetery in Starachowice is located in the Wierzbnik district.
Near the city, there are several nature reserves. If you like walking in the forest, check out the Skały pod Adamowem reserve or the Skały w Krynkach reserve. In addition to their natural qualities, you will find sandstone outcrops there that take on interesting forms.
Worth a visit?
The Nature and Technology Museum in Starachowice is a cool place! The variety of exhibitions means that both children and adults will find something for themselves. It is located in an interesting area, which further enhances its attractiveness. The tour does not take long, but if you are in Starachowice or the surrounding area, it is definitely a place worth visiting.
