Poster Museum at Wilanów

The Poster Museum at Wilanów, known in Polish as Muzeum Plakatu, is an art museum in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to the art of the poster. Founded in 1968, it holds the distinction of being the world's oldest museum devoted to this graphic art form. The institution operates as a branch of the National Museum in Warsaw and is situated within the historic Wilanów Palace complex on the outskirts of the city. It houses one of the largest collections of posters globally, with holdings that have grown significantly since its establishment.

The museum opened in June 1968, driven by a mid-20th-century surge in Polish interest in poster art and collecting. This cultural movement was influenced by the visual styles of national filmmakers such as Andrzej Wajda, with collectors particularly seeking posters for films, plays, and musicals. The global reputation of Warsaw's annual poster art competition ultimately led to the museum's creation. Its establishment was made possible by a grant of several thousand posters from the National Museum in Warsaw, authorized by its director, Stanisław Lorentz. At its inception, the collection comprised 13,000 items, including approximately 500 posters preserved from the World War II era. The museum underwent a five-year refurbishment project, reopening in 2026 with a new exhibition featuring works by members of the Polish School of Posters.

The museum's holdings have grown substantially since its founding, primarily through continuous gifts from Polish and international donors. By 2022, the collection contained approximately 62,000 posters, making it one of the largest repositories of its kind in the world. The scope encompasses both Polish and international poster art. A major strength of the collection is its coverage of the history of Polish poster art, with 30,000 items documenting the medium's development in Poland from 1892 to 2002. The museum rotates its holdings through permanent exhibits focused on Polish poster art and history, foreign poster art, and various thematic displays.

The museum's notable holdings include the early foundational works from the Polish School of Posters, which formed a core part of the original 13,000 items and were prominently featured in the museum's 2026 reopening exhibition. Additionally, the museum serves as the venue for the International Poster Biennale in Warsaw, the world's first poster biennale, which moved to the site in 1994. During the 25th International Poster Biennale in 2016, which marked the event's 50th anniversary, the museum organized the 50/50/50 exhibition. This project featured works by fifty eminent artists, including Michel Bouvet, Milton Glaser, Harmen Liemburg, Finn Nygaard, Kari Piippo, Paula Scher, Niklaus Troxler, and Catherine Zask, which were reproduced as digital prints in city light boxes across Warsaw.

The museum is housed in a modern exhibition space constructed behind the historic Wilanów Palace, located on the outskirts of Warsaw. The building incorporates the former 19th-century riding school of the palace. The modern museum structure is hidden behind the Empire-style facade of the original equestrian building, which was designed by the architect Francesco Maria Lanci in 1848.

The Poster Museum is located on the grounds of the Wilanów Palace complex in Warsaw, Poland. As a branch of the National Museum in Warsaw, it operates under the broader national museum system. The museum continues its present role as a center for graphic design and poster art, hosting the International Poster Biennale in Warsaw every two years, an event held under the auspices of the International Council of Graphic Design Associations. The biennale attracts more than 2,000 entries from around the globe.