Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum
- Military history enthusiasts
- History enthusiasts
- Families with children
What Visitors Say
Great museum with very very friendly & warm staff who kindly shared a lot of time with me to explain. Museum archives are well preserved with great care. I respect great functions as a museum, archiving, exhibiting, researching, preserving and where people know and pass the history. It was very worth to visit and I enjoyed very much. Thank you so much, I'll come back again.
Wow, what a hidden gem! As a Polish person, I only discovered this place after living in London for five years, and it feels like such a shame. I absolutely loved the two-hour private tour with a guide on Thursday (unfortunately, I didn’t catch their name). I’ve been twice now - once with a friend and once with my partner, who doesn’t know much about my country’s history. The guide’s knowledge and passion were incredible. I think this museum can be a fascinating experience both for those already familiar with Polish history, thanks to the wealth of details and unique facts, and for those who need a broader overview. The collection is astonishing, there are pieces you’d never expect, probably in the thousands. I highly recommend doing the full 2–4 pm tour, especially on Thursdays!
Amazing hidden shrine dedicated to Polish history, an amazing archive and museum filled with historical items, exhibits and history all around the building, worth the visit, especially for people with Polish ancestry.
As a professional archival researcher, this has to be one of the best places to come and research because of the amazing material and, of course, the utterly incredible staff. I can't praise them highly enough for their organisation and assistance with some quite intricate research. The archive requires appointments, so if using the archive, then check their website. This is a central London location with great public transport links. There is paid parking through just park among others out front. The artefacts that we could see were fantastic and have a military perspective for the most part. Check with the museum of access. This is also a wonderful building of course in the heart of the diplomatic area of London very near the Albert Hall. Again, a great archive and staff whom I wish to thank for their attentive assistance.
An absolutely incredible place. Jaw dropping. The history, determination and valour is palpable. It's somewhere anyone should visit if they want to learn about Polish military history and their part in Poland's struggle to survive, and their campaigns across Europe and Africa. Unfortunately this place is open only on the first Saturday (?) of the month, but it's probably best to check before going. They're staffed by volunteers. If you want to know who Poles really are, come and visit. My tour took two hours. Tours are available in English, and obviously in Polish.
Highlights
Polish Air Force in the RAF
Personal kit and squadron insignia put names and faces to famous units such as 303 (Kościuszko) Squadron during the Battle of Britain.See flight gear and squadron badges that chart how Polish pilots transitioned from occupied Europe to British bases—and turned the air war.
Upper galleries, aviation section
General Władysław Sikorski Collection
Belongings and documents of Poland’s Commander-in-Chief and Prime Minister illuminate the strategy and diplomacy of the exile years.From field dress to diplomatic gifts, these objects track Sikorski’s journey from reorganising forces in France and the UK to his final 1943 Gibraltar flight.
Core galleries, leadership cases
Monte Cassino & the II Corps
Regimental standards, badges and battlefield relics link directly to the 1944 Italian campaign where the Polish II Corps took the monastery heights.Uniform pieces and colours carry unit histories stitched into their fabric—look for dates and honours added post-battle.
Army campaigns corridor
Government-in-Exile Archives
Original orders, maps and correspondence ground the displays in primary sources, from formation orders to post-war resettlement.Typed commands, ink signatures and annotated maps reveal how an army without a homeland coordinated across continents.
Research rooms (by arrangement); selections on display
Opening Hours
Fun Facts
The museum grew from the wartime Polish Government-in-Exile’s own London headquarters, preserving frontline unit colours, documents, and commanders’ effects that never returned to occupied Poland.
Displays on the Polish Air Force in Britain highlight units like No. 303 Squadron—one of the top-scoring fighter squadrons in the Battle of Britain—through named kit, insignia and photographs.
Monte Cassino material in the army galleries connects directly to the Polish II Corps’ assault in May 1944, including unit badges and colours bearing post-battle honours.
Personal items linked to General Władysław Sikorski anchor narratives about the command of Polish forces abroad and the politics of recognition by Allied governments.
