Zabinski Villa

Image © Walking Poland   |    Deutsch

Some people know the film “The Zookeeper’s Wife“. The story took place in the Zabinski Villa in Warsaw Zoo. The family home is now a museum. Jan Zabinski risked his life and saved several hundred Jews from certain death.

T he Zabinski Villa stands barely 200 metres from the main entrance to Warsaw ZOO. Some will know the film “The Zoo Director’s Wife”. This villa is the source of the couple and the whole story.

The Zabinski family lived in this house from 1931 and it was one of the few buildings in the zoo not being destroyed during World War 2.

After the war, the interior decoration was adapted to the style of the 1930s. Numerous private objects are exhibited in the building. The cellar, where Jews, who were persecuted simply for being Jewish, were kept, has also been renovated and can be visited.

In the former dining room there is also a collection of the world-famous entomologist of Jewish origin Szymon Tenenbaum. He was locked up in the ghetto in 1941 and gave his valuable insect collection to Jan Zabinski. Today the collection is mainly in the Ponian Academy of Sciences, part of it is in the villa.

The former dining room, the salon, the study including the library and the cellar area can be visited.

The visit to the villa is related to a specific theme not known to everybody. In this respect, we can only recommend the museum to those who already have a certain premonition. A visit is very interesting if you have seen the film “The Zookeeper´s wife” beforehand.

The Zabinski Villa can only be visited with a museum guide. The tour must be arranged in advance by phone +48 603 059 785 or via email willa@zoo.wawa.pl.

There are also tours on the first Sunday of every month at 11 am and then at 1 pm.

There is a maximum of 25 people in the building (even if there is no pandemic gripping the world).

PLEASE NOTE The guided tour costs 5 PLN per person. However, you still have to pay the entrance fee to the zoo!

zoo.waw.pl/en/zabinski-villa/history [en + pl]

The museum has no online booking system.

Only 5 minutes away is a sandy beach open to the public. There is a bar and a ferry connection there. To use the ferry, you can use the normal public transport tickets (these must be bought in advance).