Neon Museum

The Neon Museum, located at 25 Mińska Street in Warsaw, is a unique institution dedicated to documenting and preserving Polish neon signs created after World War II. As the first neon museum in Poland and one of the few in the world, it opened on May 19, 2012, during the Night of Museums. Its origins date back to 2005, when Ilona Karwińska saved the neon from the former "Berlin" store. The museum's collection includes around 100 neon signs, primarily from the 1960s and 1970s, featuring the oldest neon from the Warszawa Stadion railway station, as well as exhibits from the "Szanghaj" and "Ambasador" restaurants and the "Jaś i Małgosia" café. Notable are the nine largest neons adorning the buildings of Soho Factory, including GŁÓWNA KSIĘGOWNIA TECHNICZNA (Main Technical Bookstore) and KINO PRAHA (Praha Cinema). The museum also actively maintains several neons throughout Warsaw, such as the Syrenka (Mermaid) on Grójecka Street. Its work holds not only architectural significance by documenting unique elements of urban space but also plays a vital role in promoting Polish design culture and history. In 2013, the museum co-organized the "Neon for Warsaw" competition, and in 2020, it was recognized by *The Guardian* as one of 12 fascinating urban museums in Europe, underscoring its importance on the continent's cultural map.