Pilica River Open-Air Museum

The Pilica River Open-Air Museum, established in Tomaszów Mazowiecki in 1999 by the Association of Friends of the Pilica and Nadpilicze, aims to provide historical and ecological education while preserving local heritage. Since 2005, it has operated as a cultural institution, currently functioning as a branch of the Municipal Cultural Center. The centerpiece of the museum is a historic water mill relocated from Kuźnica Żerechowska, which still houses its original flour-grinding machinery. Visitors can also explore a wooden cottage known as the "tsar's hermitage" and a guardhouse from Spała, both rich with history from the era of tsarist hunting expeditions and serving various functions over time, including as watchhouses. The museum features permanent exhibitions related to milling, including the largest collection of millstones in Poland, as well as military displays. The military section showcases rare artifacts such as an Sd.Kfz.8 artillery tractor, which sank in the Pilica River in 1945 and was later recovered and reconstructed. This unique vehicle, with many of its original parts remarkably well-preserved, is likely the only surviving example of its kind in the world. The museum is not only a place to visit but also an active promoter of the region's history and culture.