The Centre for Wooden Architecture

Polocko St. 52, Vilnius

II–V 15–19 val.
VI–VII 11–19 val.

The focus of the Centre for Wooden Architecture is urban wooden architecture, its tradition, and the craftsmanship behind it. The centre also introduces visitors to modern-day environmentally friendly solutions, and promotes an approach to urban life based on principles of sustainable development. Important information on urban wooden architecture is presented to visitors in the centre’s permanent exhibition. The centre is in the Užupis district, in an authentic wooden building that has been lovingly restored. The purpose of the centre is to bring together and educate people who are enthusiastic about the idea of a sustainable city of wooden architecture, and would like to contribute to its creation.

Visit the department

Arrival

Polocko St. 52, Vilnius

II–V 15–19 val.
VI–VII 11–19 val.

Google maps Waze

The Centre for Wooden Architecture is in the Užupis district of Vilnius, at Polocko St 52. It is easy to reach on foot, or by bicycle, car or public transport. There are two public transport stops close by, ‘Bernardinų’ and ‘Polocko’, which are on the 6G, 11, 27, 34 and 37 bus routes.

If you are coming by car, you can park on Polocko St. The parking spaces here are in the red parking zone, where the cost of parking for one hour is 1.50 euros. You can also park in the Rimi supermarket car park at Zarasų St 5A.

The entrance to the Centre for Wooden Architecture is on Polocko St. Some steps lead up to the entrance, with a ramp to the left of the steps. The approach is paved with cobbles. There is a lift to take visitors with physical disabilities up from the yard to the second floor.

Important details

The museum’s exhibition space is arranged across two floors. They can be accessed by the staircase or the lift.

Visitors can leave their coats on the ground floor. Lockers for keeping belongings safe and a locker for charging phones are also available.

There are WCs on both floors of the museum.

The ground floor is for temporary exhibitions that change on a regular basis. The first floor houses a permanent exhibition about wooden architecture.

Exhibition openings are open and free of charge for all visitors.

Visitors are welcomed by guides and volunteer guides. They will gladly tell you about the exhibitions and the history of the building.

There are fewer visitors to the museum on workdays from 3pm to 5pm. If you prefer to visit the museum at a quiet time, we recommend you choose a day other than the last Sunday of the month, and avoid weekends generally.

Most events that take place at the museum (exhibition openings, book presentations, lectures, discussions, etc) can be attended free of charge.

Visitors can visit the museum free of charge on the last Sunday of the month. The museum’s working hours on this day, as on all other Sundays, are from 11am to 7pm.

We encourage visitors to share their impressions with us in our guest book. If you wish to send feedback, observations or comments later, write to us at edukacijos.medinukas@vilniausmuziejus.lt.

Prams
A ramp makes it easy to enter the museum with a pram. The exhibition spaces are arranged across two floors, accessible by a staircase and a lift. You can leave your pram on the veranda, if necessary.

Changing station
There is a WC with a changing table on the ground floor.

Playroom
There is a playroom on the first floor that can be used as a calm space; visitors can dim the lights, if necessary.
We invite younger visitors to set out on an adventure and find all the little wooden houses hidden around the museum!

Feeding infants
We do not have a special space for feeding, but feel free to feed your baby anywhere in the exhibition or the educational spaces. You will find at least one chair in every room.

More about the Centre for Wooden Architecture

The Centre for Wooden Architecture began operating as a branch of the Vilnius Directorate of Memorial Museums under the name the Museum of Urban Wooden Architecture. The museum opened in 2022. Since then, it has housed a permanent exhibition that invites visitors to explore the past, the present and the future prospects of Vilnius’ wooden architecture. In addition, the centre acts as a consultant to the owners of wooden buildings and puts on temporary exhibitions. To schoolchildren and young visitors, the Centre for Wooden Architecture offers educational programmes that serve as an introduction to the world of wooden architecture.

In 2025 the museum became known as the Centre for Wooden Architecture, a branch of the Vilnius City Museum. The same year, the city entrusted to its care two wooden buildings in the Šnipiškės district, at Giedraičių g. 24 and Kintų g. 10. The former will serve as a community centre for the Šnipiškės district, while the latter will be transformed into a workshop for restoring wooden architectural details, where craftsmen will provide advice to the owners of wooden buildings.

The wooden house at Polocko g. 52 was built in 1876, when Maria Szulska, the widow of a municipal officer, rented a plot of land in the eastern part of Užupis from the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Spirit. A single-storey wooden building and an outbuilding were constructed according to a design by Ivan Levicki. In 1887, Szulska’s son Bolesław added a mezzanine level, according to plans drawn up by Aleksandr Antonovich.

In 1939, the plot of land was purchased from the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Spirit by Jan Czep and his family, along with the buildings on it. His name has survived on the building’s wooden street number, a copy of which still hangs in its original place on the south wall (the original plaque has become part of the collection at the Centre for Wooden Architecture). This wooden house was built with five flats, and retained its original function until it was transformed into a museum. In 2006, it was listed on the Register of Cultural Property. In 2012, the building was recognised as being a dangerous structure; however, its residents were only moved out in 2017, when the city acquired all the flats.

The renovation of the building began in 2019. Construction was completed in 2022, and the Museum of Wooden Urban Architecture opened on 18 May as a branch of the Vilnius Directorate of Memorial Museums. In 2023, the renovation of the building and its repurposing as a museum were recognised by three awards: the international European Heritage Award/Europa Nostra Award 2023, and two national awards, Paveldo DNR, and the National Architecture Prize.