"Free November" - more than 250 thousand visitors in the royal residences
Interest in this year's campaign "Free November" surpassed all expectations. More than 250,000 people visited last month Wawel Royal Castle, the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the Palace Museum, King John III in Wilanow and the Royal Baths Museum. Great interest aroused also museum lessons organized by four royal residences - more than 13,000 students benefited from free activities.
This year's campaign "Free November" can be classified as one of the most successful educational and cultural events in 2015. Rich and varied program of four royal residences attracted crowds of visitors. Within one month Wawel Castle was visited by 91 658 people, the Royal Castle in Warsaw by 66 119, Palace Museum of King John III in Wilanow by 21 951, and the Royal Baths Museum by 74 074. Royal residences in November were visited by 253 802 people.
Each of the four royal residences has prepared a special educational and cultural program, which familiarized the visitors with the history and cultural heritage of Poland.
At the Royal Castle on Wawel guests could visit free of charge the exhibition reminiscent of the days of glory and power of the Polish Kingdom and the Republic of Poland. Royal Castle in Warsaw made available the Royal Apartments free of charge, priceless collections of paintings, sculptures and decorative art, as well as the exhibition "Napoleon and Art" and the permanent and temporary exhibitions in the Copper-Roof Palace. At the Palace Museum of the King John III in Wilanow guests could use for free of charge thematic walks, and also visit the exhibition "Around Tea, Coffee and Chocolate", dedicated to the Wilanów collection of ceramics.
The Royal Baths November's action was an opportunity to familiarize with the royal collections of Stanislaw August. The visitors could see the Palace on the Island with the Royal Picture Gallery, the Old Orangery with Royal Sculpture Gallery and the Royal Theatre and Myslewicki Palace.Very popular among the guests was a Saturday "Night Tour of the Palace on the Island", during which - in moody light - they could watch the Royal Collection of paintings and learn the history of one of the most valuable Polish monuments.
As in previous years, the November action, in addition to free admission to museums, included 600 free museum lessons for kindergartens and schools. With educational activities organized by Castle on Wawel benefited 1 902 students, 4 725 children took lessons at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, 2 189 in the Palace Museum of the King John III in Wilanow and 4 246 in the Royal Baths Museum. In total, 13 062 children benefited from free museum classes aiming to reduce the gap in access to culture.
"Free November" this year was held for the fourth time. In the past three years the November campaign included free admission to museums and 800 free museum lessons for kindergartens and schools. In 2014, more than 161,000 people benefited from it, while in the last three years nearly one million, including 60,000 children and adolescents, participating in the free education classes. "Free November" is part of the "Accessible Culture" implemented in 2015 by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
