Funzeum in Gliwice – Museum of Light and Colors

A field of sunflowers, a wall of unicorns, hanging chili peppers, or maybe a rocking plant? What do all these places have in common? They are located in Funzeum – a place that proves that colorful arrangements are not only for insta pics, but also for education and super fun…. note, this is a place where even children will have fun!

We have come across similar places several times before, but we have rarely looked into them. Mainly because we thought it was a medium attraction for children: what fun is it for them to take pictures of themselves against a colorful wall? And yet! It turns out that not only is it an interesting time spent, but it’s also full of educational elements, and there’s quite a playground waiting at the end – at least that’s the case in the titular Funzeum.

Even before the pandemic, we visited the Cosmos Museum in Warsaw and were strongly discouraged. There were queues, crowded, cramped, some of the exhibits did not work, and also it is definitely not a place for family trips…. there the focus was on light, colors, optical illusions, and at the same time there were several arrangements for interesting photos….

It’s quite different at Funzeum in Gliwice. The whole area is divided into two clearly separated zones: color and light, with a large room waiting at the end for rest and play. There are no queues to the various attractions, there is plenty of space and you don’t feel the breath on the backs of other visitors.

Are you curious about what attractions await in each part?

Check out Funzeum on Youtube

At the very beginning our video report, because being in Funzeum we also recorded a little something :) So we also invite you to our 🎬 video on the YouTube channel Funzeum Gliwice:

Funzeum’s color zone

This is the first zone to be visited in Funzeum. At the beginning, one enters a completely white room where one listens to a story about colors, the interiors change colors with more interesting facts about colors, and after the narration is over, one moves to another small room where one can see how colors are formed.

The next separate zones are a journey through the different colors – each sector has several color arrangements. Each section also has an information board about the color (including how the color is created and interesting facts about it).

And this is where the fun begins! We can take pictures, dress up, pose, create new arrangements – the sky is the limit! Here we find installations, walls with flowers, a huge inflatable dog, doll boxes that you can enter and get acquainted with like a toy, you can be an ice or snow queen and sit on a frosty throne, hide among sunflowers or rock in the clouds and cause a storm. There are frames, armchairs, recliners, cages, backlights, unicorns, rainbows, colored ribbons….

In this zone we will again see how colors are created, check our body heat, play with large colored glass to combine different colors.

Funzeum’s light zone

After going through all 12 rooms in the color zone, it’s time for the light zone. A tunnel leads to it, and before entering you should take special 3D glasses that will make the images three-dimensional in the light zone.

Upon entering, we find ourselves in a dark room full of bright, fluorescent and glowing shapes and paintings. On the left, a cat straight out of Alice in Wonderland is smiling, and on the right we can dive into an underwater, marine, world. It is very intense and colorful here.

Moving on, flickering lights and screens await. After this part, it gets quieter for a while: we get to one more arrangement – you can jump into a tub of white balls, but our attention was definitely more caught by the glowing and hanging planets.

In the next rooms we have more luminous installations: hanging crystals or lanterns (in two so-called infinity rooms), and even a whole garden full of fluorescent colors again.

Fun Zone – Funzone

Finally, a zone supposedly for children, but not only ;) After passing the zone of lights, we find ourselves in a large space full of attractions, but here, too, several separate additional rooms await us.

To begin with, the attention is drawn to a unique playground – unique because it is sky-high! Children immediately jump into a special suspended net and disappear from sight ;) If they don’t disappear here then they are sure to sink into a giant pool with balls (and not just any balls, because they change colors!). On top of that, they can play the floor piano, and the youngest children can take a look at a separate area for children under 2.

Adults during this time can relax in a separate area, drink coffee, eat a hot dog or something sweet.

Several more attractions await in the rooms next door. There is a large room with giga balls, Rysilandia – where children’s pictures come to life on a giant screen, and an event area where there are also currently more experiences, a huge island with blocks, and something that probably aroused our greatest interest – a 360-degree photo opportunity! These are “moving” pictures. You can pose with props. After taking the photo you get a QR code after scanning which you can download it to your phone. Currently, these photos are included in the ticket price :)

Funzeum for children

Contrary to our fears, Funzeum turned out to be a great way to spend a few hours with the kids. We took shelter from the heat here and we must admit that everyone had a great time.

Children will quite eagerly pretend to be a mascot in a toy catching machine, pose as Barbie dolls, jump on swings, or pet a tiger. They will discover how the different colors are created, play with light, and won’t want to leave the playground. We surprisingly spent a lot of time putting together a tower of blocks and coloring water animals, which then magically came to life on the screen! Magic :)

However, it is worth noting that the bright lights section may be too intense for some children.

As for adaptations, you can move around the entire space with a stroller, and there is a changing table with disposable pads in the disabled toilet.

Practical information

Catering in Funzeum

On site, the Funzone has a cafe, serving hot dogs (including vege options), and you can have cake, ice cream and coffee or lemonade.

The cafe is right next to the playground and ball pool, so while the kids go wild, the parents can relax for a while :)

Opening hours

Funzeum is open during the hours:

• Monday – Friday: from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday – Sunday: from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Prices: how much does a ticket to Funzeum cost?

Below are the prices for entry to the Funzeum (ticket includes all parts, entry for 3 hours):

• Normal ticket – 49 PLN
• Discounted ticket – 42 zloty
• Children up to 100 cm – free

Buying tickets online gets a 10% discount on the above prices, and buying tickets at the box office for the last hours (i.e. from 3:00 pm during the week and from 6:00 pm on the weekend) can catch Happy Hours, when tickets cost 30% off.

Access and parking at Funzeum

Funzeum is located in Gliwice, in… shopping center! It covers a surprisingly large area, so don’t worry if you only come here for a short while while shopping.

The location is great, because it is right at the intersection of the A4 and A1 highways. We visited Funzeum on our way back from the mountains, and it turned out to be a pretty good option for a stop along the way – we didn’t have to go far out of our way, and the kids were entertained for 3 hours.

There is free parking on site at the mall.

The exact address:
Funzeum
Street. Pszczyna 315,
44-100 Gliwice

Where to stay overnight in the Funzeum area?

Here are some suggestions for accommodation in the Funzeum area:

• Green Garden Guesthouse,
  Address: ul. Roberta Miki 3, 41-811 Zabrze
  Prices: from 210 PLN for a double room
  Link:
  http://r4b.link/zielony-ogrod
  
• Hotel Diament Plaza Gliwice, in the center of Gliwice
  Address: Zwycięstwa 30, 44-100 Gliwice
  Prices: from 380 PLN for a double room
  Link:
  http://r4b.link/hoteldiamentgliwice
  
• Hotel Royal, in the center of Gliwice
  Address: Matejki 10, 44-100 Gliwice
  Prices: from 300 PLN for a double room
  Link:
  http://r4b.link/hotel-royal
  

Our opinion about Funzeum

A visit to Funzeum disenchanted places with a similar style. After previous poor experiences, we know that such places can be a really attractive alternative for families with children. The youngest find themselves incredibly quickly in spaces full of color, and their list of ideas for photos and poses seems endless ;)

A huge plus for the educational dimension and not being limited to instafoots, and another plus goes for the adaptation for children as well (playgrounds and attractions for the youngest).

The place seems to be a good idea both in bad weather and on hot days when you want a break from the heat.