Żabińskis' Villa

Warsaw


The incredible true life story of how zoo director Jan Żabiński and his wife Antonia helped save over 70 Jews during WWII has become famous through the book and movie The Zookeeper's Wife. The elegant modernist villa, where the Żabińskis lived and risked their lives by hiding Jews, is open for a guided tour, which is well worth doing.

The building has been restored and redecorated much as it was during the Żabiński's time of residence, when some of the tamer zoo animals shared what was fondly known as the 'Crazy Star Villa' with the family. Antonia was a skilled pianist and you can see her piano, on which she would play Offenbach La Belle Hélène as a warning signal that Germans were approaching. Occasional concerts are still held today in the villa's living room and, during summer, in the gardens outside.

In the basement hiding place are displays about the Jews who passed through here and were saved, including the renowned sculptor Magdalena Gross, whose animal figures can be seen around the zoo gardens. In the former dining room there is also a small display from the priceless entomological collections of Dr Szymon Tenenbaum – these had been entrusted to the Żabińskis by Tenenbaum before he was relocated to the ghetto in 1941.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Warsaw attractions

1. Warsaw Zoological Gardens

0.11 MILES

Established in 1928, this well-managed zoo is home to some 3000 animals representing 500 species from across the world, including bears, wolves,…

2. Park Praski

0.21 MILES

Created in the late 19th century, this attractively laid-out park includes quirky contemporary sculptures such as the giant metal Giraffe by Władysław…

3. Rusałka Beach

0.24 MILES

There's a great view of the Old Town skyline from this popular beach on the east bank of the Vistula, close by the zoo. Several cafe-bars set up on the…

4. St Michael & St Florian Cathedral

0.36 MILES

Completed in 1904 to the design of Józef Dziekoński, this neo-Gothic-style cathedral has twin 75m spires that were deliberately built taller than the…

5. St Mary Magdalene Cathedral

0.41 MILES

It's impossible to miss the five onion-shaped domes of Warsaw's main Polish Orthodox cathedral. Built in 1869 to serve the growing number of Russians…

6. Praga Courtyard Band Monument

0.53 MILES

This bronze monument by Andrzej Renes commemorates the five-piece bands (violinist, accordianist, guitarist, banjoist and drummer) who played popular…

7. Multimedia Fountain Park

0.56 MILES

Arrive early to grab a good spot from which to view the impressive multimedia sound, light and water fountain shows at this riverside park. From mid-May…

8. Former Mikveh

0.57 MILES

A mikveh is a bath used by religious Jewish women for monthly ritual cleansing – this red-brick building completed in 1913 used to contain one and stood…