The history of the Kalisz Museum goes back to the end of the nineteenth century. However, it was not until 1900 that the first exhibition (" Archaeological and Art Exhibition") was organised. In the following years - thanks to the initiative of some culture workers and antiquity lovers - three separate museums were set up. Two of them were attached to the local branch of The Society for Promoting Industry and Trade (" Archaeological Museum" Antiquity Section - since 1907 and "The Museum" Section of Shows and School Equipment -since 1909) while the third one was "Country - Lovers Museum" established in 1911 and attached to the Polish Country - Lovers Society. In April 1914 all three merged into one - the Kalisz Museum.

The museum collection survived the First World War nearly untouched; but the Second World War was less fortunate - 80% of the collection was destroyed during the Nazi occupation. After the end of the war - in the autumn of 1946 - The Museum was reconstructed. Its collection was constantly enlarged due to donations, bequests and purchases. In 1957 The Museum was presented whit a new building at 12 Tadeusz Kosciuszko Street. It had been built in 1909 to house the Revenue Office and it was enlarged between the two world wars when new floors were added. The first permanent exhibitions were presented in its new location in 1960 - the year of the jubilee of the eighteen centuries of Kalisz. The building itself was then enlarged again in the 70s. In 1975 The Museum was declared the regional institution and named The Regional Kalisz Museum. At present it has five sections (archaeological, ethnographic, historical, art and scientific-educational), a library and four studios (photographic, preservation, art and craft). The Museum also has three branches whit their own exhibitions (Tadeusz Kulisiewicz Centre of Drawing and Graphics in Kalisz, Museum of Palace Interiors at Lewkow in The Lipski Palace and Maria Dabrowska's Cottage at Russow) as well as three other expositions (archaeological skansen in Kalisz, mini ethnographic skansen at Russow and "Music Salon" at the Hunting Lodge at Antonin). On its premises, the Museum houses two permanent exhibitions (archaeological and historical) and several, often changing, temporary - ones. It also pursues various educational activities. Particular sections of The Museum s collection include exhibits from the archaeological excavations conducted on the territory of Kalisz voievodship, as well as documents and other objects illustrating the history ofthe town from the time it was set up in 1257 up to the present time, historical specimens of folk art and culture of the Kalisz region, works of folk art of' African communities (from Western Africa and the Sudan) and also all kinds of works of art done by the artists originating from Kalisz or connected whit the town.

The permanent exhibitions ("From the Primaeval History of Kalisz and its Neighbourhood" and "From the History of Kalisz") show the history of the earliest settlement in the Kalisz region and characterise the most important events taking place in the town from the middle of the thirteenth century up to the present day. The archaeological exhibition presents the material from the excavations conducted in the neighbourhood of Kalisz. Objects from stone, bronze and iron ages can be found here. They are put into chronological order and attributed to particular cultural units. The most interesting are the flint tools coming from late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods, reconstruction of a Neolithic framework grave excavated at Warszowka, burial items coming from early bronze age cemetery and many other historical objects (including reconstruction of various forms of cremation) connected with the people of Lusatian culture and identified, by many scholars, with the Preslavs. Materials illustrating Celtic influence and provincial Roman culture are displayed. Here the most distinguished part of the exposition is devoted to "The Amber Route" and the oldest note concerning Kalisz in the work of scholar Claudius ptolmeus from Alexandria dating from the second century The treasure-troves coming from the time of the migration of nations such as, among others, a glass cup from Piwonice and a silver belt buckle of gothic origin dating from the fifth century, as well as the early medieval materials excavated from the medieval town of Zawodzie, now the archaeological skansen, conclude the exhibition.

The permanent historical exhibition consist of four chronological parts. The first one - "The Town of Princes and Kings" - presents the history of Kalisz from its creation in 1257 till the second partition of Poland in 1793 (the first partition in 1772 did not include Kalisz). The second part of the exhibition - "Under the Foreign Occupation" - tells about the years 1793 -1918. The next part - "The Years Between the World Wars" - presents the most important events from the moment of regaining independence in November 1918 till the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. The last part is concerned with the problems of the Second World War (1939-1945). The history of the town is presented here in thematic blocks, each dealing with the following problems: administration, development of craft in Kalisz, the beginning of industry, defensive systems, national uprisings to gain freedom and independence for Poland (in 1794, 1830 -1831, 1863 and 1918), as well as cultural, educational and sport life in a very broad sense (including religious problems). There are several plans of Kalisz illustrating its area in a given chronological period; there is a model of the town from the turn of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the plan of the town centre showing its destruction in August 1914, in the first days of the First World War. The exhibitions in the museum's branches present the works of a great Polish graphic artist Tadeusz Kulisiewicz (1899 -1988 - The Centre of Drawings and Graphics in Kalisz), life and work of a novelist Maria Dabrowska (1889-1965 - in her cottage at Russow) and palace interiors dating from the end of the eighteenth century until the end of the nineteenth century (in The Lipski Palace at Lewkow). In addition, as it has been mentioned before, The Museums has some other exhibitions: one devoted to the excavations, conducted for many years of the early Piast Kalisz town (archaeological skansen at Zawodzie), one presenting the materials concerning the wooden architecture of the Kalisz region and traditional house and farm equipment (ethnographic , skansen at Russow, close to Maria Dabrowska' s cottage) and the last one connected with Polish eminent composer Fryderyk Chopin' s (1810 -1849) visits at Antoni Radziwill's at Antonin ("Music Salon" at Antonin Hunting Lodge).