The main building of the Muzeum Tatrzańskie at 10 Krupówki Street is the place to understand the culture that made Zakopane distinct. The permanent collection covers Góral folk art, traditional costume, musical instruments, and domestic objects from the highland communities that have lived in the Tatras for centuries. A separate floor covers the natural history and ecology of the Tatry National Park.
The museum has six branches scattered around Zakopane, each with a different focus. The most interesting is Villa Koliba (Kościuszki 18), the first house built in Stanisław Witkiewicz's Zakopane Style — dark timber construction with elaborate carved decoration drawn from Góral folk motifs. It opened in 1892 and is now preserved as the founding example of an architectural movement that influenced Polish decorative arts for decades. The Villa Atma (Kasprusie 19) was the home and studio of composer Karol Szymanowski and is now a small music museum in his memory.