Not many people know that this region used to be the epicentre of the world's oil and gas industry. In fact, this site was the world's first oil mine, and today's museum stands on a still-active oil field! It was here - in the beautiful forests surrounding Bóbrka - that natural crude oil, also known as 'black gold,' was discovered in the 19th century. Local pharmacist and inventor Ignacy Łukasiewicz personally opened this mine in 1856 after discovering how to distill kerosene from seep oil and pioneering its use for lighting. The Galician oil boom was on, and this museum does a fine job of telling the history of the industry. Wandering along the alleys visitors will see equipment and tools related to drilling for oil, oil refining and the gas industry. Inside the buildings, thanks to state-of-the-art multimedia exhibitions, it is possible to go back to the times when Ignacy Łukasiewicz himself worked here.
