Located in the heart of Krakow, the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Krakow (Teatr im J. Słowackiego w Krakowie) has been staging plays continuously since it first opened in 1893. Later named after noted Polish poet and playwright Juliusz Słowacki, the theater was modeled after some of the most beautiful venues in Europe and was the first building in Krakow to have electric lighting. In the 20th century, the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre became known as a birthplace of modern Polish theater, including theater direction, stage design and acting. The theater hosted the premieres of noted Polish playwright Stanislas Wyspianski and welcomed Poland’s most important actors to its ensemble. While it struggled for a period after World War II, it has regained much of its former stature since the 1990s, hosting a number of popular productions and adding two more stages.

Today, the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre features four stages: the original Large Stage, the Small Stage (added in 1976 in the former electric plant that had been built to provide the theater with its own electricity), the Stage by the Pump and the Gate Stage.