National art museums around the world are different from other museums – they are multidisciplinary institutions with priceless art collections that play vital role in preserving historical artefacts and stimulating people's interest in art and high culture. One of the biggest challenges facing museums today is attracting Generation Z. Therefore, the research aimed to identify the key factors that shape the image of national art museums among Generation Z. The research was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In-depth interviews were conducted with marketing communication staff from seven national art museums in Poland, which led to the identification of 12 variables that shape a positive museum image. These variables were included in a questionnaire given to Gen Z representatives studying in art-related and non-art-related faculties. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the key factors contributing to a positive image of national art museums among these target groups.

The study aimed to compare the image of the national art museums in Poland among respondents studying art- -related and non-art-related faculties and to identify significant differences in the image of national museums among those two groups surveyed. The study was conducted using a questionnaire survey among a purposely selected group. To evaluate whether differences in the image of Polish national art museums between the described groups of respondents are statistically significant, Student t-tests for independent samples were done. Although significant differences were found between the study groups, they were not as significant as expected. Students of art-related courses better perceive the national art museums, but even in this group, the image of the studied institutions is rather neutral. Respondents from both groups associate national art museums in Poland primarily with education and school trips. National art museums do not appear to young audiences as friendly and egalitarian places; at the same time, respondents do not see them as elite or prestigious institutions. While this does not mean an image failure for the museums surveyed, they should make an effort to make young audiences find them more welcoming.