Abstract: The article presents threats to the functioning of museums in Poland during the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020 in terms of protecting cultural heritage and creating cultural identity. Material and methods: The study involved 11 museums. The data in the research was obtained through an expert interview with a subject matter expert of the museum and information published on official museum websites. Results: A threat to the functioning of museums during the cultural identity pandemic turned out to be limited access to collections for visitors. The conservation of the collections was carried out properly and consequently did not pose a threat to the protection of cultural heritage. Conclusions: The obtained results of the study gave a general picture of the threats that may affect the formation of national identity during the restriction or lack of access to cultural goods of importance for heritage and cultural development.