The growth mechanism of GaAs nanowires (NWs) grown on polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin films using selective-area metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy was investigated. Wire structures were selectively grown in the mask openings on a poly-Si substrate. The appearance ratio of wire structures strongly depended on the growth conditions and deposition temperature of the poly-Si substrate. Evaluation of the grown shapes and growth characteristics revealed that GaAs NWs grown on a poly-Si substrate have the same growth mechanism as conventional GaAs NWs grown on a single-crystalline GaAs or Si substrate. Experiments showed that the wire structure yield can be improved by increasing the Si grain size and/or increasing the Si deposition temperature. The growth model proposed for understanding NW growth on poly-Si is based on the mask opening size, the Si grain size, and the growth conditions. The ability to control the growth mode is promising for the formation of NWs with complex structures on poly-Si thin layers.