Museum Card was launched in Estonia, giving access to over 100 museums

On Tuesday, April 11, at 12 o’clock, we will present the museum map with a nice live show on ERR’s cultural portal. 

See with your own eyes how the museum card will work and who will be festively presented with the very first museum card in Estonia.

The live show is hosted by journalist and museum lover Marko Reikop, who tests the museum knowledge of well-known Estonian people and show viewers.

The launch of the museum card is supported by the Ministry of Culture.

So don’t forget that you can watch the premiere live on ERR’s culture portal on Tuesday, April 11 at 12 o’clock!

For art lovers wandering around Tallinn and Harjumaa, who have already discovered each of the branches of the Estonian Art Museum, we recommend taking a trip to the home of Estonian sculpture superstar Amandus Adamson, as well as exploring the history of applied art and design, and, of course, photographic art, which is represented in several fascinating galleries.

Amandus Adamson Studio Museum: look into the eyes of Russalka

At first glance, it doesn’t seem logical that taking the train to Paldiski is the best way to see Russalka, the angelic female figure overlooking Tallinn Bay, which is the most famous sculpture by Estonia’s most famous sculptor Amandus Adamson. But it is in this former military town that the Amandus Adamson Studio Museum, with its crazy architecture, is hidden in the shadow of Soviet-era five-story silicate brick building. The 3D images of his famous sculptures found here make the impossible possible – allowing you to look deep into the eyes of Russalka.

Here, in the former summer studio of the sculptor, you can explore his personal items, books, and photographs, and familiarize yourself with his artwork, which is exhibited digitally. Even if the sculptures, which are located all over Estonia and belong to the collections of many different museums, could be brought together to Paldiski, there would still be no way to display them: the studio is just 60 square meters. Yet it still holds 11 different rooms! There is no indication that Adamson involved a professional architect in the design of his studio and looking at the floor plan, it also seems highly unlikely.

Next to the studio house, there is a modern building that houses changing art exhibitions.

The Photo Museum: modern art reveals itself behind the shadows of old exhibits

The history of the former prison building behind Tallinn Town Hall dates back to the beginning of the 14th century, but its contents are much newer, starting from the 1860s – as the first photographs taken in this region date from this period. Walking through the history of photographic art in Estonia is a good introduction to the gallery, which is hidden in the basement of the museum. It is an exciting exhibition space where the best of contemporary photography is displayed in curated exhibitions, and sometimes also includes photographers from abroad.

Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Centre: everyone has a documentary photographer hidden in them

The name Juhan Kuus, whom the Documentary Photo Centre is named after in Telliskivi Quartier, may be unknown to many in Tallinn. Proving once again that “no prophet is accepted in his hometown”. Juhan Kuus (1953–2015) is one of the most internationally recognized documentary photographers of Estonian origin, who lived and worked in South Africa. Exhibitions of Kuus’s works travel around the world, although some of his work can also be seen here. The Photo Centre hosts works from both Estonian and foreign photographers whose exhibitions have already gained international attention.

 Upon visiting, you can learn how anyone who has passionately clicked pictures during a class excursion or a friend’s birthday has the potential to become an acclaimed documentarian.

The Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design: oh, I have this piece at home too!

The museum’s permanent exhibition Introduction to Estonian Design is the world’s only permanent exhibition dedicated to Estonian design. The story, presented through significant objects, ranges from Luther’s plywood factory to the Soviet-era Estoplast factory of plastic items, and from experimental furniture to Marit Ilison’s fashion. The Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design introduces visitors to a multi-layered world that affects our lives much more than we might realize in our day to day. Walking around the exhibition, you may often hear someone nostalgically exclaiming: “Oh, I have this thing at home too!” There is plenty to discover both at the Introduction to Estonian Design exhibition and at the Collected Works permanent exhibition, which is dedicated to applied art.

In addition, two temporary exhibitions can be seen in the museum.

Kai Art Center: History is being made in front of our eyes

The Kai Art Center, located in the Noblessner Harbour in Tallinn, is not a traditional museum, but it is a place where Estonian art history is being made in front of our eyes. Kai is an international art center, the most important part of which is the fantastic art gallery where the most well-known and hottest upcoming names in Estonian art present their works.

When people visit Pärnu, their first thought is often about spas and detox smoothies, but fans of art and history have the freedom to be different. Once you possess a museum card, you cannot simply spend your time in spas or standing in line for the slide. In addition to the art museums in Tallinn and Tartu, the journey from Pärnu to Tartu offers the museum lover a wide array of experiences, starting from Kihnu’s folk craft mittens and ending with Egyptian mummies, with so much in between.

The Museum of New Art in Pärnu: forget about the beach and sunbathing

The art center, founded by Mark Soosaar, is an important hub of cultural life, as well as art scandals, in Pärnu! The museum, which is located on the main street, offers exhibitions and collections that always provide a positive surprise. There are over 400 works of visual art in the museum’s collection and over 1,200 documentaries in its video library. The museum’s most well-known event is a nude art exhibition A Man and A Woman, which takes place each summer.

The Kondas Centre in Viljandi: a celebration of naive art

The red brick former pastorate, where the Kondas Centre is located, looks quite formal and conservative but is full of naïve and outsider art. The museum is dedicated to Paul Kondas (1900-1985), one of Estonia’s best-known naïve artists, whose works are displayed in the museum’s permanent exhibition.

The University of Tartu Art Museum: the mother of all Estonian art museums

Today, Estonia’s first art museum has been undeservedly overshadowed by newer arrivals – located in the heart of the University of Tartu, Estonia’s oldest art museum can be found in the University’s six-columned, prominent main building. The museum’s premises are as impressive as the exhibits: visitors are greeted by a Pompeian-style interior that houses antique-inspired sculptures, coins, vases, cuneiform tablets, and an authentic Egyptian mummy.

TYPA Printing and Paper Arts Centre: meet hipsters and paper sculptures

The journey of an art lover from Pärnu to Tartu is not quite as epic as the ancient journey of paper from China to Estonia, but this comparison inevitably comes to mind at TYPA, which operates in the Aparaaditehas Creative Center. Letterpress printing machines from the 19^th and 20^th centuries are exhibited here, and you can also view paper sculptures and study paper and its history. The innovativeness of the museum lies in its unique concept, in the combination with historical work methods and modern tools.

You and your family have a day off ahead, but you’re short of ideas on how to spend it? If you have already visited the family-centric museums around Tallinn and Tartu, we invite you to discover more family-friendly museums outside of these bigger cities. An exciting trip is guaranteed!

Every family who has read at least one of Astrid Lindgren’s books should visit Haapsalu. The illustrator of Lindgren’s books, the Estonian Ilon Wikland, was born in this lovely town. Ilon’s Wonderland is a center dedicated to her work, where you can admire the originals of her beloved illustrations, learn about the artist’s life, peek into Karlsson’s room, and spend time in the cozy playroom. In the summer, the Ilon’s Wonderland Garden is also open, as well as a craft workshop, where you can make crafts from paper and wood.

Alternatively, you can also head towards Eastern Estonia, where you will also find even more family activities. In Eastern Estonia, Rakvere Castle is the most popular destination! When visiting Rakvere Castle, children and adults can learn a lot about life in the Middle Ages and early modern times, as well as about daily castle life. Children can get a peek at what it was like to be a knight or warrior.

Another place beloved by children in Rakvere is the Police Museum. Every child who has dreamed of becoming a police officer can learn more about this profession here. And even for those without such a dream, you can still learn a lot! Like, for example, how to behave in traffic. Children can also enjoy many activities in the museum’s courtyard.

However, there is even more for children to discover in Eastern Estonia. The Kalevipoeg Museum and the Palamuse O. Luts Parish School Museum are located in Jõgeva County. These museums are especially suitable for school children, because they teach visitors about two important books in Estonian cultural history – the national epic Kalevipoeg, and Kevade (The Spring) a novel by Oskar Luts. At Palamuse, children can learn about school life in the olden days. While, in the Kalevipoeg museum, you can get into a virtual reality fight with the Old Devil – Vanapagan – himself!

In fact, as all Estonian museums warmly welcome children, you can drive in any direction in Estonia to find different knowledge and experiences for kids of all ages. It is also significant that a visit to a museum is always a good choice if the weather is not the best, keeping in mind the Estonian climate.

There is plenty to explore for families with children in Southern Estonia and enough activities for several trips. For example, the exciting Ice Age Centre in Äksi in Tartu County. The Ice Age Centre is an experience for the whole family, that introduces life after the last ice age, as well as the history of Estonian nature, and the development of human settlements. Children are always most excited by the museum’s life-size mammoths.

The Estonian Road Museum in Põlvamaa will light up the eyes of every child interested in technology and adventure. Exploring old vehicles is exciting in itself, but the Road Museum also has a special children’s museum – a floor full of exploring and adventures designed for the youngest among us.

The Karilatsi Open-Air Museum, the largest open-air museum in Southern Estonia, is not far from the Estonian Road Museum. Here, children can see what an Estonian village looked like more than 100 years ago and learn about farm and school life in that era. There is an exhibition about the history of education in the old school building.

Or, if you wish, you can drive north from Tartu to Jõgeva County instead. Read which museums are waiting for children in that area, here.

The days when a visit to a museum meant sneaking between glass cases in a quiet room and leaving the younger members of the family at home are long gone. Nowadays, children of all ages are welcome in all museums, and there are some that are especially suited for children.

The most diverse selection of these family museums is, of course, located in Tallinn, but it is also worth visiting Harju County. For example, one street in Tallinn Old Town has a particularly rich selection – Lai Street, where three museums are located quite close to each other.

If you start your tour from the end of Lai Street, closest to the Balti Jaama rail station, the first museum to welcome you will be the Museum of Puppetry Arts, located inside the Estonian Theatre for Young Audiences. Here, you can take a journey through the history of puppetry and experience what it’s like to be a puppeteer yourself.

Walking farther along Lai, you will reach the Estonian Health Museum, where you can get to know the basics of health care and how the human body functions with the help of a number of hands-on exhibits.

Your next Lai Street stop will be the Estonian Museum of Natural History, which teaches visitors about the nature around us and why it is so important.

Within walking distance from Tallinn Old Town is the Seaplane Harbour, a favorite site for families and one of the most magnificent maritime museums in Northern Europe. Children can enjoy various discoveries here, both in the spacious museum halls and outside on the playground and in the harbour.

Near the Seaplane Harbour is the PROTO Invention Factory. A unique educational center, it is the first of its kind in Europe, where important scientific discoveries are displayed through virtual reality, as well as through dozens more exciting attractions.

The Estonian Open-Air Museum offers an opportunity to spend time in the fresh air. Children can enjoy swings and an old-fashioned carousel, and older children can enjoy hands-on activities in the collective farm housing area. The grounds of the museum are quite large, but you can move around with a bicycle and a baby carriage.

There are also interesting activities for children in other museums close to Tallinn. For example, two museums where you can spend a whole day await you on the way to Viimsi. In the Viimsi Open-Air Museum, you can learn about the important and historic coastal culture of Estonians. As the museum is located by the sea, you can enjoy Tallinn’s famous silhouette, and children will be delighted by the museum’s swing area and flock of sheep.

Also close by, in the Viimsi Manor, is the Estonian War Museum, where children can learn about the history of war from a child’s point of view: badges of honor, swords, and important historical figures. A playground is open for children and they can also explore various military equipment.

Even if you are a frequent museum visitor and feel like you have already seen everything, we would like to bet that is not the case! Here are seven gems that you probably haven’t discovered yet.

Estonians are proud to consider themselves an IT nation. Although you may think that everything computer-related is a matter of modern-day technology, you would be mistaken! In fact, the history of computers is already so extensive that an entire museum can be dedicated to it.

The Computer Museum in Tallinn, which opened in 2005, hosts all sorts of computers for your viewing pleasure, from giants that fill an entire room to PDAs and computer components. You can also play old computer games in the museum.

Estonia has a long tradition of brewing beer. You can learn more about the history of beer culture in Tartu – in the malt tower that is known as a symbol of the city and is a unique industrial building in Europe. In the Beer Museum, you can learn about beer production equipment and hear fascinating stories and legends related to beer. By the way, the Beer Museum also houses a bottle of the world’s oldest beer.

There is also a museum dedicated to another, possibly more important, drink. Milk. Järva County is a true dairy county with a long history of traditions. The population has counted more milk-producing cows there than working-age residents. So, if you want to find out what an old dairy farm looked like, how butter is made by hand, and try to milk a cow yourself, there is good reason to head over to the Estonian Dairy Museum in Imavere.

All Estonians know that limestone is the country’s national stone. But did you know there is a whole museum dedicated to limestone? Here, you will find out why limestone has been so important to Estonia throughout time. What’s more, the Porkuni Limestone Museum is not just for looking, you can even taste limestone there!

However, limestone is not the only rock that has received its own museum in Estonia. In the Oil Shale Museum, located in Kohtla-Järve, you can discover why oil shale was mined in Estonia, what it has been used for over the years, why oil shale has been so important to Estonia, and how the oil shale industry has shaped North-Eastern Estonia.

There is one event in the history of Estonia that everyone knows, and many have experienced themselves – The Song Celebration. The Song Celebration Museum in Tartu is located in the building where the Vanemuine Cultural Society operated and where the roots of the 150-year-long tradition, the Song Celebration, began. You can discover how the first song festival was organized and how it became a tradition that survived despite the difficult times in Estonian history.

No matter what age your children are – you will definitely find a wonderful museum in Tartu and its surrounding region. There is a lot to discover, both indoors and outdoors, and even the stars in the sky are part of the display.

When visiting Tartu with children, you cannot miss the Tartu Toy Museum in the old town. We were all once children, so the museum is also suitable for older youth and for adults to get nostalgic and to regale fellow visitors with their memories.

 The Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum is located within walking distance of the Tartu Toy Museum, where sports lovers of all ages can find plenty of new knowledge and activities. Here, you can get to know Estonian sports heroes and, for example, try various extreme sports in virtual reality.

It often happens that children are able to look at the world from a broader perspective than adults and express curiosity in what lies beyond the planet Earth. The Tartu Observatory is a unique place where children can learn about astronomy, geodesy, and seismology. And, of course, any adult who visits with their children will also inevitably become fascinated by these sciences.

With a Museum Card, more than 500 exhibitions await you. From the Estonian Maritime Museum’s Seaplane Harbour in Tallinn to the Estonian National Museum in Tartu, and from the Long House in the Hiiumaa Museum to the Narva Art Residency. The museums that have joined the Museum Card are diverse and everyone, from culture fans and adventure enthusiasts to technology and nature lovers, as well as every family with children can find a lot to discover.

The purpose of the Museum Card is also to attract visitors to smaller places that haven’t yet been discovered by many explorers. For example, have you ever heard of a dairy museum or a beer museum, visited Kalevipoeg’s house, or found yourself among old computers?

Collect ideas from our website for your next museum trip, buy a Museum Card, and start your journey full of discoveries in the Estonian world of museums!

The launch of the Museum Card is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.