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

Every museum friend can now purchase a yearly museum card, which guarantees unlimited access to 100+ museums and 500+ exhibitions all over Estonia. The very first card belongs to Sirje Karis, a lifelong museum friend and the spouse of the President of the Republic of Estonia.

„ Estonians are a culture-loving people, and our museums do invaluable work. I believe that the museum card significantly increases the number of visits to museums and all museum lovers will find an exhibition that they like and are interested in,“ said Sirje Karis, the spouse of the President of the Republic of Estonia, in the Museum Card opening event today in the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM).

Digital Museum Card is based on QR code or ID card and costs 59 euros. For eco-friendly purposes, there is no plastic card – while entering a museum, a card owner can show their digital ticket or if forgotten, their personal identity document. The goal of the Museum Card is to gather Estonian museums, exhibitions and events under one ticket, so the visitation would be cheaper and more comfortable.

“We have worked the last three years for this moment and are super proud and happy that the favourite museums of Estonian people and even less known, but worthy of discovery have joined Museum Card,” said Kert Kask, the director of Museum Card. He says the statistics of Finland’s and Netherlands’ museum card shows that the card owners visit museums four times more frequently than before.

Piret Hartman, the Minister of Culture says that Museum Card is an important initiative for the sector. “Museums are the foundation of Estonian culture; they are the firm holders of the structure. Museum Card helps to increase the visitation of the museums, bring additional funding to the sector and invite even the people who normally might not come, to our world-class museums. I hope this innovative project is a role-model to other sectors as well,” said the minister in her speech.

In today’s opening event, an entertaining quiz was held under the leadership of museum friend and TV-host Marko Reikop, where many well-known Estonians tested their knowledge about museums. In the competition, we tested the museum-related knowledge of TV-journalist Keili Sükijainen, writer Olav Osolin, actress Kaisa Selde and historian Jaak Juske. As a result of the very even competition, Selde-Osolin team won the quiz.

Altogether, 116 museums in Estonia joined the Museum Card. A lot of them are located in Harju county and Tallinn, but also for example in Tartu city, where all museums are part of the card.

Photos: Karli Saul