Take the kids with you on your visits to the museums in Tallinn and Harjumaa!

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.