Museums and Galleries

An endlessly fascinating world revolves around us, whose preserved elements are pleasant to explore, for example, when the Lahemaa weather isn’t cooperating. The Lahemaa museums and galleries located in the National Park offer an overview of the life and customs of North Estonians, as well as a rich insight into the works of Estonian artists since the National Awakening.

Kolga Museum
Palmse Manor Museum
Sagadi Manor Museum
Sagadi Forest Museum
Viinistu Art Museum
Viinistu Village Museum
Käsmu Maritime Museum
Vihula Vodka Museum
Lobi Museum

Be sure to add museums and galleries to your Lahemaa Tour!

The annual highlight in the museum landscape is undoubtedly Museum Night. Museum Night takes place on a Saturday in mid-May, and museums across Estonia are open until late in the evening on that day. Visiting museums is mostly free on this evening. Museum Night 2023 takes place on May 20th, and this time the theme is “There is movement in the night”.

Museum Night 2022 | 2022-05-21 | There are dreams in the night

Kolga Museum
“ALTERNATIVE FIFTIES” is an exhibition of miniatures and replica models that introduces what life in Estonia would have been like after the 1940s if statehood had continued and there had been no occupation. The models and figures take us back to the 1940s – 1950s.

Viinistu Art Museum

At 7:00 PM, a father-son art tour begins, where art collection owner Jaan Manitski and his son Arthur share their knowledge, stories, and dreams.

The tour culminates with a performance by Ketlin Oja, ballet soloist of the Estonian National Opera, which brings one of the dream roles of many young ballerinas into the midst of the sea view and art.

After the tour, there is an opportunity to converse with the performers and locals about the origin of dreams, their necessity, and where dreams are born.

In good weather, a pre-sunset bonfire will be lit to welcome the upcoming summer and the birthday of Kunstisadam. An acoustic guitar concert will set the mood for the evening.

Käsmu Sea Museum
Käsmu Sea Museum is situated in Lääne-Virumaa beautiful captains’ village Käsmu. Museum is located starting from 1993 in border guard station building of tsar times and presents the history of legendary Käsmu captains’ village. Exhibits reflect all the areas connected to the sea – seagoing, fishing, smuggling trade and also the sea as a part of nature and the object for photography and visual arts.
Interesting to know: – We organize museum days for children on two subjects: captains’ village and viking time – Sea day, concerts and exhibitions take place – By request you can celebrate in museum your special occasions
Kolga Museum

Kolga Museum is a local area history museum in Kuusalu municipality that is located in one of the largest and oldest manor ensembles in Estonia – the Kolga Manor. We will take our guests through the history of the manor and rural people to today.

The Museum features 17 different permanent exhibits, including theme rooms for the manor, school, farmers’ tools, forest, fishing, sports, nostalgic 60s and 70s and many other exciting things. There is a separate play area for children.

Upon request, we also organise legends and history tours to the main building of the manor. Near the museum, there is the well-known Viru bog and many other beautiful natural sights of the Lahemaa National Park.

Kõnnu Viinaköögi Art House

Kõnnu Viinaköögi Art House is the studio and gallery of painters Katrin and Sven Saag. The art house is open to all art lovers with an advance booking.

The gallery sells the paintings of Katrin and Sven Saag. We are happy to show the paintings and tell the stories connected with the art pieces for sale. We organise painting workshops for both children and adults in the art house. Visiting the gallery is free.

See you at the Kõnnu Viinaköögi Art House!

Lobi Museum

Lobi Museum, founded in 1981, has a rich collection of items telling the story of life in a coastal village. The museum is the cultural centre of the local village life. It has collected and continues to collect the heritage of Lobi village – artifacts, names, history and legends.

All those interested can craft something exciting as taught by an instructor of Lobi museum, learn new things, spend a great time and get something to take home. We hold various workshops and organize guided trips to Lobineeme headland.

If you would like to come for a visit, then call or write and let’s arrange a suitable time!

Moe Distillery Museum and Visitor Center

Alcohol has been produced in Moe for over 300 years, and production is still ongoing today!

Moe offers a museum, a factory shop, the Krog Beer Hall, and the grand Kurberg Hall for concerts and conferences. Guests can also stay at the newly opened Moe Hotel.

Our museum provides an in-depth look into the secrets of spirit production, displays authentic historical equipment, and offers tastings of fine distillery spirits crafted at Moe. All of this is housed in a beautifully renovated 19th-century distillery with a fresh, modern interior.

We offer guided tours and tasting experiences!

Muinastaide Koda
In Lahemaa national park, nearby Palmse manor, you can find the Muinastaide Koda – a museum of prehistoric rock art where the copies of the Lake Onega rock carvings (petroglyphs) are exhibited. A group of enthusiasts from the Estonian Society of Prehistoric Art (www.muinastaideselts.ee) have been to Karelia in 1982 – 2015 to make these frottage copies on the spot. Rock art of Lake Onega is made in the Stone Age about 6000 years ago. The petroglyphs of Lake Onega, together with those of the White Sea, have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021.

The ancient messages engraved into rocks are available here and you should not take an exhausting trip to Russian Karelia to admire this heritage.
 
Näkiallika Smithy-Museum of Tools
The smithy-museum of tools is located in Näkiallika Farm, Kupu Village, Kuusalu Rural Municipality. The museum established in memory of Estonian blacksmiths has more than ten thousand exhibits in the collection of tools and objects.
It is possible to hold study days, reunions and just have a rest in the museum. There are also a grillhouse, sportsgrounds, a zip-line, a smokebox, accommodation for fifty people on soft mattresses in the hayloft and several saunas there. The sea is 5 km and the boundary of Lahemaa National Park 3 km away. It is a good place for cyclist groups who intend to visit Lahemaa and beautiful natural places. In the smithy it is possible to make yourself a little token.
Nostalgia Centre Kadrina

There is a museum-nostalgia centre in Kadrina, where you can go back in time and feel nostalgic in an area of more than 1,000 square meters. Here, you will find almost all Soviet-era items, from thread to tractors.
In addition to the emotional trip back in time, it is also possible to buy old things. We also provide services for groups, so be sure to book a time. The house full of things allows you to organise concerts and other events here.

Porkuni limestone museum
Porkuni limestone museum tower was used as a sitting room of the school until 1991 when an exposition about the history of teaching deaf in Estonia was open. This was complemented by the limestone exposition which was initiated by the former county governor M. Pomerants. Once limestone was announced to be the national rock, the limestone museum was open in the fortress tower. This happened thanks to the help of Tallinn geologists. Today you can gain knowledge of how limestone was formed, different fossils and the use of limestone. You will find out more about the reasons why this unique museum in Europe is located just here. Good to know: -An A-b-c book for rock can be explored, describing all Estonian rock types There’s a shop selling limestone items, possible to engrave on the item
Sagadi Forest Museum

Sagadi manor complex includes the Sagadi Forest Museum, which introduces the Estonian forest and heritage culture, including hunting, woodwork and everything connected with the environment.
The permanent exhibition “Forested path” gives the opportunity to test one’s knowledge about Estonian forests and get to know forest life. The exhibition expands upon the role of forest in climate change mitigation and timber as a means to create a comfortable living environment. With virtual reality headsets you can visit wooden buildings from various eras with the actor Tõnis Niinemets.

The museum store offers items made of wood and other natural products.
You can also try your hand at harvester simulator.

Karepa Kalame Farm Museum

Karepa Kalame Farm Museum is a wonderful and peaceful place for visitors who want to meditate, find themselves, and enjoy the nature.
Kalame farm is situated on the banks of the Selja River in Karepa village on the northern coast of Estonia. At the end of the 19th century, it became the home of the father of painter Richard Sagrits, who is well-known for his pictures of the sea.
At Kalame, you will see 19th century buildings, a cottage-cum threshing barn typical of the northern coast of Estonia, a granary, and a fully functional and a very unique eel kitchen, which has a display of its original fishing equipment.

Viinistu Village Museum
Viinistu Village Museum is situated in a house near the Viinistu village square Sunimäe.
The property of the Village Museum has mainly been received at the beginning of the 1960s as donations from local villagers. Viinistu Village Museum displays former work items and commodities, incl. fishing and seal hunting supplies and it is also possible to listen to local folk tales and narrations as well as coastal language – Kuusalu sub-dialect here. The Museum also exhibits old photos about local people and buildings as well as a selection of property marks of Viinistu farms. Introduction of the village and/or a trip to Cape Purekkari upon request.
Viinistu Art Museum

The Viinistu Art Museum opened its doors in 2002.

The main building of the museum has been rebuilt from the refrigerated building of the fish processing factory on a former fishermen’s collective farm. Today, in the halls of the museum, you will find an exposition consisting of more than four hundred works in Jaan Manitski’s rich art collection, which includes the works of Estonian artists from the 19th century to the present. The permanent exhibition provides a good overview of the history of Estonian art, offering at the same time the opportunity to peek into the world of one particular collector.

The museum is the only one of its kind in Estonia. The exhibitions in the barrel galleries change every summer.