Estonian Open Air Museum (Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum, EVM). Tallinn, Estonia

This picturesque museum just 15 minutes drive from the center of Tallinn reveals how families of different incomes and occupations lived in Estonia in the 18-20th centuries.

Its large territory embraces buildings that used to be in every village: a church, a tavern, a school, windmills, a shop, and a barn. Here, you can get an idea of the life and routine of both the poorest strata of the population and its wealthy representatives.

There is a collective farm apartment building where villagers’ apartments are furnished in the style of the 1960s, 1970s, 1990s and 2010s. Attention to detail is breathtaking to the point that you can find products of those times in the refrigerator and appropriate clothes in the closet. Kolkhoz apartment building won the Best Estonian Museum Exhibit award in 2021!

This season, we definitely recommend visiting the new Adventure Trail, which will especially appeal to families with children. As it passes through various curious objects along the trail, children can learn important life skills in a playful way.

You can also visit interesting sites while walking along the Adventure Trail. For example, go to the Kuye school, where children can get to know the schooling process of the 19th century, or go to the Lau village store built in 1938. At the end of the path, the Kolga farmstead awaits the visitors, where they can meet different farm animals and explore an interactive exhibition that compares life on the farm in earlier times with modern consumption habits.

At Kolu Inn tavern, you can taste Estonian national dishes. We recommend taking the national Estonian dish Mulgipuder – crushed potatoes with barley served with fried onions and pork belly, or roasted meat whose serving size will pleasantly surprise you. For dessert, be sure to try the traditional kama mousse. Accompany your meal with local herbal tea or carbonated apple juice.

On holidays, you may come here to enjoy fairs, themed workshops, concerts and various festivities. Just follow upcoming events on social media so as not to miss a thing:
www.instagram.com/eestivabaohumuuseum
www.facebook.com/EestiVabaohumuuseum

Tallinn, Estonia