Pärnu State Museums: Pärnu Museum, Lydia Koidula Museum, and Red Tower
The story of Pärnu starts here. If you wish to better understand the summer capital of Estonia and its people, we suggest that you visit Pärnu Museum, Koidula Museum, and Red Tower.
Pärnu Museum invites visitors to explore the 11 000-year-history of Pärnu County through exciting exhibits, such as the ‘Stone Age Madonna’ – the oldest known human-shaped sculpture in the Scandinavia and Baltic Sea area, a fragment of a 14th-century merchant ship and a glass floor that lets you look down onto archaeological remnants of one of the town’s historic gates. The museum puts on great temporary art and history exhibitions showcasing the work of both local and international artists.
Koidula Museum is named after the Estonian poetess and writer. The museum building used to serve as a school and the publishing house of the weekly newspaper “Perno Postimees”. The exhibition is devoted to the life of Lydia and her father, Johann Voldemar Jannsen, teacher, journalist, publisher, and prominent political figure. The museum gives an insight not only into the life of the Jannsens, but also into the life of Estonians during the time of the Estonian national awakening. In spring and summer, explore the museum’s beautiful garden.
Located in the center of the city, the Red Tower is the oldest surviving building in Pärnu. In the Middle Ages, the tower served both as a defensive structure and a dungeon. In the courtyard, you can visit a free exhibition dedicated to the history of the region as well as play the medieval “Mill” game.
Inside, there is an exhibition; on the top floor, one will find a panoramic cinema hall where a short animation film about the history of Pärnu is broadcast.
The museums can be accessed with separate tickets, but we suggest that you take advantage of visiting the three museums at once with a single ticket, which costs 20 EUR for adults.
In order not to miss the news, be all ears:
www.facebook.com/parnumuuseum
www.instagram.com/parnumuseum
Pärnu, Estonia
