Viimsi Open Air Museum
The Viimsi Open Air Museum is a coastal farm complex more than 150 years old and protected as a national cultural heritage site. It is located by the sea in the picturesque village of Pringi in Viimsi. At the heart of the museum is the historic Kingu coastal farm, whose oldest building is a threshing house built in the mid-19th century.
This historic coastal village museum in Viimsi is open all year round.
Here, visitors can experience the everyday life of village residents, farm work, seafaring, moments of rest, village festivities, market days and seasonal traditions.
The Viimsi Open-Air Museum is a recognised partner in international maritime heritage circles and is known throughout Estonia as a distinctive interpreter of coastal life and seaside culture.
Themed programmes and traditional events take visitors on an engaging journey through the coastal farm museum, where old customs and traditions meet the contemporary life of Estonia’s coastal communities.
The seashore and the historic coastal village setting offer beautiful views and memorable moments. From the shore of the fishing village museum, visitors can enjoy the famous “kilukarbivaade” view of Tallinn.
If you are looking for a museum to visit with your family, the Viimsi Open-Air Museum is an excellent choice. Children especially enjoy the swing area and the farm animals.
IEvery Saturday, a farmers market takes place in the museum courtyard, where visitors can buy Estonian local food and fresh fish. The museum shop also offers souvenirs, gifts and home accessories inspired by fish and the sea.
Spend a lovely family day with us in Viimsi.
Opening hours
Wed–Sun 10:00–17:00
Last admission at 16:30
Ticket:
Full ticket
Discount ticket
Family ticket
8€
5€
15€
Address
Rohuneeme 53a, Pringi Viimsi
How to get to the Viimsi Open Air Museum?
What to do at the Viimsi Open Air Museum?
Coastal heritage and the farms of the Viimsi Open Air Museum
The Viimsi Open Air Museum consists of several historic buildings connected to Estonia’s coastal communities. Its main site is the historic Kingu coastal farm, which dates back to the 1820s. 20. By the beginning of the 20th century, the dwelling house, barn and other farm buildings had been completed. Kingu was a prosperous tenant farm where both fishing and agriculture played an important role.
Also located on the farm’s historic grounds are reconstructed small fishermen’s houses from the Krüger and Silberfeldt families. Visitors can see net sheds, boat winches, vabes and other objects needed for the everyday work of fishermen. Together with the cellar, barns, net sheds and boat winches, the whole complex offers an authentic picture of traditional coastal fishermen’s life and Estonia’s coastal history.
The Smuggling Spirit Cellar
The smuggler of spirits – hero or criminal?
20 . The large-scale smuggling of illegal spirits in the early 20th century left a clear mark on the coastal villages and islands of Northern Estonia. The exhibition “Spirit Carriers and Smugglers”, located in the earth cellar attached to the threshing house in the Viimsi Open Air Museum farm complex, tells the fascinating story of this secret world.
In the former milk cooling room of the coastal farm, visitors can see different objects and read stories connected to local coastal people. The world of smugglers is reflected in grand old villas and family stories that still preserve the memory of their ancestors’ daring exploits. Alongside wealth and adventure, the smuggling of illegal spirits also brought human casualties and caused significant losses to the state through unpaid taxes. Visit the Viimsi Open Air Museum and discover Estonia’s coastal history.
The exhibition was curated by Maivi Kärginen. Exhibition architecture and design were created by Loovagentuur Pult. The project was supported by the Estonian Cultural Endowment.
Lighthouse Alley
Just a few steps from the farmyard, visitors will find Lighthouse Alley. Here stand small-scale replicas of seven Estonian lighthouses. The selection includes some of the most striking-looking lighthouses in Estonia. The idea for the alley came from Rannamõisa Shipping Society in cooperation with the Estonian Coastal Folk Museum and the Estonian Maritime Administration.
The lighthouse sculptures are made from oak trunks. The wood was donated by an apartment association located in Viimsi Manor Park, and the trunks reached the museum during the “Let’s Do It!” community workday. When creating the sculptures, the artist worked with the natural size and shape of the wood, adapting each lighthouse to what the trunk allowed. Sculptor Tamm explained that one lighthouse took about a week to make.
These are fairly faithful replicas, created on the basis of drawings provided by the Maritime Administration and various photographs. As sculptor Tamm said, “One man recognised three of them right away over the fence, so they must be quite similar indeed.”
The lighthouse replicas were placed in the museum courtyard by the sea according to the way the real lighthouses are positioned in relation to one another. And what would a lighthouse be if it did not guide sailors at sea? The blinking rhythm of the lighthouse lights was adjusted with the help of the Maritime Administration.
Lighthouse Alley at the Viimsi Open-Air Museum was completed in 2012.
The creators of the seven lighthouses are sculptors Ormar Tamm and Kuldar Moor
