Photo: Kaupo Kalda
Seven museums with unique locations in Tallinn
12.04.2024
Did you know that in Tallinn, you can visit several museums that are unique in all of Europe or even the world? What makes them so special are the buildings they are located in.
The selection includes exciting expositions in medieval defensive structures, state-of-the-art solutions in a more than 100-year-old secret submarine factory, exhibitions in a cult bar of the eighties, and even science in the clouds!
Tip: If you plan to visit several museums at once, consider buying a Tallinn Card. In addition to entrance to many museums, the card includes free public transport and discounts on tours, shops, and restaurants.
Kiek in de Kök Fortifications Museum
Tallinn’s number one attraction is undoubtedly the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is here, above the medieval streets of the capital, that the museum is located. Various parts of it have historically been used as the most powerful defensive tower in the Baltics, a studio for well-known Estonian artists, a Soviet-era nuclear shelter, and one of the most popular party venues of the 1980s.
Spanning more than half a kilometre, the Fortifications Museum encompasses the powerful 15th-century Kiek in de Kök artillery tower, underground Bastion Passages, Maiden’s Tower, Stable Tower, and the Short Leg Gate Tower. As you walk along portions of the medieval city wall at the museum, you’ll enjoy one of the best views of the capital!
- Full ticket: €12 / Free with the Tallinn Card
- Discount ticket (student): €8 / Free with the Tallinn Card
Location: Komandandi tee 2 (Old Town). Closest public transport stop: Vabaduse väljak (numerous buses, trams, and trolleys stop here).
Niguliste Museum
Situated in the 13th-century St. Nicholas’ Church, Niguliste Museum is one of the few museums in Northern Europe located in a church. Art lovers will certainly be fascinated by the most famous work of art in Estonia – Bernt Notke’s Dance of Death. Not to miss is also the world’s best-preserved and largest late-medieval winged altarpieces completed in Hermen Rode’s workshop. In addition to the top works of sacred art, Niguliste Museum’s silver chamber exhibits the finest silver from the Art Museum of Estonia’s collection.
In 2023, a sky floor was opened in the tower of the Niguliste Museum, which offers a unique and beautiful view of Tallinn. The sky floor can be reached both by stairs and by a newly completed glass elevator, which also makes the area accessible to people with special needs.
Fans of paranormal phenomena and fascinating stories, however, should look to the tomb of Duke Charles Eugène de Croy in the church. It is here that the body of a high-ranking Russian army officer lies inexplicably mummified beneath the basement vaults of the church. During the 19th century, his mummified body was exhibited to the public for a fee in order to pay off debts incurred during his life.
- Full ticket: €14 / Free with the Tallinn Card
- Discount ticket (student): €9 / Free with the Tallinn Card
Location: Niguliste 3 (Old Town). Closest public transport stop: Vabaduse väljak (numerous buses, trams, and trolleys stop here).
KGB prison cells
One would never imagine that the elegant Art Nouveau house on Pagari Street is where the suffering of thousands of people began. The building housed the headquarters of the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, later known as the KGB, for almost half a century. Its basements were used as prison cells for a long time. The ‘Pagari House’ was the most infamous and feared building in Estonia at the time.
Today, most of the building is filled with peaceful apartments and there is a wine bar and restaurant on the ground floor. The prison cells in the basement, however, have become a branch of the Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom, which tells the gloomy history of the house.
- Full ticket: €9 / Free with the Tallinn Card
- Discount ticket (student): €7 / Free with the Tallinn Card
Location: Pagari 1 (Old Town). Closest public transport stop: Linnahall (trams No. 1, 2, 5).
Seaplane Harbour, part of the Estonian Maritime Museum
The story of the capital’s most popular museum begins at the beginning of the last century, when, as part of Peter the Great’s Naval Fortress, powerful seaplane hangars were erected on the shores of Tallinn Bay. The building was unique in terms of both size and design: it was the first large-scale reinforced concrete shell structure in the world. The concrete miracle of the time is also amazingly airy in today’s context; the average thickness of the shell of the majestic domes is only eight centimetres.
Today, the building houses one of the most magnificent maritime museum in Northern Europe, the Seaplane Harbour, where you will find a real 1930s submarine as well as many other life-size watercraft, mines, cannons, and exciting interactive exhibits.
- Full ticket: €20 / Free with the Tallinn Card
- Discount ticket (student): €10 / Free with the Tallinn Card
Location: Vesilennuki 6 (Kalamaja). Closest public transport stop: Lennusadam (bus No. 73).
PROTO Invention Factory
PROTO Invention Factory is located in the seaside quarter of Noblessner, only a short walk from the Seaplane Harbour. The story of this interactive invention centre situated in a former foundry is no less interesting than that of the neighbouring Seaplane Harbour and its hangars. In 1912, two St. Petersburg businessmen, Emanuel Nobel (nephew of the well-known Alfred Nobel) and Arthur Lessner, built one of the most important and top-secret submarine factories of the Russian Tsardom. After the First World War, the production of submarines halted, but shipbuilding and repair work continued in Noblessner until 2018.
Today, the foundry houses a unique educational centre where centuries-old inventions come to life thanks to virtual reality technology. Hands-on exhibits help visitors of all ages understand physical phenomena through completely new, playful methods. This factory is a real steampunk, high-tech wonderland!
- Full ticket: €14-18 / Free with the Tallinn Card
- Discount ticket (student): €11 / Free with the Tallinn Card
Location: Peetri 10 (Kalamaja). Closest public transport stop: Noblessneri (bus No. 73).
Kumu Art Museum
You may have heard of Helsinki’s Rock Church, but did you know that one of the most beloved sights of Tallinn is also partly built into a rock wall? The timeless and dignified Kumu Art Museum, built into a limestone cliff, was completed in 2006 and has won several prestigious architectural and museum awards. Recently, the building also made its Hollywood film debut: namely, the Kumu Atrium played the role of the fictitious ‘Oslo Freeport’ in Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning international thriller Tenet (Warner Bros. Pictures 2020).
As a museum, Kumu’s task is to preserve and exhibit Estonian art from the 18th century to the present day. It also hosts the capital’s most prestigious guest exhibitions from both international stars and renowned local artists.
- Full ticket: €14 / Free with the Tallinn Card
- Discount ticket (student): €9 / Free with the Tallinn Card
Location: A. Weizenbergi 34 (Kadriorg). Closest public transport stop: Kadriorg (trams No. 1, 3).
Tallinn TV Tower
Where is the highest open viewing platform in Northern Europe? At the Tallinn TV Tower, of course! The 314-metre building, completed for the sailing regatta of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, is the tallest building in Estonia. Its viewing platform offers a 360-degree view of Tallinn and its surroundings. Legend has it that in clear weather, you can even see Helsinki!
Exciting interactive exhibitions on genetic engineering and history are also open in the tower, and after visiting them, you can dine in the tower’s restaurant among the clouds. Adrenaline junkies should definitely try a ‘Walk on the Edge’: from April to October, for an additional fee, you can walk along the edge of the observation platform suspended by a harness at a height of 175 metres – excitement guaranteed.
- Full ticket: €17-19 / Free with the Tallinn Card
- Discount ticket (student): €10-12 / Free with the Tallinn Card
Location: Kloostrimetsa tee 58a (Pirita). Closest public transport stop: Teletorn (buses No. 34A, 38).
Tips for experienced museum visitors
Enjoy and see more, pay less
If you plan to visit several museums while enjoying a comfortable visit to the city and saving money and time, consider buying a Tallinn Card. You can buy the card with a validity of either 24, 48, or 72 hours, during which time you can visit more than 50 of Tallinn’s best museums and sights for free. In addition, the card provides free use of public transport and discounts on excursions, entertainment venues, restaurants, and shops.
For example, as an adult on a two-day visit to the capital, you can save dozens of euros with the Tallinn Card:
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| Total: €113.50 | Total: €63 |
With the Tallinn Card, you would save 50.50 euros per person in two days. In addition to saving nearly 45% on a weekend of activities, you can also travel comfortably from one attraction to another without worrying about which public transport tickets to buy and how much they cost. The card includes free entrance to more than fifty museums and attractions in total, giving you plenty to choose from, as well as additional discounts on further experiences!
Worth knowing: We recommend purchasing the Tallinn Card through the mobile app – this way, you'll receive personalized visit recommendations, and with the convenient map feature, you can easily find your way to all the points of interest. The app is available for free on App Store and Google Play Store.
Enjoy museums without crowds
If you prefer to enjoy exhibits with fewer fellow visitors around, visit the most popular museums in the morning or on work days. However, you do not have to worry too much about crowds of people at other times; Tallinn’s museums are spacious.
Find information about discount days and special events on museums’ websites
If you plan to visit individual museums and want to save money, check the museums’ websites for information on days they offer discounted tickets: The branches of the Estonian Art Museum (KUMU, Niguliste), for example, offer discounts on the last Wednesday of each month, but other attractions also offer special prices. Keep in mind that there may be significantly more visitors on discount days.
The museums mentioned in this article also regularly organise special tours, theme days, and many other exciting events. See their websites and social media for more information.