Name: Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum
Address: BrÄ«vdabas iela 21, RÄ«ga, LV-1024, Latvia, LV
Telephone: +371 67 994 106

Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum is a museum, located at Brīvdabas iela 21, Rīga, LV-1024, Latvia. They can be contacted via phone at +371 67 994 106, visit their website www.brivdabasmuzejs.lv for more detailed information.

Location :

Brīvdabas iela 21, Rīga, LV-1024

Contacts :

Added by Jopie, at 24 July 2016

Monday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

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Amy Stuart

06 April 2018

A unique museum and would recommend visiting to understand and see the difference in how people used to live. Feel there could be more information explaining the exhibits though, a brief summary is all you get really.
Ara Salam

31 March 2018

Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum(Latvian: Latvijas Etnogrāfiskais brīvdabas muzejs) is an open-air museum located just outside Riga, the capital of Latvia, on the lightly wooded shores of Juglas Lake.

Quick facts: Established, Location …

Latvian postage stamp issued 1994 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the museum.

History

In 1924, the Latvian Council of Monuments signed an order to create the open-air museum in Riga. The idea for the new museum was inspired by open-air museums in Scandinavia, particularly Skansen in Stockholm. The plan was to relocate a homestead from all four regions of Latvia – Courland, Zemgale, Vidzeme and Latgale – to the museum. Each of the buildings would represent the different crafts of each area.

The new museum acquired land from a state land fund in the sandy dunes near Juglas Lake, just outside the city. In 1928, the first building, a barn from Vestiena parish was relocated and rebuilt in the museum. In 1932, the museum was opened to the public with six buildings (Vidzeme homestead). In 1939, there were already 40 buildings erected in the museum. Every region had its homestead and several other buildings of architectural or cultural value represented here. In the 1930s the museum became a very popular place and the community actively participated in the development of the museum. Several buildings were relocated and rebuilt, funded by private donations.

During the Second World War (World War II), the museum remained mostly undamaged, but most of its pre-war personnel were unavailable after having been repressed or forced into exile. Many documents were also lost during this period. After the war, the new Soviet power didn't understand the nature of the museum and even declared it ideologically incorrect. Only in the late 1960s did the museum see a renaissance, when a new generation of museum specialists started to work in the museum. As communication with other countries was improved, the territory of the museum was expanded and many new and high-value objects were placed into the museum.
Chris Thomas

22 March 2018

Really enjoyed our visit here. Came with a school group and the tour guide was very knowledgeable and good with the kids. Interesting old building and looked amazing in the snow. Lovely walking through the place and even standing on the frozen lake.
Batı Erk Yılmaz

12 February 2018

Peaceful and charming reconstructed wooden village within the woods next to the ever calm Jugla lake. If you are traveling by bus, plan ahead before you exit the museum!
David Slovenski

29 December 2017

Really neat museum of old buildings from around the country reassembled here. Nice trails in between. Great for a walk or hike or museum visit.
Roberto Battioni

16 November 2017

A very interesting museum on open air. Old houses and farms from all over the Latvian country, transported and reassembled here in a beautiful environment. A must visit!
Timothy Hon

09 October 2017

A wonderful place out of town. Lots of beautiful woods and different kinds of mushrooms. An afternoon well spent.
Michael Printer

27 September 2017

love this place.largest open air museum in baltics. great latvian historical buildings from all over latvia assembled here. well worth visit
Who There

24 August 2017

Beautiful place to visit and get out of town. Ticket office should consider printing maps of the area cos signage is really poor, and even with the app we downloaded, we were having trouble getting around. The only toilets we found were in the tavern after the entrance, so if you are in the middle of the museum grounds, you gotta hold it until you are on your way out. Also lacks thrash bins for the most part of the territory. However, these small nuisances do not take away from the experience.
Martins Nikolajevs

17 August 2017

Not much changed since 10 years ago. Lacks entertainment for children so only tourists visit. What a shame and waste of really interesting and authentic place. Suggestion would be to look at Tervetes dabas parks, where people visit every year, because of new things changing each year. Suggestions: children playground, cycles for rent, better signage and pavement and more open houses. As much as adults like history this is not fit for 21st century, especially for youngsters
Asier Llano

15 August 2017

Really interesting. For us it was really interesting and well preserved. Really worth a visit without doubt.
Ilker Büyükyıldırım

26 June 2017

This was simply awesome. I was there almost four years ago. Trees, lake and smell of latvian history was really impressive to me. I'd like to visit there again if possible.. Highly recommended for visitors of Latvia. You wont regret seeing it.
Stas Medvedev

03 June 2017

Fantastic ethnic museum in the open air. Very authentic, full of local history, just beautiful. Travel back in time to see how people lived all across Latvia. Be prepared to have lots of walking, cause you don't want to miss anything.
Raf Janssens

07 March 2017

Worth a visit if you're interested in Latvian history. The restaurant on the premises has excellent traditional food.
Stas Bervjachonok

12 February 2017

very nice place with a lot of objects to see, for the first time better to attend during warm weather conditions, when all houses are open for entrance.
Janis Rancans

20 October 2016

Very unique museum. Very large territory and you can go anywhere you want to .
Erdal Eroğlu

15 October 2016

A good idea to learn about Latvia, if you are interested. You can see how these people lived, and gathered to reach today's modern life.
Jēkabs Zariņš

31 July 2016

Absolutely amazing project of getting some even 300 years old log houses from the place they'd perish to here and displaying for all to see. Also has awesome blacksmiths hut where I've been shown ropes on how to use hammer, iron and fire. Very authentic and awesome place to visit, especially when the crafts market takes place