Klaipeda District Tourism Information Center
Museums and exhibitions

Museums and exhibitions

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The Gargždai Regional Museum was established in 2005. It introduces visitors to the history of Klaipėda district and Gargždai town through modern and visually appealing means, as well as promotes professional art and presents the work of various artists.

The playful exposition "Interwar Gargždai 1918-1939" invites visitors to explore the border town between the two world wars. Everyone who visits this exhibition will hear about Europe's longest-lasting border, the intersection of two ethnographic regions, their differences and similarities, and the history of the interwar period from the town of Gargždai to the most important events in Lithuania and Europe in 1918-1939. The exhibition is designed for both interactive learning and more in-depth exploration.

Educational activities are offered for organised groups of visitors.

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The Gargždai Minija cinema, which has been opened after reconstruction, has an exhibition of film and photographic equipment on the initiative of Jonas Mikutis, the long-time administrator of the cinema, which displays old devices from Jonas Mikutis' personal collection.

Visit the cinema to see a variety of cameras, camcorders, projectors and other film equipment. And those interested in photography won't be disappointed, as a large part of the exhibition is devoted to photo equipment. "Cameras from Moscow, Smena, Leica, Fed, Zenit, Lomo, Polaroid, Kodak and other companies tell the story of photography. The exhibition includes both older and newer cameras, wide-angle, instant, exposure, Russian, German, English and other cameras, as well as an old panoramic camera model. There are very small old "spies" and a whole stand of miniature cameras.

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The Coast Guard Battery is a World War II-era defensive fortification on the Baltic Sea, built after the annexation of the Klaipėda region to Germany. Two coastal artillery batteries were to be built: the Memel Sud (Klaipėda South) on Smiltyne near Kopgalis and the Memel Nord (Klaipėda North) outside Giruliai, in the village of Kukuliskes. However, only the second one has been completed.

These are the only fortifications of this type in Lithuania. Initially, the anti-ship battery was supposed to protect the coast from incursions from the sea, but this was not necessary, as soon the entire Baltic coast was under German control and the installations were moved to Norway. The battery was soon converted into an anti-aircraft battery and put into active service.

At the end of the Soviet era and during the first years of independence, the battery was inhabited by asocial people. In 2002, enthusiasts started to clean up the area and gradually in 2009 a museum was built in the northern block. In 2018, members of the Border Guards Club cleaned and tidied up the bunker rooms in the southern block and set up a public exhibition.

"Memel Nord is not only a bunker, but also the history of our country, which we will present in a new and varied way. You will be able to travel back 70 years to the 20th century, feel the breath of history and test yourself or your friends in a peaceful reality. You might appreciate a bygone period of history in a different way than you have done before.

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The unique trophy museum, which has no analogues in Lithuania and Eastern Europe, surprises with the abundance and variety of exhibits. Exotic animals hunted in ten countries around the world are a great educational tool for both children and adults.

See elephants and giraffes of staggering size, lions, zebra, rhinoceros, monkeys, crocodiles, birds and other exotic animals.

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The reconstructed ethnographic fisherman's homestead of J. Gizo houses a museum and a Tourist Information Centre. The museum's exposition "Jonas Gižas. Opening the Shipwright's Chest..." The exhibition presents the Drevernian shipwright, Curonian Lagoon sailboats, weathervanes, and the lifestyle and customs of the inhabitants of the Curonian Lagoon.

In the museum, you can try out various shipwright's tools or make a unique weathervane. The homestead also hosts educational programmes included in the Cultural Passport package.

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The Museum of the History of Freedom Struggles and Exile was established in Priekulė (Klaipėdos g. 29), in the former German gendarmerie, to commemorate the freedom struggles of the Lithuanian nation.

The museum has a permanent thematic exposition on exile and resistance, which displays authentic exhibits commemorating this tragic period in Lithuania: a cross made of bread, sewn and embroidered articles made of fish axaca, leather and braided leather, crockery, a collection of copper ore, and more. The basement recreates a former prison cell of the Security Headquarters, while the outdoor exhibition features an authentic exile wagon and a partisan bunker.

The Museum's collection includes photocopies and photographs, original documents, videos, historical research, and other written and visual material. It preserves donated belongings of political prisoners and exiles.

In addition, the museum organises excursions and educational programmes.

The museum hosts screenings of documentary films "Partisan War in Lithuania 1944-1954", "Children of Ice", educational classes ("Interwar Cartography of Lithuania", using the cartography of 1918, which is stored in the museum's collections. The museum also offers a collection of maps of Lithuania from the period of the Museum's history, including the collection of maps of Lithuania made by the signatory of the Act of Independence Jurgis Šaulis.)

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The Ieva Simonaitytė Memorial Museum was established in 1979 in the writer's former summer house in Priekulė. The exposition, which is now open to visitors, offers an insight into her life and work.

It includes photographs, documents, first editions of her books and personal belongings. The rooms preserve the authentic (1961-1978) atmosphere of the summer house: furniture, paintings, souvenirs, gifts. The personal library of the writer's home is preserved in the workroom.

The museum offers guided tours in Lithuanian, English and Russian, as well as events and educational activities.

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The Agluonėnai ethnographic homestead is one of the most beautiful and prominent examples of wooden architecture of Lithuania Minor in Western Lithuania. Visiting the homestead's exposition "Klaipėda Region Fieldman's Homestead", you will see the Lithuanian household, household and farm objects, hear the story about the fate of the local inhabitants and the cultural legacy to Lithuania Minor.

The homestead hosts annual performances of the threshing theatre, concerts of ethnographic ensembles, other cultural events and an educational programme, which is included in the Culture Passport service package. In addition, there are various educational programmes on offer.

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The Jonas Genis windmill, which more than 100 years ago used to greet passers-by with its wide sweeping wings, has become a legend over time, attracting modern-day curiosity seekers. The new exhibition, located next to the Agluonėnai ethnographic farmstead, tells the story of the unique wind giant and its "exile", the fate of the owners, millers and inhabitants.

The mill was famous for its original engineering solutions. Unlike most windmills, this 13-metre-high structure rotated its entire body along the direction of the wind, thanks to a system of wheels with a circular rail. The wind was caught by a turbine called a wind rosette and the wings were covered by louvres made of boards. The mill, renovated in 1912, is known to have continued grinding grain until the 1970s. It was then dismantled and taken away in the hope of restoring it and putting it on display in the open-air Lithuanian Ethnographic Museum in Rumšiškės. This idea was never realised.

The dramatic history of this unique technical giant has united the local community to recover parts of the windmill, which are now on display in a new exhibition at the Agluonėnai ethnographic farmstead.

The village of Kantvainiai is close to Agluonėnai and was first mentioned in written sources in 1540. The town's architecture and traditions remind us that it used to belong to the Klaipėda Region (ethnographic region of Lithuania Minor).

We invite you to visit the Agluonėnai ethnographic homestead, which preserves the late 19th century Prussian Lithuanian homestead, furniture and household items, and presents the lifestyle and worldview of its owners in the museum's education, events and exhibitions. For more than 40 years, the homestead has been the venue for clogging theatre performances, traditional Užgavėni and Midsummer events. In the central part of the town there is an apple orchard tended by local people, and nearby, by the Agluona River, a Prussian Lithuanian oak grove is in full bloom.

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The museum of Veiviržėnai town and school was founded in 1957 by the then history teacher Antanas Tila, later a famous Lithuanian historian, archaeographer, habilitated doctor, professor). Over 67 years, the main collection has accumulated about 5000 items and the auxiliary collection about 3000 items.

Here you will find the history of Veiviržėnai, the surrounding villages and churches, and learn about the contributions to Lithuania made by prominent Veiviržėnai residents, including the signatories Jurgis Šaulis and Kazimieras Antanavičius. A rich exposition of folk sculptures and household tools is presented.

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The Museum of Flight Lieutenant Steponas Darius was established in 1991 in the restored homestead of his parents. The residential house and the barn house exhibitions. In 2007, a symbolic granite compass in the ground was put on display in the Memorial Park, from the centre of which trees were planted at an exact azimuth, marking the main directions of the places where S. Darius lived. It is based on the prototype of the Lituanica compass. The S. Darius Memorial Park is adjacent to the Museum and has a flying field. Coordinates ARP N55.35'42". E021.51'03".

S. Darius Birthplace-Museum implements the Lithuanian Museums Hospitality Programme for schoolchildren. During the period of its implementation, in September-December 2017, you can take part in a free educational activity "The Flight of the Lituanica" if you book in advance.

The Museum has two exhibitions:

- one dedicated to the history of Lithuanian aviation;
- M. Raštikis Collection.

S. Darius' birthplace organises educational activities for schoolchildren and adults of all ages.