The museum of aviator S. Darius was founded in 1991 and operates in the reconstructed homestead of his parents, with exhibitions in the residential house and granary. In 2007, in the memorial park, a symbolic granite compass was installed on the ground, from the centre of which trees were planted in exact azimuth marking the main directions of the living places of S. Darius. The design of the compass is based on the prototype of the compass used on the Lituanica aircraft. There is an airfield near the museum in the S. Darius Memorial Park. Coordinates: ARP N55.35'42" E021.51'03". The S. Darius Birthplace Museum branch of the Lithuanian Aviation Museum (LAM) implements the Lithuanian museum's hospitality programme for schoolchildren. During the implementation of the programme from September to December of 2017, with advance booking, you can participate in The Flight of Lituanica's free educational activities.
There are two exhibitions in the museum:
An exhibition designed to review the history of Lithuanian aviation
An exhibition consisting of M. Raštikis’s collection
The S. Darius Birthplace Museum branch of the LAM organises educational activities for schoolchildren and adults of various age groups:
THE FLIGHT OF LITUANICA. This educational activity is designed for junior and senior schoolchildren and adults (various options for the activity have been prepared that correspond to the age of the participants). The participants in the educational activity are presented with visual informational material (photos, film excerpts, diagrams and items) about the heroic flight of aviators S. Darius and S. Girėnas across the Atlantic Ocean, which made Lithuania famous all over the world. This educational activity aims to encourage the participants to take an interest in the history of their nation, as well as to promote patriotism and national pride. The S. Darius Birthplace Museum, part of the LAM, has an exposition dedicated to S. Darius and S. Girėnas, commemorating the campaign of our national heroes. Personal furniture and documents of S. Darius are displayed, as well as the model of the Lituanica aircraft, recounting the story of the tragic end of the Lituanica campaign and preserving the memory of its pilots.
ALONE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. This educational activity is aimed at junior and senior schoolchildren and adults to acquaint them with Feliksas Vaitkus, the second Lithuanian transatlantic pilot, who crossed the Atlantic Ocean on his own in 1935. Feliksas Vaitkus flew 5,100 kilometres in 22 hours and 30 minutes. In 1935, it was the only flight that crossed the Atlantic without landing, and Feliksas Vaitkus was the sixth pilot in aviation history to fly solo across the Atlantic. It is a significant event in the world history of aviation and a great example of patriotism, as well as an illustration of the application of physics and other exact sciences to new modes of communication. During the educational activity, participants will be presented with visual information material (the Alone Across the Atlantic documentary). The purpose of the educational activity is to encourage the participants to take an interest in the history of their nation, to promote patriotism and national pride, as well as to demonstrate how to apply physics, geography and other knowledge acquired at school.
CHILDREN AND AVIATION. The purpose of this activity is to acquaint preschool and younger schoolchildren with the history of Lithuanian aviation, the aircraft used by Lithuanians in various periods of history and the most famous pilots of our country. The S. Darius Birthplace Museum branch of the LAM exhibits various aviation-related items and equipment: gliders, hang-gliders, aeroplane models, etc. During the activity, the aim of helping memory development is pursued by recreating the images seen in drawings, expressing the momentary relationship between the child and the museum exposition. The activity helps promote and glorify the historical memory – the memory of the aviators who made our country famous. Participants in the educational activity can sculpt an aeroplane from plasticine or draw their favourite aeroplane or any other exhibit.
FIRE IS OUR FRIEND AND ENEMY. This activity is aimed at acquainting children with fire-related issues and the dangers it poses, as well as with the safe handling of fire both when at home and outdoors. We have prepared methodological materials for teachers concerning the methods of correct initial formation of fire safety skills. The technical and didactic tools used to teach children during the educational activity help them to better memorise the information provided. The purpose of the activity is, with the help of various simple practical tasks, to form a correct understanding of the fire-related benefits and dangers, to teach children to handle fire and potential sources of fire safely, behave appropriately and provide assistance to victims in the event of an accident. This educational programme consists of four parts designed for children of different age groups.
The educational activities have to be booked in advance.
The duration of each educational activity is one and a half hours.
Registration: via Culture Passport or s.dariausgimtine@lam.lt / +370 46 319 767
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