One Museum Building, Three Stories

On April 24, the final temporary exhibition will open in the staircase gallery of the Estonian Museum of Natural History. The exhibition tells the story of the museum’s history, and the aspects of museum work that often remain hidden from visitors.

The story of the Estonian Museum of Natural History begins with the natural history collections of the Estland Provincial Museum, established in 1864. Over the years, alongside changes in name and location, the museum eventually moved to Lai Street and, after the difficult wartime period, reopened its doors to visitors in 1946.

The current museum building was originally a residential house, and in its early years the exhibitions occupied two floors, sharing space with storage rooms, workspaces, and even living quarters. Over time, the museum has grown and evolved: exhibition areas have expanded to three floors, the attic has been converted into workspaces, and the collections have been moved to rented premises outside the Old Town.

Although exhibitions are the most immediate way for a museum to tell stories, its foundation lies in its collections, while museum education helps to interpret the diversity of nature. The new exhibition offers an engaging overview of these three core areas and their development over time. Visitors can hear fascinating fieldwork stories from collection curators, see small geology boots that once carried heavy stones into the museum, discover the best tried-and-tested mosquito repellent, view exhibition posters from different eras, and explore a colourful selection of the museum’s photo archive.

Team of the exhibition
Curator: Leida Ojasoo
Project manager: Ulla Villem
Exhibition concept and mounting: Ott Kangur
Exhibition design: Kätlin Kangur
Text editing and translation: Marina Maran

This will be one of the final exhibitions in the Old Town museum building. On October 31, the Estonian Museum of Natural History will close its doors on Lai Street, reopening them in 2027 in a new museum building currently under development by the Tallinn seaside in Noblessner.