What to do and see in Kaunas County, Kaunas County: The Best History Museums

In Žaliakalnis, in the house of brothers Mikas and Kipras Petrauskai, which was designed by A. Golovinskis in 1924, the visitors can see the reconstructed interior of the Petrauskai flat from the interwar period. The exhibition presents a versatile personality of singer Kipras Petrauskas, introduces pedagogical and artistic work of composer Mikas Petrauskas, and delicate poetry of Elena Žalinkevičaitė-Petrauskienė. Interactive exhibition of The State Theater introduces its repertoire and tells exciting stories of the people who worked there. At present, it is a Kaunas City Museum branch.

Open Air Museum of Lithuania is a unique and one of the largest (195 ha) open-air ethnographic museums in Europe. It has the biggest quantity of exhibits (90820 exhibits). The museum presents the mode of life, works, and traditions of peasants and townspeople of all Lithuanian ethnographic areas: Dzūkija, Aukštaitija, Suvalkija, Žemaitija and Lithuania Minor. It was established in 1966, in Rumšiškės on a picturesque coast of Kaunas Lagoon. There are fragments of the villages, authentic farms, century-old buildings with flower gardens, orchards and vegetable gardens, with crosses and wooden roofed poles, technical facilities - mills, forges, a fulling-mill and oil-mill lining along 7 km circular route, meandering between forests, meadows and hills. In the centre of the museum there is a fragment of a township with its typical buildings, where pots are shaped, amber and wood works are done and weaving process of linen is presented. The painful past of Lithuanian history is reminded in the sector of Deportation and Resistance. The guided tours, educational programs, calendar feasts, folk group concerts are being organized in the museum, horseback riding club.

The first and only museum in Lithuania dedicated to folk music culture. At the moment, it is a Kaunas City Museum Folk Music Branch. The museum contains exhibits from Lithuanian and international musical instruments to audio recordings, photographs, letters, and posters. In the interactive and modern exposition, you will be able to learn how kanklės (chordophone) are made, to sing a sutartinė (Lithuanian multipart song), play some instruments or hear some folk music performed by contemporary bands.

This Kaunas City Museum branch is established in the house where Lithuanian composer, conductor and professor Juozas Gruodis and his wife Stasė lived in the first half of the 20th century. The building designed by famous interwar architect F. Vizbaras resembles a decorated wooden Lithuanian manor and is distinct in architecture and landscape. The memorial rooms of J. Gruodis and his wife represent the most important moments of their life and tell the Gruodis family history.

The museum carrying out educational projects, preparing various festivities, introducing to the ancestral crafts, traditions and customs. Exposition pleasantly surprised and stimulated curiosity for many. Experienced designer and museum administrator Juozapas Liekis and his wife Vanda will answer any questions to you and tell you more information.