Kalamaja Museum

A true gem! Worth a visit. Kalamaja Museum is the winner of the Silletto Prize for Community Participation and Engagement 2024 

The Kalamaja museum summarises only a fraction of the colourful nature of the historic Kalamaja area in Tallinn. The whole story of the oldest suburb of Tallinn from its beginning to the end is not told between the museum walls. Kalamaja is for immediate enjoyment. It can briefly be experienced in the museum, but first and foremost by walking on the streets and in the parks, sitting on benches or stairs of the area.

The permanent exhibition of the museum ‘A Village in the Middle of the City’. Stories about Kalamaja” speaks of the life of the area through six personas characteristic to Kalamaja: a man of Kalamaja, a child of Kalamaja, a parent of Kalamaja, a life artist of Kalamaja and an animal of Kalamaja. These characters are a summary of different times and eras and tell the story from the Middle Ages to today. Walking through the museum will open the stories of the houses of the area together with the local people: the visitor is welcomed in the cellar, corridor, garage, living room, but you can find exhibitions in the toilet as well. Young visitors can play in the dollhouse that depicts the Tallinn-type house in the family area of the museum.

In the museum you will find a gallery where locals and others can form their ideas into exhibitions or present interesting collections to wider audiences.

The museum is big on its contents, but small in cubic metres. Therefore you can often see our exhibitions also on the streets of the area.

Many thanks to all the people of Kalamaja who helped to create the museum!

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