1954.
gadā dibinātā muzeja teritorijā izvietotas etnogrāfiska rakstura ekspozīcijas, kas liecina par tradīcijām, kuru saknes ir gadsimtiem senas.
Muzeja krājumā ir vairāk nekā 20 000 priekšmetu, un tas atspoguļo latviešu un lībiešu zemnieku un zvejnieku dzīvi.
Iekštelpu un brīvdabas ekspozīcijā (kopējā platība 4,8 ha) apskatei izvietoti aptuveni 600 eksponātu.
Lielākais no tiem ir dzirnavas, mazākais – adata pludiņu piešūšanai pie tīkla.
Currently, it is the only open-air museum in Latvia dedicated to fishing, with fishermen’s homesteads, granaries and windmills from Užava parish, smokehouses, smokehouses, net huts and other exhibits typical of the construction and life of the region.
In an area of 4 ha, you will find an extensive sea boat collection and the largest anchor collection in the Baltics with 152 exhibits dating from the 17th century to present day. At the Seaside Park you can enjoy the Enkuru taka (Anchor trail) which is formed of the biggest anchors.
The new exhibition of the Seaside Open Air Museum, which attractively tells about the everyday life of the inhabitants of the Kurzeme coast and reflects the life of Latvian, Livonian peasants and fishermen, is open to the public. There is also a North Kurzeme nature exhibition – a diorama with the most characteristic wild animals and birds. A walk around the Museum is complemented by a mobile app that can be downloaded when you visit the Museum.
In addition to the exhibition, which was created by Ddstudio in collaboration with the Museum’s specialists, the new building also houses working spaces for Museum staff, restoration workshops and an education room.
In the territory of the Seaside Open Air Museum you can see historical buildings created in the building traditions of the people in the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the exhibition also includes a future beekeeping exhibition with a 300-year-old bee tree – hive.
One of the most notable exhibits of the Seaside Open-Air Museum are two Ml steam locomotives Ml-611 (property of the LDz museum) and Ml-631, 600 mm narrow-gauge railway Mazbānīši – steam engine locomotives with carriages, which still in the 20th century. In the 1960s, they ran regularly between seaside fishing villages. The steam engine was built in Germany in 1916; it weighs 9 tons and can reach a speed of 20 km per hour. From 1st May to 31st October the narrow gauge train Mazbānītis takes tourists not only around the 1.3km long route in the Seaside Park (Riņķa līnija), but also travels on the new Mountain Line (Kalna līnija).
There regularly take place large and atractive events, such as international Museum Day, Day of Crafts on Ventspils city festival, Parishe’s Festivities, as well as Latvian traditional holidays and the Slavic Shrovetide day “Masļeņica”.
A new acquisition of the Seaside Open-Air Museum is the Smiltnieku House. This typical late 19th century suburban dwelling, because of its level of preservation, is a unique example in Ventspils, as well as in all of Latvia, of urban construction. The Smiltnieku House was built in Parventa in 1874, on land awarded for participating in the Russo- Turkish War, by the grandfather of the house’s owner, Valentina Žūka.
The Seaside Open Air Museum houses the Lielirbe Baptist House of Prayer, which features an exposition on the history of the Baptist movement in Ventspils Region and Latvia. The premises are used for religious ceremonies (weddings, baptisms, etc.), ecumenical services, thematic events, art and collection exhibitions, and spiritual concerts.
High-quality architectural boat house designed to host an exhibition of a wide range of fishing equipment of the museum, including 21 fishing boats and items related to fishing, thus allowing for an insight into the daily life of fishermen and the course of development of fishing industry in North Kurzeme.
Prices in high season (May-October)
For adults:
6,00 EUR or 5,20 EUR + 80 venti.
For children in school, students, pensioners:
3,00 EUR or 2,50 EUR + 50 venti.
Family ticket:
12,00 EUR or 10,80 + 120 venti. (2 pieaugušie + 1 līdz 5 bērni)
Free of charge:
for a disabled person of group I and his accompanying person;
for a disabled person of II group;
For preschool children;
Prices in low season (November – April):
For adults:
4,00 EUR or 3,40 EUR + 60 venti.
For children in school, students, pensioners:
2.00 EUR or 1.60 EUR + 40 venti.
Family ticket:
EUR 8.00 or EUR 7.00 + 100 venti. (2 adults + 1 to 5 children)
Free of charge:
for a disabled person of group I and his accompanying person;
for a disabled person of II group;
For preschool children;
Ventspils Museum also offers a joint museum ticket, which will be valid for three days from the day of purchase and will give you the opportunity to visit the Seaside Open Air Museum, the Livonian Order Castle and the House of Crafts:
- • High season (May – October) – adults EUR 9.60; students, pupils, seniors EUR 4.40; family ticket EUR 19.20.
- • Low season (November – April) – adults EUR 6.40; students, pupils, seniors EUR 3.60; family ticket EUR 12.80.
The new building will also have a seminar room (80m2) available for rent at a rate of EUR 80/h (incl. VAT).