Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum Add an Object

The Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum is one of the oldest museums of its kind in Europe. It is located in Riga. The open-air museum is the only place in Latvia where one can fully grasp the Latvian Cultural Canon and the traditional Latvian rural settlements included in it. On February 2, 1924, based on the proposal of architect Paula Kundziņš and the decision of the Monument Board of the Ministry of Education, the establishment of the Open Air Museum was approved. Before the Second World War, the museum developed rapidly and became a beloved and cherished place for the public. Many museum buildings were demolished and relocated to the museum thanks to donations and assistance from various public organizations (such as scouts and academic organizations). The museum represented farmstead complexes from all Latvian cultural and historical regions, as well as several other architecturally and culturally significant buildings. The museum was created and developed inspired by similar museums elsewhere in Europe, mainly Skansen in Stockholm. After the restoration of the Republic of Latvia in 1991, the Open Air Museum actively focused on collecting and preserving heritage from the 1920s and 1930s, which culminated in the opening of the Jaunsaimnieks farmstead complex in 1997, dedicated to the Agrarian Reform and the memory of new farmers. The museum is visited by more than 135 thousand people from all over the world each year.