Open-Air Museum of Lithuania

What Open-Air Museum of Lithuania does

The Open-Air Museum of Lithuania (Lietuvos etnografijos muziejus, legal entity 190757221) is a state budget institution established in 1966 and opened to visitors in 1974, located on a 195-hectare site in Rumšiškės, Kaišiadorys district, on the shores of the Kaunas Lagoon. It is the only ethnographic museum in Lithuania and one of the largest open-air museums in Europe by area, preserving 155 immovable heritage structures (folk architecture, technical objects, small architecture) representing all five Lithuanian ethnographic regions — Aukštaitija, Dzūkija, Suvalkija, Žemaitija, and Mažoji Lietuva — alongside an interwar town with church and artisan workshops. The collection includes 95,648 movable artifacts growing by over 500 items annually, plus living exhibits featuring rare Lithuanian livestock breeds (Žemaitukai horses, Lithuanian coarse-wooled sheep, Lithuanian black-motley cattle) and 60 heritage plant species.

The museum's core product is admission to a 7km circular route through the ethnographic site, priced at €4–€10 per visitor depending on season and interior exhibit access, with free admission on the last Sunday of each month and state holidays. Revenue is diversified across six+ streams: educational programs (over 50 workshops covering crafts, traditional cooking, folk music, and history), guided tours (€40 adults pre-booked, available in Lithuanian/English/Russian/German), annual subscription passes (€30–€100), vehicle entry fees (€5–€50), on-site food services (Arbatinė tearoom, Josvainių Karčema tavern with banquet capacity for 140), overnight accommodation (Girkalnio namas and Monopolis historic houses), and venue rental for events. Additional revenue lines include filming/photography services, an escape room, horseback riding, audio guides, and 3D virtual tours. The museum is funded by the Lithuanian state budget through the Ministry of Culture, supplemented by corporate sponsorships (LRT, KG Group, Husqvarna, RASA BIO, ETNO arbata, ME2U, SVF) and EU project grants. Go-to-market is event-driven, anchored on seasonal festivals (Žolinė, Užgavėnės, Velykos, St. John's Day) and the "Kultūros pasas" (Culture Passport) educational program, with distribution through social media, a central website (lemu.lt), online ticketing (bilietai.lemu.lt), and cultural tourism operators. The museum serves over 100,000 visitors annually (3 million+ since opening) and has hosted notable dignitaries including Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf, Norwegian King Harald V, and Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.

Name

Open-Air Museum of Lithuania

Legal name

Lietuvos etnografijos muziejus

Website

https://lemu.lt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Open-Air Museum of Lithuania (Lietuvos etnografijos muziejus) is a state-funded open-air ethnographic museum in Rumšiškės spanning 195 hectares, preserving 155 heritage structures from five Lithuanian regions and 95,648 artifacts. It serves families, school groups, and tourists through admission, educational programs, guided tours, and on-site hospitality.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ethnographic Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (71211)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Historic Venues (Landmarks, Estates) (THAHAAAK), Art & Culture (Gallery/Museum) Hotels (THAGADAC), History, Heritage & Museum-Focused Study Tours (THAKAGAN)

Keywords

• Ethnographic museum
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Open-air exhibitions
• Educational programs
• Folk architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Rumšiškės

HQ country

Lithuania

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Entrance Tickets: Standard admission fees ranging from €4-10 depending on season and interior exhibit access. Discounts available for students, seniors, and groups.
2. Educational Programs: Over 50 educational workshops and programs for various age groups, including crafts, traditional cooking, music, and history lessons conducted in authentic farmstead settings.
3. Donations and Sponsorship: Direct bank transfers, sponsorships from corporate partners (LRT, KG Group, Husqvarna, RASA BIO, ETNO arbata, ME2U), and public support for museum development.
4. On-site Food Services: Restaurant operations including Arbatinė (tearoom) and Josvainių Karčema (tavern) offering traditional Lithuanian cuisine, serving visitors during May-October season.
5. Accommodation and Venue Rental: Overnight stays in Monopolis and Girkalnio name historic houses; premises rental for events, conferences, and celebrations.
6. Transportation and Vehicle Entry: Vehicle entry fees ranging from €5-50 depending on vehicle type and season, plus annual subscription passes (30 visits for €30, 90 visits for €50).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Open-Air Museum of Lithuania operates a 195-hectare open-air ethnographic museum in Rumšiškės displaying traditional Lithuanian village life across five ethnographic regions (Aukštaitija, Dzūkija, Suvalkija, Žemaitija, Mažoji Lietuva), with 155 immovable heritage structures and 95,648+ movable artifacts. The museum sells admission tickets, guided tours in four languages, over 50 educational programs, 3D virtual tours, audio guides, on-site food and beverage service (Arbatinė tea house and Josvainių Karčema tavern), overnight accommodation in historic houses, premises rental, and seasonal festivals/events.

Product overview

The Open Air Museum of Lithuania (Lietuvos etnografijos muziejus) operates as a unified open-air museum experience centered on ethnographic heritage preservation and cultural education. The core offering is museum admission, supplemented by guided tours, over 50 educational programs, 3D virtual tours, audio guides, escape rooms, and horseback/carriage experiences. Visitors can also access dining at the Arbatinė tea house and Josvainių Karčema tavern, overnight accommodation at Girkalnio namas or Monopolis, and rent historic premises for events. The museum hosts seasonal events and exhibitions, maintains volunteer and training programs, and offers specialized services including filming and photography. All offerings work together to provide a comprehensive cultural heritage experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission Tickets (Bilietų kainos) Tiered admission tickets to the 195-hectare open-air museum in Rumšiškės for adults, students, seniors, and schoolchildren (€4–€10 depending on season and interior exhibit access); free entry on the last Sunday of each month and on state holidays Feb 16, March 11, July 6.
• Guided Tours (Ekskursijos) Professional guided tours of the museum's exhibitions and ethnographic regions, available in Lithuanian, English, Russian, and German; up to 2 hours for groups of up to 20 people. Pre-booked €40 adults / €20 children; same-day €2 adults / €1 children.
• Educational Programs (Edukacijos) Over 50 educational programs for various age groups covering traditional Lithuanian crafts, customs, culinary heritage, folk games, and history, conducted in authentic homestead environments; aligned with the Kultūros pasas (Culture Passport) curriculum program.
• 3D Virtual Tour Interactive 3D virtual tours of the museum's Aukštaitija and Dzūkija sectors accessible via 3dturas.lemu.lt, allowing remote visitors to explore the open-air exhibitions.
• Audio Guide (Audiogidas) Self-guided audio tours providing visitors with informational commentary about museum exhibitions and historic buildings.
• Escape Room (Pabėgimo kambarys) Immersive escape-room experience set within the museum's historic grounds, providing puzzle-based challenges for participants.
• Horseback Riding and Carriage Driving (Pasivažinėjimas ir jodinėjimas arkliais) Horseback riding and carriage driving experiences using traditional Lithuanian horse breeds including Žemaitukai, stambieji Žemaitukai, Lietuvos sunkieji, and Trakehner horses.
• Premises Rental (Patalpų nuoma) Rental of authentic historic spaces within the museum for private events, celebrations, conferences, and gatherings.
• Filming and Photography Services Professional filming and photography services conducted within the museum's historic grounds and buildings.
• Overnight Accommodation (Apgyvendinimas – Girkalnio namas and Monopolis) Unique overnight stays in restored historic houses within the museum's town, offering immersion into early 20th-century Lithuanian life; Monopolis is wheelchair accessible.
• Arbatinė Restaurant (Tea House) Traditional Lithuanian tea house offering traditional Lithuanian dishes, soups, desserts, and beverages, located in the museum's town in a building relocated from Šeduva.
• Josvainių Karčema Restaurant (Tavern) Traditional Lithuanian tavern offering regional dishes from all Lithuanian ethnographic regions, including items from the Lithuanian culinary heritage fund, with banquet facilities for up to 140 guests.
• Events and Exhibitions (Renginiai ir parodos) Seasonal celebrations, festivals (including Užgavėnės, Easter/Velykos, Žolinė), exhibitions, concerts, and cultural events held throughout the year at the open-air museum.
• Wooden Architecture Heritage Training (Medinis architektūros paveldas) Professional training programs on wooden architecture heritage preservation including courses on stoves, barn relocation, surface protection, biological pests, walls, foundations, and roofs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 annual visitors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LRT (Lithuanian National Radio and Television)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia sponsor providing broadcast coverage and promotional support for museum events and exhibitions.
• KG Group (Kauno Grūdai)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting museum operations and cultural programs.
• RASA BIOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing support for museum activities and events.
• HusqvarnaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEquipment sponsor providing tools for traditional crafts demonstrations and grounds maintenance.
• SVF (Šviesinės VšĮ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing support for museum events and activities.
• ETNO arbataminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing traditional tea products for museum events and educational programs.
• ME2UminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor supporting museum marketing and visitor engagement initiatives.
• Do architects (UAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture studio awarded the contract for designing the Open Centralized Museum Artifact Storage with Competency Center building (project 'Sparnas') at L. Lekavičiaus g. 2, Rumšiškės. The 13,600 sqm facility represents a major infrastructure development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Seurasaari Open-Air Museum: Seurasaari is Finland's national open-air museum on an island near Helsinki, showcasing traditional Finnish rural buildings, folk customs, and Midsummer celebrations. Closely comparable as a Nordic/Baltic ethnographic open-air museum with similar living-exhibition concept and seasonal festival programming.
• Skansen: Skansen is the world's first open-air museum (founded 1891) on Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden, displaying historic Swedish buildings, folk culture, and craft demonstrations. Directly comparable to the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania in mission, scale, and operating model; both monetize tickets, events, food, and seasonal programming.
• Estonian Open Air Museum: Located near Tallinn, the Estonian Open Air Museum preserves historic Estonian rural buildings and farmsteads across multiple regions. Directly comparable as a neighboring Baltic ethnographic open-air museum serving cultural tourism, schools, and seasonal festivals.
• Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum: The Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum on the shore of Lake Jugla near Riga displays Latvian rural buildings, crafts, and traditions. Direct regional peer serving similar Baltic cultural tourism, educational, and seasonal event use cases.
• Sanok Open Air Village Museum (Muzeum Budownictwa Ludowego): An open-air ethnographic museum in southeastern Poland displaying traditional wooden architecture from Carpathian, Subcarpathian, and neighboring regions. Comparable as a Central European ethnographic open-air museum with similar building-preservation and education focus.
• The Old Town Open Air Museum Hjerl Hede: A large Danish open-air museum in central Jutland preserving historical farms, workshops, and rural trades. Comparable as a Northern European open-air museum emphasizing living-history demonstrations and hands-on traditional crafts.

Regional players

• Trakai Historical National Park: Manages the iconic Trakai Island Castle and surrounding heritage area near Vilnius, combining museum operations, ticketed heritage tourism, and events. Adjacent Lithuanian cultural tourism operator competing for inbound tourist itineraries rather than ethnographic open-air visits.

Broad incumbents

• National Museum of Lithuania: Lithuania's principal national museum covering Lithuanian history, archaeology, and ethnography across indoor galleries in Vilnius. Overlaps on ethnography and national-identity storytelling but is a multi-disciplinary institution, not an open-air specialty operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6Q-C0iGTCC77pdtFhVbqOw
• Facebookfacebook.com/openairmuseumoflithuania
• Instagraminstagram.com/lietuvos_etnografijos_muziejus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-air-museum-of-lithuania

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Open-Air Museum of Lithuania