Description of the attraction
The Lithuanian Museum of Folk Life is an open-air museum located in the town of Rumsiskes, about fifteen minutes' drive from the city of Kaunas. The museum was founded in 1966, but it was not until 1974 that it opened its doors to visitors.
Rumsiskes is a park of Lithuanian folk culture. Here, on an area of 175 hectares, you can see the recreated traditional rural life of Lithuanians of the late 19th - early 20th centuries.
The Lithuanian Museum of Folk Life is similar to other museums of this type. In Ukraine - this is Pirogovo, in Slovakia and Poland - a large number of skansen, that is, museums of folk life and crafts. However, the similarity is noticeable only in the concept of the exposition itself, since all the exhibits presented in the Rumshiskes territory are unique witnesses and keepers of amazing Lithuanian traditions.
There are 4 main historical regions of Lithuania on the territory of the museum: Zemaitija, Suvalkia, Aukštaitija and Dzukija. The main exhibits of the museum are residential houses, household buildings and national technical monuments (over 140 buildings), which served Lithuanian peasants at different times and for different needs. Both the houses themselves and the exhibits were brought to Rumsiskes from all over Lithuania.
Houses and other buildings are located in a picturesque place near the Kaunas Sea and the Pravena river. Some structures are about 200 years old or more. These buildings are evidence of how people used to live, were able to build and equip their homes in various periods. The buildings are grouped into estates and villages, and city buildings are displayed around the square.
Walking through the estates, you can admire the gardens, front gardens, see fences, wells and much more. In many houses, interior decoration with furniture, kitchen utensils, fabrics, rugs, and tools of a particular period has been restored.
It is interesting that in some buildings there are operating expositions, where wood carvers, weavers, potters and others work. Anyone can turn into a Lithuanian artisan for a while: learn to spin a potter's wheel, master the basics of weaving, or try to carve a wooden toy.
The exhibition hall of the museum presents expositions of museum collections and author's exhibitions of folk masters.
You can wander around the Lithuanian museum all day long, because the route is 6 kilometers long. For those who do not want to walk, you can book a tour by carriage.
Exhibitions of folk art are regularly organized here. And in the summer, you can become a participant in all kinds of festivals, fairs and folk festivals, where you can enjoy the national Lithuanian music and take part in folk amusements. The museum has a tavern where you can taste national dishes of Lithuanian cuisine.
Rumsiskes is a great place to buy national Lithuanian souvenirs: scarves, dolls, embroidery.
The Lithuanian Museum of Folk Life is visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world. Undoubtedly, no one will be left indifferent by the picturesque nature, wonderful fresh air, the atmosphere of antiquity and the pleasant feeling that for a moment you can touch the history.
