museum of birštonas

Contacts
Address: Vytauto g. 9, LT-59211, Birštonas.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 319) 65 605, (+370 ~ 319) 65 606.
E-mail: muziejus@birstonas.lt
http://www.birstonomuziejus.lt/
Director – Vidmantas Puskunigis.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
Wednesday to Sunday 10–17.
Monday, Tuesday – visits by arrangement.

Additional services:
Reservation of excursions to the Museum and to the Birštonas health-resort

Collection
BH (History of Birštonas). The collection consists of articles-exhibits of archaeology, ethnography, household, sanatorium equipment and memorial things of people who once worked in the Birštonas health-resort;
B-III. The collection is comprised of historic photographs and negatives;
B.S. This collection is made of printings, documents, books, other publications, publicity materials, postcards, placards etc.;
B.p.m. The collection includes various documents of poor physical state, namely rephotographs taken from other museums collections, borrowed from private persons, various advertisements about cultural events in Birštonas etc.

Exposition
It reflects development of Birštonas town since the oldest times to the middle of the 19th century.
The exhibited documents and their copies tell how the health-resort was established in Birštonas. Beside the specimens of first bathtubs and wooden pipes, through which mineralized water flowed to the cure-homes from springs, as well as guests’ domestic articles are shown.
Another segment of the exposition represents the Birštonas health-resort in prewar years. Among exhibits are documents, their copies, photographs about the restored health-resort in years from 1922 to 1924, its further development before the war.
There is a photograph immortalizing the great flood of 1958 in Birštonas.
The other sections of the exposition deal with development of the health-resort, construction of its sanatoria, the town itself since 1966 when Birštonas was granted the rights of town with republican subordination. The visitors may get to know what medical procedures are presently applied in the sanatoria, what line of products offers the company UAB Birštono Mineraliniai Vandenys (Mineral Waters of Birštonas) and what like is the contemporary life of the town. Here are as well displayed personal things and photographs of Antanas and Bronė Katelis, the former owners of the building.
The traditional festivals of jazz in Birštonas are reflected, as well as the town’s relations with Denmark, Norway, France, Estonia, Latvia and other countries.
Some stands are dedicated to famous people born in the environs of Birštonas.

Exhibitions
The Museum arranges various thematic exhibitions displaying works of artists of different trends, folk artists and skillful craftsmen.

Cultural, educational activity
Organizing of meetings and afternoons with the outstanding people, in cooperation with the pupils of the Birstonas Secondary School and of the Birštonas Art School;
Organizing of common events of the Museum and the Birštonas Kindergarten;
Organizing of meetings with local population;
Organizing of meetings with the authors of exhibitions;
Giving of lessons.

Branch Museum
Birštonas Sacral Art Museum
Address: Birutės g. 10, Birštonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 319) 65 699.
E-mail: muziejus@sakralinis.lt
http://www.sakralinis.lt/
More information >

History of the Museum
The museum was founded in 1967 and was branch of the Kaunas State History Museum until 1993.
Amateur ethnographers of the Birštonas Secondary School under guidance of their teacher Petras Kazlauskas initiated the Birstonas Museum.
The Museum established in the premises of the cottage RAMUNĖ belonging to the sanatorium TULPĖ.
In 1967 after appointment of supervisor’s post, a subdivision of the Kaunas State Museum of History established there.
In 1972 in the Museum equipped the permanent exposition on the health-resort’s history, its designer being K. Miežinis, the architect.
In 1993 the Museum separated from the Vytautas the Great History Museum in Kaunas and became an independent municipal museum.
The founder of the Museum is the Birštonas Municipality.

Photographer Kazys Lazauskas