kretinga Museum

Contacts
Address: Vilniaus g. 20, LT-97104, Kretinga.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 445) 77 323, (+370 ~ 445) 77 612.
Fax (+370 ~ 445) 77 323.
E-mail: kretingosmuziejus@takas.lt
http://www.kretingosmuziejus.lt/
Director – Vida Kanapkienė.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
1 September – 31 May:
Exposition: Wednesday – Sunday 10–18.
Winter Garden: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday 10–18; Saturday 10–19.
1 June – 31 August:
Exposition: Wednesday – Sunday 10–18.
Winter Garden: Monday 10–18, Tuesday – Sunday 10–20.30.

Admission:
adults – 5 Lt;
pupils, students – 2 Lt;
pensioners – 3 Lt;
child under 7 – free.

Guided tours:
adults – 20 Lt (foreign language – 30 Lt);
pupils – 15 Lt (foreign language – 30 Lt).

Additional services:
Advance tour reservations;
Reservations for tours around Žemaitija;
Cafe "At Count's" in the Botanical garden;
Souvenir and sweet shop;
White hall rentals for conferences, business presentations, contract signing;
Commercial shooting;
Wedding, baptism photography and video;
Botanical Garden rentals for receptions; 
Organization of business exhibitions.

Collection
The museum collection consists of archaeological finds, numismatics, collections of 17th–19th century applied art and paintings, folk sculpture, ethnographic and historic domestic life exhibits.

Expositions

Botanical Garden (Greenhouse) 
This exposition is extremely fascinating to the visitors. The Botanical garden was established by count Juozapas Tiškevicius in 1875. During World War II the garden was completely destroyed. In 1987 the Greenhouse was revived. Now the garden is verdant and more than 580 plants from all over the world are in bloom. The area of the garden is 693 square meters. The exposition is constantly being renewed.

Manor Culture
This exposition takes up 7 halls of the museum where art exhibits depict the heritage of the counts Tiskeviciai: portraits of the family members, furniture, plates and dishes, photographs, especially valued pictures from 15th-18th centuries.

Old Lithuanian folk art
This is a very valuable exhibit group of the Museum. The exposition consist of items, which were nationalized from the Kretinga and Palanga manors and devastated chapels in 1940. The exposition has been recently renewed. The exposition acquaints visitors with crosses that are typical to the Kretinga area.

Žemaičiai House
This is an exposition of national household exhibits (household articles, furniture, flax and wool processing tools, fabric manufacturing means, cloths, fabrics, and others). The exhibits have been accumulated in the museum since 1935.

Numismatics

A Painful Memory
Exhibition dedicated to the history of the genocide and resistance of the inhabitants of the Kretinga area

Coin Collection
Treasures are exhibited. Each coin and banknote (bill) does not only trace the history of money in the territory of Lithuanian chronologically, but also reveals how Lithuania within the context of Europe developed both politically and economically.

Archaeology
This exposition is arranged in the cellar in the eastern side of the Tiškevičius Manor. First exhibits are unique archeological items found in Lazdininkai graveyards and dated back in 2-4 centuries. The emphasis of the expositions is on the Curonian woman's costume as well as on the jewelry made from copper and silver, which date back to the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. The exposition is concluded with the showcase of Imbarė Castle reconstruction model.

Counts Tiškevičiai
Exposition of photography.

Exhibitions
Every month, in the museum there are organized exhibitions of temporary art (fine art, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry), literature and other kinds of exhibitions.

Cultural, educational activity
Schools in the Museum:
"Žemaitoka-muziejenoka", a school for children,
Two-year Art School for Children.
Clubs-Houses in the Museum:
Club of Park Friends,
Club of Kretinga Area Descendants.
Art Associations in the Museum.
Folk Ensemble "Volungėlė" ("Oriole").
Events organized in the museum on regular basis:
Concerts of the country's professional performers,
Literature afternoons,
Celebrations of holidays.

Departments
Education and Information Department,
History Department,
Archaeology Department,
Ethnography Department,
Art Department,
Nature Department,
Economic Department.

History of the Museum
The idea of the Musem's establishment has been nurtured and carried out by teacher Juozas Žilvitis (1903–1975).
In January 1935, the council of the Kretinga region approved Kretinga Museum Committee. 
On July 12,1935, inauguration of the Museum took place in a building of Kretinga's Municipality.
In the beginning of 1936, the museum was moved to a rented house in Kęstutis Street. 
On September 5, 1940, the museum was declared a state institution. The Kretinga Region Museum became a branch of Kaunas State Museum (now Vytautas the Great War Museum).
In 1922, the museum was established in Count Tiškevičiai Manor, which dates back to the 19th century. The Manor is surrounded by a park. Next to the Manor there is the Botanical Garden (Greenhouse).
The founder of the Museum is the Kretinga Region Municipality. 

Photos from the Archive of the Museum