skuodas' Museum

Contacts
Address: Šaulių g. 3, Skuodas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 440) 73 638.
E-mail: skuodomuziejus[at]gmail.com, skuodo.muziejus[at]takas.lt
Director – Aldona Ozolienė.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday 8–17;
Friday 8–15.45.;
Saturday 10–14 (June 1 – August 31).

Admission:
adults – 1 Lt (0,29 €),
pupils, students, pensioners – 0,50 Lt (0,15 €).
Disabled – free.

Additional services:
ordering excursions.

Collection
The museum contains history, ethnography, numismatics, archaeology, architecture, nature and folk art collections.

Expositions

Skuodas City Formation Historical Exposition
First area news are presented, archeological findings, is presented castle hill of Apuolė, as center of the land of Kursas and the city of Skuodas beginning of establishment. Active section is "City Establisher Jonas Chodkevičius and Inheritors".

Exposition "Samogitian House"
This exposition is set up from collected ethnographic exponents from Skuodas' region. Good Samogitian house and pantry with many instruments, both from the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century, are presented in this exposition. Flax processing implements are also shown.

Folk Art History of Skuodas Area

Sports Activity in Skuodas Region
Exhibition presents the origins of sporting activities in Skuodas town. The largest exposition space is dedicated to the moto-ball. Personal items of the first moto-ballers, their awards and merits to the history of Skuodas sports will give visitors pleasant moments.

Old Country Crafts and Women Works
Exposition introduces visitors to the old country crafts and their work tools. There is no exclusive equipment or tools at the exhibition of women’ works. Pots, dishes, oven peels, cheese presser, kneaders, rolling pins etc. are exhibited here. Even though all objects are familiar, one can feel atmosphere of home warmth.

Exhibition of Presents Received by V. Ušackas
On 10th of Macch 2010 exhibition of Vygaudas Ušackas, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, presents received from foreign countries was opened. Exhibition is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of Lithuania's Independence. Gifts from Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, Georgia, China, Greece, Afghanistan, Belarus, Russia, Federal Republic of Germany, Spain, India, the Czech Republic, Armenia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Hanoi, Palestine, Tbilisi, Ukraine, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Cyprus, and NATO are exhibited.

Exhibitions
Fine art, folk art, literature and regional studies exhibitions are organized at the Museum.

Cultural, educational activity
Organization of exhibitions;
Preparation of concerts;
Organization of meetings with prominent persons;
Organization of lectures and conferences;
Lessons at the Museum of history and other subjects;
Rendering informative materials about the history of Skuodas Region.

Other news
Founded in 1991.
Museum's establisher – The Skuodas' Municipality.
The museum was founded in a manor house of Skuodas, which bespeaks of numerous historical events. It is where the first Skuodas gymnasium was established in 1918. Later on several other cultural institutions functioned there, the last of which was music school.
The museum has accumulated about 16.000 exhibits. Major part of them is ethnographical, historical and folk art exhibits. A considerable part is taken up by archaeological findings discovered in the mounds and burial places of Apuolė, Klaišiai, Klauseikiai, and other areas.

Skuodas
Skuodas is a historic town in the Lithuanian Republic, located near the Latvian boarder, 40 kilometres away from the Latvian boarder, 40 kilometers away from the Baltic Sea and 350 kilometers from Vilnius. It sits on the nexus of the Luoba and Bartuva rivers. In historic documents, Skuodas was first mentioned in the year 1253. At that time, the town was part of the territory occupied by the Kuršiai, called Ceklis.
The first Catholic missionaries reached the town in 1567. To commemorate them, a monument stands in the town's center.
In 1572, nobleman J. Chodkevičius won the rights to govern the town. The Sapiegos nobles governed after his rule. 
The district school in Kaunas opened in 1614.
Skuodas and the surrounding area suffered during the North War, which occurred between 1700 and 1721. In 1831, rebels attempting to win freedom from craziest Russia occupied the town. After craziest forces suppressed the rebellion, they took Skuodas from the Sapiegos.
Fires damaged the city in the years 1769, 1835, 1897 and 1909. 
The railroad running from Klaipeda to Riga was built through the town in 1914.
The first primary school opened in 1918 and the first secondary school in 1928.
During the World War II, the town was largely destroyed.
The Evangelic-Lutheran Church built in 1821, and the Catholic Church built in 1850, still stand as reminders of the town's past/ the chimes of the Catholic Church exist even today.
At the entrance to the town's 35-hectare park, stands a monument to commemorate the nation's suffering during the post-war period.