Estonian museums saw a bumper year in 2023  with 2.5 million visits

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to data released by Statistics Estonia, Estonian museums had a remarkable year in 2023, attracting nearly 2.5 million visits. The country’s 161 museums and science centres displayed a total of 924 different exhibitions and 95 expositions. 

“The average number of museum visits per person was 1.79, with Saaremaa leading at 4.47 visits per person and Läänemaa at 2.98. Conversely, Valgamaa and Raplamaa had the lowest averages at 0.40 and 0.30 visits per person, respectively. Science centres and expositions also drew significant interest, with 448,000 and 374,000 visits,” explained Erik Lest, an analyst at Statistics Estonia 

“In 2023, more than 300,000 people participated in educational programmes for children and young people, and nearly 79,000 in programmes for adults. Close to 120,000 children and young people took part in educational programmes offered by science centres and 38,000 people participated in adult programmes,” added Lest.

To appeal to the digital generation, museums in Estonia have developed interactive exhibitions and virtual tours, enhancing the learning experience. This approach has proven successful, with over 200,000 visits by children under nine years old to museums and science centres last year. 

The efforts to create engaging, modern learning environments underscore the importance of museums in both education and entertainment for all ages in Estonia. 

To learn more about this and similar topics
Educational Programme Erik Lest Exhibitions Interactive Museums Saaremaa Virtual Tours