Virtual Reality or Retro Experiences—You Decide!
Text Timo Raussi Photo Toolbox Estonia / Virgo Haan
Are you a late boomer or a member of Generation X who, amid the AI boom, virtual reality, TikTok memes, and everyday stress, sometimes longs for the carefree days of childhood? In Tallinn’s Noblessner harbour district, the Proto Invention Factory is spending the entire month of March hosting retro-themed play and game weekends.
Usually known for letting visitors explore historical inventions through VR headsets and hands-on experiments, the entertainment centre is now even better suited for guests of all ages. Proto’s Pantera exhibition hall will be decorated with children’s playroom classics that have stood the test of time—from pixel video games and chess pieces to paper dolls and miniature model worlds.
The themes will change from weekend to weekend as follows. At the beginning of the month, on 7–8 March and 14–15 March, the hall becomes a cosy retro game room where visitors can relax on sofas and play legendary video games on consoles from different eras. There is also a “digital-free” area for fans of board games that have long connected different generations.
Dolls have always helped children, and even many adults, express themselves and engage in role-play. On 21–22 March, Proto’s retro hall will display fashion and toy dolls borrowed from collectors’ private collections—naturally including Barbies—as well as paper dolls from various decades. Younger visitors can create their own stories on the hall’s puppet-theatre stage, colour and cut out paper dolls to their liking, and, with adult assistance, build entire cardboard dollhouses.
The final weekend of the month, 28–29 March, will culminate in the Mini World model exhibition, organised by Proto in cooperation with Estonian model-building and railway hobby clubs. On display will be collectors’ detailed miniature models and entire landscape setups: railway lines with trains, miniature aircraft, tanks, ships, cars of various scales, and much more.
In planning its retro month, the Proto Invention Factory has worked with the video game museum LVLup!, which is currently between locations, and the Estonian reuse centre Uuskasutuskeskus. The board games and dolls with accessories are sourced from real homes across Estonia.
The Proto Invention Factory is open from Tuesday to Sunday, between 11:00 and 18:00. According to staff, Saturday is the busiest day, when queues may form at VR stations. In March, visitors should also note that Proto is updating its exhibition and equipment collection from 11–31 March, during which the second floor will be closed to the public. Throughout the renovation period, however, the downstairs retro-themed area and the café serving both sweet and savoury treats will remain fully open.
Information about ticket prices can be found here. Entry is free with the Estonian Museum Card and the Tallinn Card, and Tallink’s Club One loyalty members receive a 10% discount on entrance tickets.
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