Beginning as the collections of Estonian naturalists in the 19th century, the holdings at this natural history museum exceed 300,000 examples of the country's flora and fauna, only some of which are on display, of course. The museum also stages revolving exhibitions on subjects such The Secrets of Ancient Seas, and can be a welcome way to entertain kids in Tallinn.
Estonian Museum of Natural History
Old Town
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.35 MILES
Dating from the 13th century, the imposing St Nicholas' Church (Niguliste kirik) was badly damaged by Soviet bombers in 1944 and a fire in the 1980s, but…
3.85 MILES
This sprawling ethnographic and architectural complex comprises 80 historic Estonian buildings, plucked from across the country and resurrected in…
1.85 MILES
This futuristic, Finnish-designed, seven-storey building is a spectacular structure of limestone, glass and copper that integrates intelligently into the…
0.26 MILES
Completed in 1404, this is the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe. Inside, you can visit the Trade Hall (whose visitor book drips with…
0.18 MILES
The Great Guild Hall (1410) is a wonderfully complete testament to the power of Tallinn's medieval trade guilds. Now a branch of the Estonian History…
1.62 MILES
Kadriorg Palace, a baroque beauty built by Peter the Great between 1718 and 1736, houses a branch of the Art Museum of Estonia devoted to Dutch, German…
0.76 MILES
When this cavernous, triple-domed building was completed in 1917, its reinforced-concrete shell-frame construction was unique in the world. Resembling a…
0.57 MILES
Once literally on the wrong side of the tracks, this set of abandoned factory buildings is now Tallinn's most alternative shopping and entertainment…
Nearby Old Town attractions
0.08 MILES
Formerly producing hushed dread in Tallinn's Soviet-era citizens, the KGB headquarters at Pagari 1 is now a historical site, and the Museum of Occupations…
0.09 MILES
Running along the northwestern border of Old Town, the most photogenic stretch of Tallinn's remaining 1.9km of medieval walls connects nine towers,…
0.1 MILES
From 1549 until 1625, when its 159m steeple was struck by lightning and burnt down, this (now Baptist) church was one of the tallest buildings in the…
0.16 MILES
In among the guilds, beneath a fabulous sculpted art nouveau facade, this commercial gallery hosts small, often stimulating exhibitions of contemporary…
0.18 MILES
The Great Guild Hall (1410) is a wonderfully complete testament to the power of Tallinn's medieval trade guilds. Now a branch of the Estonian History…
6. St Nicholas' Orthodox Church
0.18 MILES
Built in 1827 on the site of an earlier Catholic church appearing in 15th-century records, St Nicholas' was the focal point for the Russian traders that…
0.18 MILES
Tallinn’s City Museum is actually split over seven different sites. This location, its main branch, is set in a 14th-century merchant’s house and traces…
0.19 MILES
This state puppet-museum's collection is a wonderful introduction to the art of puppetry from many different cultures and eras. There's enough interactive…