Koidula Muuseum
House museum in Pärnu, the home of J. V. Jannsen and his daughter Lydia Koidula, presenting the national awakening; the garden has the Lolla play area and an open-air stage.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum opened in 1945 in the house where the journalist and publisher Johann Voldemar Jannsen (1819–1890) and his daughter, the poet Lydia Koidula (1843–1886), lived. A memorial plaque on the wall of the house recalls that Jannsen lived here from 1850 to 1863 and that Lydia grew up here. The building once housed the Ülejõe village school, and the weekly paper Perno Postimees was edited here.
The permanent exhibition presents the lives and work of Jannsen and Koidula against the background of the 19th-century national movement. On the second floor there is a hall for temporary exhibitions, which also shows retrospectives of stage productions and television programmes on Koidula themes, and where newspapers can be read.
Behind the house is the part of the former Ülejõe school farmstead plot: a garden with red stone structures, an open-air stage and a gallery. The garden exhibition “Meil aiaäärne tänavas” (We Live on a Garden Street) tells of Koidula’s childhood and her play area in the Lolla garden, where families can learn to recognise plants, study insect hotels and play Lolla’s childhood games.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition on the lives of J. V. Jannsen and Lydia Koidula
- House where Jannsen lived from 1850 to 1863
- Lolla garden and childhood games
- Open-air stage, where Jannsen’s birthday is celebrated on 16 May
- Hall for temporary exhibitions on the second floor
Permanent exhibition
- Jannseni ja Koidula püsinäitus – The exhibition presents the lives and work of Johann Voldemar Jannsen and Lydia Koidula against the background of the 19th-century national movement.
- Founded
- 1945
- Operated by
- SA Pärnu Muuseum
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €7Pensioners, holders of ISIC and ITIC cards, and students (on proof) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 8 · Children up to 8 years old enter free; children under 12 visit the museum accompanied by an adult. |
| Seniors | €7 |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Visitors with disabilities up to 16 years old, and visitors with a profound disability aged 16 and over and older visitors, enter free with a companion (disability card). |
| Students & apprentices | €7Pupils and students (on proof). |
| Groups | –Group bookings do not include the family ticket, the combined ticket or other free-admission rights. |
| Families | €21Up to two adults and their minor children. |
| Supporter ticket (valid for one visitor) | €20 |
| Combined ticket for three branches (adult) | €23Pärnu Museum, Koidula Museum and the Red Tower; each building can be visited once. |
| Combined ticket for three branches (reduced) | €17 |
| Combined ticket for three branches (family ticket) | €48 |
| Combined ticket for three branches (supporter ticket) | €46 |
| Guided service in Estonian for up to 50 minutes (up to 25 people) | €50The ticket price for each visitor is added; book at least 3 working days in advance. |
| Guided service in a foreign language for up to 50 minutes (up to 25 people) | €55 |
| Guided service in Estonian for 1–1.5 hours (up to 25 people) | €60 |
| Guided service in a foreign language for 1–1.5 hours (up to 25 people) | €65 |
With a ticket, other branches can be visited within seven days at 10% off. Members of the Museum Friends’ Club receive 50% off on the last Saturday of every month.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: not available
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The first floor is accessible, but there is a step of about 20 cm at the main door; a wheelchair or pushchair can more conveniently use the back door, which can be opened by phoning +372 443 3313. A steep wooden staircase with 16 steps leads to the second floor, and wheelchair users cannot reach it. There are two toilets on the first floor, but the museum has no accessible toilet. The ticket desk and the audio guide headphones have an induction loop; staff help with the touch screens.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 8 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €21 · Up to two adults and their minor children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Playground / play area
In the Lolla garden you can learn to recognise plants, look at insect hotels, play Koidula’s childhood games and try the role of the poet.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Koidula Muuseum
Buses 5, 10, 13 and 25.
By car
Free parking
To the left of the museum there is a free car park for about eight cars; accessible spaces are marked on Jannseni street, on the right-hand side of the building. During events there is additional parking in the riverside car park at Japsi harbour on the other side of the road.
- Accessible parking
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tours (up to 25 participants) must be booked at least 3 working days in advance at visit@pernau.ee. Educational programmes take place in the garden, and concerts and performances are held on the open-air stage. |