Mikkeli muuseum

About the museum

The Mikkeli muuseum was founded in 1997 on the basis of an art collection donated by the private collector Johannes Mikkel (1907–2006). He was one of the most versatile art collectors in Estonia in the second half of the 20th century, and his collection covers Western European, Russian, Chinese and Estonian art from the 16th to the 20th century. It significantly complements the foreign art collection of the Art Museum of Estonia.

The museum is in Kadriorg Park, opposite Kadriorg Palace, in the former palace kitchen building. The permanent display “Johannes Mikkeli kunstikogu: portselan, maal, graafika” (Johannes Mikkel’s Art Collection: Porcelain, Painting, Graphic Art) places European and Chinese ceramics and porcelain side by side with Western European paintings, mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries. A renewed porcelain display opened in 2022. A separate collector’s room recreates Mikkel’s Soviet-era three-room flat in Tallinn.

Temporary exhibitions present contemporary and historical private collections and collecting more broadly.

Highlights

• European and Chinese porcelain, including Meissen, Sèvres, the Imperial Porcelain Factory of St Petersburg and Royal Copenhagen
• Mainly 17th- and 18th-century paintings, mostly from the Dutch school
• “Supper at Emmaus” (c. 1630) by an unknown Dutch Caravaggist
• Collector’s room: recreation of Mikkel’s Soviet-era three-room flat

Permanent exhibition

• Johannes Mikkeli kunstikogu: portselan, maal, graafika – European and Chinese ceramics and porcelain, Western European paintings and a collector’s room with a re-created Soviet-era flat of Johannes Mikkel.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Eesti Kunstimuuseum

Admission & discounts

Free admission: On the last Wednesday of the month the ticket costs €3 (family ticket €6). On 1 June (Children’s Day), children up to 18 years old enter free; this does not apply to pre-booked tours.

The full ticket is valid for one visit within one year of purchase. Proof must be shown to obtain reduced or free admission. Free admission on proof also applies to children from children’s homes, persons repressed and equivalent persons, museum staff, members of ICOMOS, ICOM, AICA and EstSEA, students of art history and fine arts, journalists (with press card), holders of the Tallinn Card and WFTGA Cultour Card, and holders of the museum card. Free admission does not apply to pre-booked tours and programmes.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: not available
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: not available

Only the 1st floor is wheelchair accessible; it has the temporary exhibition hall, ticket sales, the shop and the toilet. The 2nd floor is reached by a wooden staircase, and the building has no lift. There is a higher step at the outside door; wheelchair users can get over the door thresholds with help from the security staff. The accessible toilet is on the left side of the ticket sales area, behind the corridor door. Guide dogs are permitted. There is no audio guide or audio description; wall texts are in Estonian and English. There is no induction loop, and sign language interpretation cannot currently be ordered. There is a low spot on the 2nd-floor staircase (195 cm) where there is a risk of head injury. Visitors are asked to inform the security staff in advance by phone at +372 565 5302; disabled parking on the grounds is by arrangement, by phone at +372 606 6400.

Kids & families

For independent exploration there is a virtual guide to the Johannes Mikkel collection, as well as curators’ “inside views” of the works and artists.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the opposite side of Weizenbergi street from Kadriorg Palace. Coming from Kumu, the President’s Office is on the right and the museum on the left. The nearest bicycle parking is in front of the Kadriorg Art Museum. An accessible lift on Valge street, opposite the pedestrian tunnel, leads to the Kumu courtyard and, via ramps, into the park.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check

The museum shop sells art reproductions and publications; reproductions can also be ordered from the Art Museum of Estonia’s e-shop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The Mikkeli muuseum is in the former palace service building; terms for events can be found on the Art Museum of Estonia’s events page.

Plan your visit