Chaimo Frenkelio vila-muziejus
A manufacturer's villa in the Modern style in Šiauliai, with an exhibition on the Frenkel family and the history of the town's Jews, a rose garden and a park.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Chaimas and Dora Frenkel built a two-storey residential house in 1908, next to their thriving leather-processing factory. The villa is one of the few early 20th-century buildings of Modern (Art Nouveau, Jugendstil) architecture in Lithuania: its façade combines elements of various styles, and its authentic interiors are decorated with wood panelling and stucco.
Today the villa is a branch of the Šiauliai “Aušros” muziejus and the seat of the museum. The museum was founded in 1923 on the initiative of Peliksas Bugailiškis, the patriarch of Lithuanian museum studies, and named after the first Lithuanian newspaper, “Aušra”; today it brings together several branches in Šiauliai.
The new exhibition “Fabrikantai Frenkeliai” (The Frenkel Manufacturers) tells of the lives of two generations of the Frenkel family, of the leather factory, its innovations and products, and of the history of Šiauliai's Jews from their settlement in the town until the Holocaust. Stylised interiors of the manufacturer's house are recreated in an authentic setting, and works of Litvak art are also displayed.
The villa is surrounded by a park in the Modern style, with a fountain and a rose garden of a thousand roses. Exhibitions, concerts and book launches take place in the villa, and every summer the International Chaimas Frenkel Villa Summer Festival is held in the park.
Highlights
- Manufacturer's villa in the Modern (Art Nouveau) style, built in 1908
- Exhibition “Fabrikantai Frenkeliai” and the history of Šiauliai's Jews
- Stylised manufacturers' interiors and Litvak art
- Park with a fountain and a rose garden of a thousand roses
- International Chaimas Frenkel Villa Summer Festival
Permanent exhibition
- Fabrikantai Frenkeliai – The exhibition tells of the lives of two generations of the Frenkel family in Šiauliai, of the leather factory and of the history of the Šiauliai Jewish community until the Holocaust; stylised manufacturers' interiors and Litvak art are displayed.
- Founded
- 1923
- Operated by
- Šiaulių „Aušros“ muziejus
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4pupils, students, soldiers, pensioners, victims of occupation regimes, members of creative unions and other groups entitled to benefits (50 percent discount) |
| Children & teens | €4Pre-school children visit the museum free of charge. |
| Seniors | €4For persons who have reached pensionable age – 50 percent discount; for persons aged 80 and over admission is free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Persons with disabilities and one of their assistants enter free of charge. |
| Students & apprentices | €4For pupils of general and vocational schools and for full-time students – 50 percent discount. |
| Groups | –A guided tour for up to 30 persons costs €30; no discounts apply. Groups of more than 30 persons are led by two guides. |
| Families | –For 1–2 adults with minor child(ren): 50 percent discount on the admission ticket; holders of the Family card receive 50 percent off admission and 20 percent off educational sessions and tours. |
| Guided tour (up to 30 persons) | €30An admission ticket must also be bought; discounts do not apply. |
| Tour of the villa exhibition and the park's rose garden (for a group) | €40Duration 1.5 hours; discounts do not apply. |
Free admission: The last Sunday of each month
Visiting the park is free. Discounts apply only upon presenting a document confirming the entitlement. A wedding ceremony at the villa (up to 2 hours) costs €250, and in the villa park €200; a two-hour professional photo shoot in the villa and the park costs €100.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The first floor of the villa is adapted for visitors with mobility impairments, and a lift has been installed. Persons with disabilities and their assistants enter free of charge.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
The museum offers thematic educational sessions and tours; the park has a rose garden, which visitors can see free of charge.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Prūdelio
Nearby are the Prūdelio stop (buses 1, 1A, 6 and 25), the Sodros stop (buses 2 and 25) and the Geriatrijos centras stop (buses 1, 1A, 6, 17 and 25).
By car
Free parking
There is a free car park in the villa's inner courtyard, which can be reached from Vilniaus and Ežero streets. Cars can also be parked free of charge on Vilniaus gatvė.
The entrance to the villa is from the Vilniaus gatvė side.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Restaurant
The villa houses the restaurant “Bleu de Frenkel”.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Weddings / ceremonies
Wedding ceremonies in the villa and in the park, and photo shoots; for questions about renting the premises, call +370 676 06 820. The date of a ceremony must be agreed with the museum administration in advance.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tours must be booked in advance by phone on +370 41 52 43 89. The entrance is from the Vilniaus gatvė side. Thematic educational sessions, exhibitions and concerts take place in the villa. |
