Zanavykų muziejus

About the museum

The origins of the Zanavykų muziejus go back to 1928, when the first Zanavykai museum was opened at the “Žiburys” gymnasium in Šakiai. Its activities were ended by the war, and in September 1944 the gymnasium building burned down together with all its exhibitions. The present museum was set up in Girėnai in 1986 as a regional studies museum, and in 1992 it received the status of a municipal institution and the name Zanavykų krašto muziejus (Zanavykai Region Museum).

In 2014 the museum moved to the Zyplių manor homestead, and on 5 April the exhibition opened in the former carriage house of the manor. On the ground floor the history of the Zanavykai region from ancient times to the present is presented: the past of Šakiai town, the development of education, the activity of book smugglers, the Sūduva signatories, deportations, religious life and notable people of the region. On the first floor an ethnographic exhibition from the late 18th to the early 20th century reflects village life, farming occupations, and the flax and bread routes.

On 25 August 2022 another building on the homestead, the Craftsmen's House (Amatininkų namas), was opened to visitors. It was restored under the Lithuania–Poland cooperation project “Along the Routes of Culture and Crafts – Šakiai–Budry”. The house's interactive exhibitions present traditional crafts: wood carving, blacksmithing, sewing, weaving, pottery, winemaking and bread-baking. More than 50 thousand exhibits are kept in the museum's collections.

Highlights

• History hall: the Zanavykai region, signatories, book smugglers, deportations
• Ethnographic exhibition with Zanavykai farmhouse furniture and the flax route
• Craftsmen's House with interactive craft exhibitions
• Bread-baking and other traditional craft education

Permanent exhibitions

• Istorijos salė – History of the Zanavykai region and of Šakiai town, development of education, book smugglers, Sūduva signatories, notable people of the region, deportations and religious life.
• Etnografijos ekspozicija – Village life from the late 18th to the early 20th century: a Zanavykai room (stuba), farm implements, the flax route, footwear and textiles, and a carpentry workshop.
• Amatininkų namas – Interactive exhibitions on wood carving, blacksmithing, sewing, weaving, pottery, winemaking and bread-baking.

Founded

1986

Operated by

Šakių rajono savivaldybė

Admission & discounts

Free admission for pre-school children, orphans and children deprived of parental care, persons with a certified disability level and the person accompanying them, people aged 80 and over, Lithuanian museum staff, and members of ICOM, ICOMOS and UNESCO.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Educational sessions for children and families; interactive exhibitions in the Craftsmen's House.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the Zyplių manor homestead, in Tubeliai village, Lukšiai eldership (Šakiai district).

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