Statistics: Estonian residents pay 2.5 million visits to museums in 2023
A total of 157 museums across Estonia were open to visitors last year, including 95 expositions, four science centers and 924 exhibitions. In all, Estonian residents paid nearly 2.5 million visits to museums in 2023, Statistics Estonia said Friday.
Erik Lest, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the average number of museum visits per person last year totaled 1.79, according to a press release. By county, these averages were highest in Saare County (4.47 visits per person) and Lääne County (2.98 visits), and lowest in Valga County (0.49 visits) and Rapla County (0.30 visits).
"Science centers and expositions were also popular, attracting 448,000 and 374,000 visits each, respectively," he added.
The analyst highlighted that museums offer visitors learning opportunities as well as entertainment.
"In 2023, more than 300,000 people participated in educational programs for children and young people, and nearly 79,000 in programs for adults," he said, adding that this included nearly 120,000 children and youth and 38,000 adults in programs offered by science centers.
Museums in Estonia have also created interactive exhibitions and virtual tours that allow visitors to experience history and art in new ways. Lest acknowledged that this is particularly important for the younger generation growing up in a digital world, as a modern environment makes learning more engaging.
"Young people seem to appreciate this approach, as last year, children under 9 years old paid more than 200,000 visits to museums and science centers," he noted.
More than 20 years of Museum Nights
This Saturday, May 18, Estonia will once again be hosting Museum Night (muuseumiöö), an annual event held on the third Saturday of May where museums are open later than usual and admission is free for everyone.
The theme of this year's event is "Freedom in the Night" ("Öös on vabadust").
The Museum Night tradition dates back to 1997, when Berlin organized its first Long Night of Museums; the cultural event spread from there, with the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the International Council of Museums joining in to promote the European Night of Museums starting in 2005.
Today it is held in more than 100 cities throughout Europe and beyond.
Organized nationwide in Estonia since 2009, Museum Night attracted nearly 70,000 visitors to nearly 190 participating museums and memorial institutions across Estonia last year.
Click here for more museum facts and figures from Statistics Estonia and here for more about this Saturday's Museum Night in Estonia.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
