The Seaplane Harbour will be closed from January to May 2024 to prepare an updated and fully engaging exhibition. The partners of the Estonian Maritime Museum in renewing the permanent exhibition of the Seaplane Harbour are KOKO architects and MOTOR.
The permanent exhibition of the Maritime Museum in the Seaplane Harbour was opened in May 2012 after the renovation of the seaplane hangar. Back then, it was a groundbreaking phenomenon in the Estonian museum scene, innovative in formal, technical and substantive aspects. This is confirmed by 11 successful years, having remained one of the most visited museums in Estonia and selling more than 2.25 million tickets within that time. However, the world of museums is constantly evolving, which means our exhibition is also in need of significant improvement in terms of new topics, modern technical solutions and visitor engagement.
One of the main goals of the modernisation is to create attractive new themed areas and to improve the experience of family visits, giving a reason to revisit the museum again and again. ‘We plan to create an exciting environment for families with young children, as the Seaplane Harbour currently has almost no places for 1–3-year-olds to have fun,’ claims Urmas Dresen, Head of the Estonian Maritime Museum. ‘We also aim to take our educational activities to a next level, which is why we are building completely new hobby spaces with state-of-the-art technology.’ Aside from the large-scale renewal of the permanent exhibition, the hangar’s floor, inspired by nautical charts, will also be revamped in cooperation with Riigi Kinnisvara AS.
‘After the modernisation of the Seaplane Harbour, the Maritime Museum will become the most accessible museum in Estonia, where we can use the experience of Fat Margaret museum and take it even further,’ Dresen promises.
Construction procurements are still underway, but the museum building is scheduled to close for visitors from 1 January next year and reopen in May 2024. The ships of the Estonian Maritime Museum in the Seaplane Harbour will remain open during renewal, and visitors can also explore the Fat Margaret cannon tower.
Fat Margaret and the Seaplane Harbour of the Estonian Maritime Museum are open until the end of the year Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00.
