Seaplane Harbour, Estonian Maritime Museum

If you’re interested in maritime history and technology, visiting the Lennusadam Tallinn Museum is a must. Located in an old seaplane hangar at the seaplane harbor, the museum offers a unique and fascinating look into Estonia’s naval and maritime heritage. And even if you are less into maritime history, the museum is worth visiting. Apart from a lot of history, there is even more interaction you can try out.

The Lennusadam Tallinn Museum is part of the Estonian Maritime Museum and was opened in 2012. You can find the museum in the Tallinn airplane harbor in a building originally constructed as a hangar for seaplanes in the area of Peter the Great’s Naval Fortress. It is inside an enormous concrete hangar initially built in the 1930s to house seaplanes. The building was abandoned during World War II and fell into disrepair before being renovated and repurposed as a museum. Today, the Maritime Museum is one of the largest museums in Estonia and the most popular one — mainly thanks to the Seaplane Harbour exhibition.

How to get to Lennusadam Tallinn Museum

The Estonian Maritime Museum is located in the Seaplane Hangar. A diverse recreational area with a harbor, museum ships, and a playground surrounds it. More precisely, it’s at Põhja 24, 10415 Tallinn, Estonia. There are several ways to get there.

Waddle: it’s about a 20-30 minute waddle from Viru Gate.
Public transport: You can take tram number 1 or 2 to the Linnahall stop, just a few minutes walk from the museum. Or from here you can then take bus number 73 as we did, which takes you directly to the museum.
Taxi: Taxis are readily available in Tallinn, and you can easily find one to take you to Lennusadam Tallinn Museum.
Bike: Tallinn has a city bike rental system, a great way to get around. There is a bike rental station near the museum, so you can rent a bike and ride there.
Car: If you arrive by car, for example, with a companion, you can park your car for free in the marked car park. The car park is across the street from the Seaplane Harbour.

As mentioned, we took bus number 73 from Linnahall, and it took us directly to the museum. It’s very convenient, and we were not the only ones taking the bus.

For more information, visit their website – LINK

You can get around comfortably in the museum with a pram or wheelchair.

Tickets and Opening Hours to Lennusadam Tallinn Museum

You can buy tickets online or on-site in two ways. First, right when you enter, there is a self-serving machine where you can conveniently purchase your tickets and pay by card. Or you can go to the counter and buy tickets from the friendly and very helpful staff.

Adults: 15 €
Children 9-17 years old, students: 8 €
Family ticket: 30 €
Penguins: free entry
Admission is included in Tallinn Card.

A visit to the Seaplane Harbour will include the Seaplane Hangar’s exhibition and the Suur Tõll and the Valvas.

For changes in prices and more information on tickets, visit their site – LINK

Opening Hours

From October to April, it’s open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.
From May to October, it’s open Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm.

Check out their website to see any changes and the opening hours during holidays – LINK

Store your stuff

Note that big bags or suitcases are not allowed in the exhibition area. To have the best possible experience, you can tear away your stuff. On the left side, as you enter, you can put your jackets on hangers, and if you want to store any valuables, you can use the 1 € boxes, which will return your money once you retrieve your stuff.

A little bit of history about the Lennusadam Tallinn Museum

The Seaplane Harbour, including the Seaplane Hangar, was built to become part of Peter the Great’s naval fortress 100 years ago on orders from the Russian emperor Nicholas II.
The architecture of the Hangar is remarkable, featuring the world’s first columnless thin-shell concrete domes of such volume.
The building was used for seaplanes until the Second World War.
The Seaplane Harbour accommodates one of Europe’s grandest maritime museums.
The museum and the Seaplane Hangar have been recognized with a number of awards.

Waddling the Lennusadam Museum – Inside Exhibition

Even if you do not buy a ticket, you can still see the submarine when you waddle up the stairs on the right. However, to experience it, you have to buy one and scan it at the gate to enter the museum.

Inside the museum, you can explore various exhibits covering everything from Estonia’s naval history to the technology and engineering behind seafaring vessels. The museum’s main highlight is undoubtedly the seaplane on display in the hangar. The Short 184 was built in 1917 and was the first seaplane used by the Estonian Air Force.

The most astonishing is the submarine, though. It is huge.

In addition to the seaplane, you will find several other interactive exhibits that allow you to learn about maritime technology and engineering. There is a submarine simulator, where you can experience what it’s like to pilot a submarine, and a ship bridge simulator, where you can learn about navigation and piloting. We tried flying a plane and failed.

The exhibition has two parts – above sea level and underwater. The above sea level takes you around the whole building on a wooden walkway, and you descend down later.

There are also a lot of different defense weapons displayed. It surprised us how heavy they are and how much material is used to build them.

Submarine EML Lembit

Submarine EML Lembit, launched in 1936, was the pride of the Estonian Navy. Lembit was the peak of submarine warfare of its time. Lembit and its sister ship Kalev are the only submarines in Estonian naval history thus far. Lembit survived both the Second World War and a long exile in Russia. Kalev, however, was lost during the war. It is one of the few surviving submarines from before the Second World War. Until 2011, it was also the oldest submarine still afloat at a total of 75 years. The museum exhibition was created after Lembit. And the best part is you can waddle inside.

Read also: Historic Warships in Copenhagen

We continue waddling downstairs or to the underwater exhibition. This is the part that has the most interactive stuff to try out. We tried to fly an old airplane, then drove a small ship, tried out water pressure in different depths, tried out a life vest, and more. It was enjoyable.

Venezia – Queen of the Seas Exhibition

Currently, till the 7th of January, 2024, you can also explore an exhibition called Venezia – Queen of the Seas. The exhibition provides an enticing overview of the rise, heyday, and fall of the Republic of Venice and the city’s current struggles with the rising sea level and mass tourism.

Before you go outside to enjoy the exhibition, you have a chance to get a coffee and some snacks in the Cafe MARU and buy some cool souvenirs at the shop.

Waddling the Lennusadam Museum – Outside Exhibition

As mentioned, the exhibition continues on the outside, where you can enter and explore several ships. You have to get your jackets and waddle outside, around the building, to get to the outside exhibition.

The Suur Tõll Icebreaker

The Suur Tõll icebreaker was our favorite ship to explore. This museum ship, Estonia’s oldest and most dignified, is one of the three steam-powered icebreakers from the early 20th century that have been preserved in the Baltic Sea region. The ship was built in 1914 in the German Vulcan-Werke AG shipyard in Stettin (nowadays Poland, Szczecin).

It surprised us how spacious it is inside and very nicely designed. You can waddle all around the ship inside. See the room where people gathered or the captain’s room, and even go down to the machine room.

Of course, the outside of the ship is the best.

We waddled to another warship to explore it a little, and that was the end of the tour. We started to be exhausted as we spent a couple of hours here. Make sure to bring a snack and enough water. It is once again a lot of waddling.

Overall, the Lennusadam Tallinn Museum is a fascinating and unique destination for anyone interested in maritime history and technology. Its interactive exhibits, historic seaplane hangar, and stunning ship models make it a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Tallinn.

Enjoy your exploring!

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