This blog post was written by our student ambassador Ashley Vanessa, who is a student of the Computer Science programme at University of Tartu.

This year, I received the museum card as a gift, and honestly, it might be one of my favourite gifts I’ve received in Estonia. I didn’t think I would use it that much at first, but now it’s kind of become an extension of my whole personality. I literally use it every weekend! It is my little way of destressing after a long week in classes.

It becomes part of your routine and motivates you to explore

This is a card that gives you access to a bunch of museums all over Estonia, and it lasts 12 months! And if you are a student, you get a discount when buying. Because of it, I have made it my personal mission to visit all the museums on the museum card list. It has basically turned into my own little adventure goal. I have already done all the ones in Tallinn and Tartu, and now I am working my way through western Estonia. I love a checkbox moment, and checking these museums off is so dopamine-filled.

It turns outings into shared experiences with friends.

I’ve even dragged a few friends along for the ride, and honestly, they get just as excited. There is something about hopping on a bus together and heading to a new town with no real plan other than “let’s see what we find.” It feels like a small adventure every time. You never really know what you are going to uncover, and that is kind of the fun part.

So many Perks

Another thing I love is that you can go back to your favourite museums again and again. It’s not a one-time thing where you feel like you have to see everything in one visit and be done. I’ve definitely gone back to places just to see one specific thing again.

Also, I swear sometimes they treat you differently when you have the card. Like in a nice way. A couple of times, I got a little candy or just really warm reactions when they saw it. One time, I even got a special tour. I’m not actually sure if that was because of the card or just because the museum was empty, but I’m choosing to believe it’s because I’m part of this very exclusive museum card club.

It does pay for itself. If you actually like museums and you spend your weekends doing cultural things, after around your tenth visit, you kind of stop thinking about the price completely. At that point, it just feels like everything is free, and you start going to places you normally wouldn’t even consider.

It lets you visit museums you normally wouldn’t consider

That’s probably my favourite part. I’ve ended up in museums I would have skipped before because I would think, " Hmm, is this worth the ticket price. But with the card, I don’t think like that anymore. I just go in and see what’s there. Sometimes it’s small and random, and sometimes it’s actually amazing and I would have missed it otherwise.

It helps you learn about Estonia naturally without trying.

I have learned things like how Tallinn used to be a merchant town, full of trade and ships coming in and out, which makes the old town feel different when you walk through it. In Tartu, I have learnt bits about it being more of a university and knowledge kind of city. ​

The Vabamu Museum learnt about the lives of people during difficult times in Estonia’s history. You see how they lived and what they had to deal with. You come out of the museum feeling a bit emotional about the situations people went through in the past. It also helps you understand better Estonia’s relationship with the nations that once occupied its territory. You start to see how resilient and brave the Estonian people are.

It encourages travel and day trips across Estonia.

It gives me an excuse to go on little trips. I’m planning to go to places like Haapsalu and Saaremaa just to see what museums they have. It makes travelling feel a bit more purposeful.

My Favourite Museum so Far

The Tartu Botanical Garden, mainly the indoor part, because they have turtles and a greenhouse. That greenhouse honestly saved me during the cold months in Estonia. It felt like my little tropical escape in the middle of Tartu, somewhere warm and green when everything outside was cold.

The Estonian History Museum in Tallinn, where I learned that Tallinn used to be a major merchant town, part of the Hanseatic League, with guilds that helped run trade and daily life in the city. It also talked about how deeply the town was connected to Christianity back then, which is kind of interesting when you think about how Estonia today is not very religious.

The Red Tower museum, which I didn’t expect to love as much as I did. It’s located in Pärnu, and it talks about the city, fires, and how everything changed over time, especially how the town was rebuilt after different events. Walking through it gives you this feeling of layers of history, like the building has seen the city evolve around it for a long time. And the fact that the tower itself is still standing through all of that just makes it feel even more special, like it has quietly witnessed everything while remaining the same.

Now that spring is here, I feel like it’s the perfect time to start collecting random museum visits like they’re souvenirs!