The Nalšia Museum is a treasure house for more than 62,000 archeological, natural, historical and ethnographic objects that tell unexpected stories and reveal the deep secrets of the past.
The museum is distinguished not only by the abundance of exhibits, but also by virtual exhibitions, which offer the opportunity to get acquainted with the museum’s collections with the help of conventional two-dimensional and 360° photo galleries and video recordings. Click on the EXHIBITIONS section to start the virtual tour.
We wish you a fun virtual experience and invite you to visit the extremely rich and intriguing collection of the museum!
Ignotas Šilkinis, who lived in the village of Santaka, Švenčionys county, started collecting historical and ethnographic material in 1912.
As early as 1925, local intellectuals spoke of the need for a museum.
In 1934, at the general convention of the Association of Teachers, it was decided to establish a public museum at the Švenčionys Association of Teachers branch.
In 1936, it stored about 500 antiquities.
In 1937, the museum was closed by the Polish authorities. The exhibits have not survived. The Švenčionys Local Lore Museum has been established.
in February 1945, the fund of the museum consisted of educational tools used at schools, a collection of minerals, stone axes, a collection of coins and banknotes.
In 1955, the museum moved to new premises.
19 November 1992 the museum was renamed The Nalšia Museum. The name Nalšia reflects the old inheritance of the values of spiritual culture, all the more so because the ethno-culture and ethnography of this region is unique and authentic.
After the construction of the new building, on February 14, 2000 the Nalšia Museum opened its doors to visitors. It has three exhibition halls (414 sq. m.) and an exposition hall (136 sq. m.). In temporary exhibitions (expositions of the collections), each department displays the most interesting and valuable exhibits. The author of the exhibition is the artist-architect Gražina Pajarskaitė.
