Seaplane Harbour

Why go

The 1936 submarine Lembit gives this museum a focus that few maritime displays can match. Around it, the hangar's layered layout links aircraft, ships and underwater travel, so the building itself helps tell the story. The museum ships extend the visit beyond the main exhibition space.

What to look for

• The vast seaplane hangar once served a naval fortress.
• Lembit is an Estonian submarine dating from 1936.
• The icebreaker Suur Tõll is among the museum ships.

The full story

The hangar was built for seaplanes as part of Peter the Great's Naval Fortress. Its open interior now lets the Estonian Maritime Museum arrange the collection in three layers: in the air, on the sea and below it. That layout makes the old aviation building more than a shell for exhibits. It lets you move between different ways of crossing and working on the water. Lembit, ordered by Estonia from the United Kingdom, entered service in 1936 and anchors the underwater story. A full-size replica of a First World War seaplane recalls the hangar's original purpose; the original aircraft have not survived. The collection also includes the wreck of Maasilinn, a wooden ship that sailed between Saaremaa and mainland Estonia in the 16th century. Together these objects stretch the story from coastal trade to the modern navy.

Useful to know

• Plan for both the hangar and the museum ships if Lembit and Suur Tõll are your main interests.
• Check the museum's current visitor information before planning around the ships.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.