Open Air Museum of Ethnography Museum

Admission: Georgian National Museum ticket policies vary; small fee commonly charged (local currency).

The Open Air Museum of Ethnography in Tbilisi is an open-air museum that displays traditional Georgian houses, farm buildings and regional craft items. It was established in the 1960s to preserve vernacular architecture and rural cultural heritage by relocating representative structures from different regions of Georgia.

Exhibits include multi-room houses, wooden and stone structures, and everyday rural artifacts arranged to illustrate regional building styles and domestic life. The site operates as an outdoor museum with interpretive displays and occasional craft demonstrations.

The museum was created as an ethnographic initiative to conserve architectural types that were disappearing from the countryside and to educate urban populations about regional traditions. Buildings on the site date from various periods and were moved and reconstructed to show typological differences across Georgia.

The museum is located within Tbilisi’s administrative area and is visited from the city center by public transport or taxi, serving as a cultural complement to central museums and historic districts.

• Origins: Established in the mid-20th century to preserve traditional Georgian vernacular architecture by relocating historic houses and farm buildings from across the country.
• Visitor tip: Exhibits are arranged outdoors and require walking between dispersed structures, so visitors should allow time and wear comfortable shoes.

The museum is located on the hills northwest of central Tbilisi, reachable by taxi or local bus from the city center; Turtle Lake (Gabriadze) area is nearby and often used as a landmark. Expect a 15-25 minute drive from central Rustaveli Avenue depending on traffic.

• Head uphill from Turtle Lake side for the easiest path into the site and the best panorama of Tbilisi.
• The museum contains intact examples of rural architecture from diverse Georgian regions; study the labels for dates - the buildings were relocated and reconstructed in the 1960s-1970s.
• Visit in late afternoon for long light across the wooden houses and to see local families using the lawns.