House of Peter the Great is the oldest museum in Tallinn, which was opened in 1806 on the orders of Russian emperor Alexander I.
Tsar Peter I of Russia acquired the 17th-century building in 1714 and used it as his residence during his visits to Tallinn. He particularly liked the view of the sea and the harbour from Lasnamägi Hill behind the manor. It made it possible to observe the hostile vessels that patrolled the Gulf of Finland due to the ongoing Great Northern War (1700-1721). Peter I had also acquired the lands surrounding the manor by 1718 and started building Kadriorg Palace and the park ensemble. The tsar’s first place of residence in the park became known as the "old palace".
The house of Peter I has been operating as a branch of Tallinn City Museum since 1941.
The museum's exhibition contains unique items that surrounded Peter I and Catherine I during their stay in the house. The museum also has a unique collection of paintings, the star of which is an original portrait of Michael I of Russia which was donated to the Brotherhood of Black Heads in 1639.
Entrance is free with Tallinn Card.
based on 97 reviews
This place is worth going to - it’s very small so not exhausting at all. I would recommend buying a joint ticket with some other museum (e.g. Kadriorg Palace), which makes it even less expensive. The... Read more comments
Peter's cottage was part of our tour and we only saw the outside. Our guide shared many details about it along with the history of park, The interior of it was not open for tourist so that was... Read more comments
We came to see Kadriorg Palace on a Monday, not realising that it is closed on Mondays. Never mind we enjoyed the external views and the gorgeous parks and gardens. Then we discovered this little... Read more comments