Ukrainian open-air museums (skansens) are living spaces where time slows down and traditions come alive in every house, craft, and story. Here you can see what life was like for our ancestors, feel the spirit of ancient rituals, touch authentic folk culture, and preserve the values that have shaped Ukrainian identity for centuries.
From the Carpathians to Slobozhanshchyna, from Podillia to Polissia — the skansens of Ukraine reveal cultural heritage in its authentic, untouched form. This journey allows you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the past and understand how deeply Ukrainian history, culture, and traditions are intertwined.
Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life of Ukraine (“Pyrohiv”)
The National Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life of Ukraine is the country’s largest open-air museum, bringing together the architectural and landscape heritage of all historical and ethnographic regions: Polissia, Slobozhanshchyna, Poltava region, the Carpathians, Naddniprianshchyna, Podillia, and the South. Founded in 1969 on the southern outskirts of Kyiv, the open-air museum welcomed its first visitors in 1976. Today it features around 300 monuments of folk architecture from the 16th to the 20th centuries: houses, granaries, wells, farm complexes, and more. The oldest exhibit is a house from the village of Samary dating back to 1587. The museum’s collections include about 100,000 items — from traditional clothing and furniture to handicrafts and musical instruments.
The museum actively revives folk crafts and traditions: since 1978 it has hosted seasonal ethnographic fairs and numerous folk celebrations — from Christmas festivities to Andriyivski vechornytsi. In the “Creative Workshop,” visitors can learn papercutting, pottery, or carpentry. Guests may explore the museum on their own or with a guide, and can also visit souvenir shops and local eateries. Every year, the Kyiv skansen welcomes thousands of visitors from Ukraine and abroad.
The museum is located on the southern edge of Kyiv, surrounded by the green expanse of the ancient Holosiiv Forest, at: Kyiv, 1 Akademika Tronka Street. The skansen is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00, although operating hours may vary depending on the season and daylight. Note that interior visits are not possible on Tuesdays and Wednesdays — on these days, the buildings remain closed.
The Klymentii Sheptytskyi Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life in Lviv (“Shevchenkivskyi Hai”)
The Klymentii Sheptytskyi Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life in Lviv — also known as the Lviv Skansen or Shevchenkivskyi Hai — is one of the most important centers for preserving Ukrainian traditions. Founded in 1971, it encompasses more than 100 architectural objects across 36.6 hectares and holds nearly 22,000 museum items, including the largest collection of sacred structures in Europe.
The skansen recreates micro-villages representing different ethnographic regions of Western Ukraine — from the Boyko and Lemko areas to Hutsulshchyna, Podillia, and Zakarpattia. During their walk, visitors can explore authentic houses, farm buildings, household items, and traditional crafts, immersing themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of Ukrainian cultural heritage.
Beyond its architectural and ethnographic exhibits, the skansen welcomes its youngest visitors with interactive quests as an alternative to traditional tours, weekly activities, and themed educational camps that help children discover folk culture through play and hands-on engagement. Upon request, the museum also organizes children's celebrations and birthday parties featuring folk games and traditional entertainment.
The skansen is open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, except for the interiors of the homesteads and exhibition halls, which are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. It is located in Lviv at 1 Chernecha Hora Street.
The Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life (“Uzhhorod Skansen”)
The Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life is one of the most picturesque skansens in Ukraine, located in the historical heart of Uzhhorod. It is a space that preserves the cultural heritage and memories of the everyday life of the people of Zakarpattia across different historical periods. On its nearly 2 hectares, the museum gathers the most characteristic examples of traditional wooden architecture and household items representing various ethnographic groups and national minorities of the region — including Ukrainians, Romanians, and Hungarians. The exhibits cover the period from the mid-18th century to the 1930s.
Work on establishing the museum began in 1965, when researchers set out on their first expeditions to find traditional houses, farm buildings, and authentic household items. By 1967, the first homesteads began to appear on the site, and on June 27, 1970, the museum officially opened its doors to visitors. Today, the Uzhhorod Skansen is one of the oldest open-air museums in Ukraine, and its collection comprises about 19,000 items.
The Transcarpathian skansen has another charming feature — it is home to a small “resident” community of furry friends: cats, rabbits, goats, and even fish. Feeding the animals is not allowed, but they receive careful care and have become a beloved and inseparable part of the museum.
The skansen is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 in summer and from 9:00 to 17:00 in winter. Address: 33a Kapitulna Street, Uzhhorod.
A journey through these museums is not only an opportunity to observe the past but also to feel your personal connection to it. Skansens preserve what shapes our identity: respect for tradition, love for craftsmanship, the beauty of everyday life, and profound spirituality. They teach, inspire, and remind us that Ukrainian culture is alive, diverse, and inexhaustible. A pleasant bonus is that all skansens offer free admission for preschool children and provide discounted rates for school students, making cultural heritage accessible to families. Every step through these spaces is a step toward a deeper understanding of oneself, of one’s roots, and of the values that unite generations.
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