In Lithuania’s summer capital, Palanga, at Vytauto Street 23A, stands a cosy wooden villa built at the end of the 19th century. Today it is known as the Jonas Šliūpas Museum, dedicated to the first burgomaster of Palanga and one of the branches of the National Museum of Lithuania, which celebrates its 170th anniversary this year. By the glazed veranda—once the very spot from which Jonas Šliūpas himself looked out—the past and present meet, inviting visitors to discover Palanga, history, and art.

From Tiškevičius Summer House to the Burgomaster’s Residence

The villa on Vytauto Street was built by the Tiškevičius counts in the late 19th century. It is a typical example of the resort architecture of that time—a single-storey wooden house with an attic, an ornate openwork cornice, and a glazed veranda. Such houses were particularly popular among holidaymakers in seaside resorts.

At first, the villa was rented out to the manor’s staff, who in turn sublet it to vacationers. During the World War I, when the region was occupied by the German Empire, a topographical office was established here to record changes to Palanga’s shoreline caused by storms. After the war, when the town became part of independent Lithuania, many villas—including this one—changed owners.

In the summer of 1930, physician, public activist, and promoter of Lithuanian national identity Jonas Šliūpas arrived in Palanga. Here he wrote, pursued scholarly work, initiated educational projects for the town, and contributed to the development of its infrastructure.

In 1933, Šliūpas became the first burgomaster of Palanga, and the villa became both his workplace and residence until 1944, when he was forced to leave Lithuania due to the war.

The Jonas Šliūpas Museum – A Centre of History and Art

In 1989, a museum was established in the villa, becoming part of the National Museum of Lithuania as the Dr Jonas Šliūpas Memorial Homestead-Museum, later renamed the Jonas Šliūpas Museum.

At the entrance, visitors are greeted by a memorial plaque (by sculptor Petras Gintalas), a monument to Jonas Šliūpas (by Aloyzas Toleikis, Donatas Lukoševičius, and Jolanta Galdikienė), and a witty outdoor comic-style exhibition (by Miglė Anušauskaitė) illustrating the burgomaster’s life. The building and its surroundings have been renovated and adapted for visitors with disabilities, preserving and highlighting architectural features of ethnographic, aesthetic, and scholarly value.

In 2025, the villa was awarded the UNESCO Blue Shield, a designation reserved for cultural heritage sites of exceptional importance that are protected under the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

Today, the museum’s activities reflect Jonas Šliūpas’s vision of enlightenment. Through guided tours, events, exhibitions, and discussions, visitors can explore diverse aspects of history and art, as well as the fascinating life of Palanga’s first burgomaster.

Museum hours: Wednesday–Friday 10:00–17:00, Saturday 11:00–17:00, Sunday 11:00–16:00. For inquiries or to book educational activities, email [email protected] or call +370 612 86114. More information at lnm.lt.