Museums and galleries in Georgia

There are dozens of different museums in Georgia, where visitors can get acquainted with the country’s thousand-year history, see archaeological artifacts, sacred and artistic works.

The largest Museum complex is the national Museum of Georgia. These are several exhibition buildings and not only in Tbilisi, where you can see collections of Urartian inscriptions and hominid bones, ceramics, ancient icons, Handicrafts, and ancient clothing. In its halls there are rich collections of Zoology, anthropology, and Geology.

At the same time, there are many small exhibition complexes and art galleries in Georgia, where exhibitions of various collections are regularly opened. Most art galleries are private, but this does not prevent them from showing the works of the best Georgian masters of the past centuries.

Please note that almost all museums in Georgia are closed on Monday and close at 18.00 (and even at 17.00 in winter). Children under 6 years old can enter for free, there are benefits for school children and students. Usually an adult entrance ticket to the state Museum costs 3-7 gel.

We offer an overview of the most interesting museums in the country.

Top 14 museums to visit in Georgia

1. Museum Of Georgia

The Museum of Georgia (part of the National Museum of Georgia) is located in the center of  Тbilisi – on Shota Rustaveli Avenue. The Museum is easily accessible by public transport or taxi. The Museum houses an outstanding collection of archaeological treasures-local and imported ancient objects that date back to the III-th century.the Millennium BC Visitors can also enjoy a permanent exhibition about the natural history of the Caucasus.

2. Museum of fine arts

The Museum of fine arts (part of the National Museum of Georgia) is located on Shota Rustaveli Avenue in Тbilisi  in the building of a former theological Seminary. The Museum presents the medieval history of Georgia – the collection of the Christian Treasury is mandatory for those who are interested in Georgian art and culture.

3. Национальная галерея

The national gallery (part of the national Museum of Georgia) is also located in the so-called Museum zone, on Shota Rustaveli Avenue in Тbilisi.

The entrance to the gallery is hidden in the shade of trees in the Park of the Emperor Alexander (today’s Park on April 9). Visitors to the National gallery can enjoy fascinating collections of Georgian paintings and sculptures.

Among them is the largest collection of works by Niko Pirosmani, which is equally interesting and fun for both adults and children. Excursions are conducted in Georgian, Russian and English. This is a great place for coffee lovers on the terrace. You can enjoy a drink on the terrace overlooking the green area of the Park on April 9, and then take a walk in the pleasant green area in the city center.

4. Tbilisi historical Museum

It is obvious that when you decide to go to Тbilisi, you will not be able to avoid visiting its historical center. It is there, in the pedestrian zone of narrow medieval streets, that the Tbilisi historical Museum is located. This former caravanserai building, surrounded by dozens of street cafes, is a favorite tourist attraction: some find the exhibition history of the city interesting; others like to visit small, fascinating studios and shops of local arts and crafts and Souvenirs.

5. State silk Museum

Georgia is one of the countries along the historical great silk road. Sericulture here has a long history since ancient times. The state silk Museum in Тbilisi is unique among silk museums around the world, being one of the oldest and with its diverse collections. The Museum’s exceptional collection ranges from samples ranging from mulberry seeds to final silk products, and spans the last two centuries. The Museum is part of the former complex of the Caucasian sericulture station, built in 1887 -1891 by the Polish architect Alexander Szymkiewicz, who also designed the furniture of the Museum and its library. The Museum building is included in the list of cultural heritage monuments.

6. Ethnographic Museum

This is an open-air Museum in Vake Park in Тbilisi, near the Turtle lake. It immediately became one of the brightest sights of the capital. It was created on the initiative of the famous Georgian ethnographer George Reading. The Museum now has more than 8 thousand exhibits from all over the country. These are houses and buildings Dating back to the bronze age, household items, jewelry, weapons, dishes.
The Museum exposition is divided into 14 zones according to the number of regions of the country. Exhibitions and festivals are regularly held here.

7. Zurab Tsereteli Museum of modern art

The Museum, created under the patronage of the famous Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, is located in Тbilisi in an old building on Shota Rustaveli Avenue. Here you can view a large collection of the master and other Western European artists. On 3000 sq.modern avant-garde and national art is represented on the square. The collection includes paintings, silkscreens, sculptures, and bulk enamel.

8.” Ornament ” Art gallery

The technique of cloisonne enamel sounds like minankari in Georgian. The earliest known artifacts belong to the VIII – IX centuries, and the technique itself is borrowed from the masters of ancient Byzantium. Therefore, it is not surprising that most of the items that are stored in the state Museum of fine arts in Tbilisi have religious themes.

Art minakari developed in Georgia to the XV century, then disappeared. And twenty years ago, art enthusiasts decided to revive it, gathered Georgian master jewelers and opened the “Ornament” art gallery in Тbilisi. Today, in its exposition, you can see and buy unique author’s handmade jewelry made in various styles, as well as items of decorative and applied art.

9. The Svaneti Museum and Tower of Margiani

Anyone who comes to Georgia must climb the Svaneti mountains. For centuries, Samgrelo-Zemo Svaneti  region was the Keeper of the Georgian Treasury – the tsars sent their wealth to the mountains during invasions. Currently, these treasures are collected in the collections of the Svaneti Museum in Mestia (part of the National Museum of Georgia) and constitute one of the most important collections stored in museums in Georgia.

In addition to displaying unique masterpieces of local and foreign decorative and applied arts, the Svaneti Museum is an important regional social space with its new media library, adapted lobby and roof terrace (in summer). A Cup of delicious coffee in a cafe with a panoramic view of the towers of Svaneti and the top of Tetnuldi will improve your mood and charge you with new energy before you continue your journey further up to Ushguli, which is considered the highest continuously inhabited village in Europe. Mestia can be reached by regional buses from Zugdidi and Tbilisi. The Museum is located a short walk from the center of Mestia.

10. Dadiani Palace and Historical and ethnographic Museum

Dadiani Palace is located in the small town of Zugdidi, Western Georgia (361 km from Tbilisi). This is the main attraction of the province ofSamgrelo-Zemo Svaneti  region. The centuries-old building complex with a huge Park and Botanical garden is a favorite place of recreation for both local residents and visitors.

The historical and ethnographic Museum, located in the Dadiani Palace, presents the private collections of the Dadiani family; later, in the XX century, the collections of the Museum were enriched with local archaeological finds. Visiting the Dadiani Palace will be a pleasant, unforgettable trip for the whole family, where you can spend time outdoors and indoors during the spring and summer months.

11. Музей Сигнахи

Каkheti is the most famous region of Georgia for wine production. This is the best tourist destination that is worth seeing and must visit almost all year round. There are many museums in Kakheti, but one of them is definitely worth a visit. This is the Museum of Sighnaghi, which is located in the city of Sighnaghi – the city of love.

The statue of Tamada (Georgian holiday) meets you at the entrance to this Museum (part of the National Museum of Georgia). The Museum has regional collections of decorative and applied arts. The most interesting of them is a collection of wine vessels of all sizes and scales. The Museum’s terrace offers a beautiful view of the Alazani valley and the Caucasus mountains.

12. Tsinandali Museum

The Tsinandali Museum is located in the house of the Georgian poet and nobleman Alexander Chavchavadze in Каkheti region. The Museum displays various items of furniture, fine and decorative art, books and manuscripts from the collections of Chavchavadze. The house-Museum also has a wonderful garden of the XIX century and a wine cellar, built in 1835. Signaghi and Tsinandali can be reached by regional buses or taxis. Museums are located within walking distance from the stations.

13. Museum Of Pirosmani

A small one-story house in the village of Mirzaani in Каkheti region is the home of the famous Georgian primitive artist Niko Pirosmani. Today it is turned into a Museum, which houses the second largest collection of the artist (after the National gallery in Tbilisi). In addition, the courtyard of the Pirosmani Museum with its huge trees is a favorite place for children to play hide and seek.

14. Iosif Stalin Museum

The Museum of former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (Dzhugashvili) is opened in his homeland in the city of Gori (Shida Kartli region) near the house where he was born. It was built during the lifetime of Stalin, but it was opened to visitors only in 1995. In the exhibition you can see a lot of personal belongings of Stalin, furniture, photos, documents. There are plaster and stone busts of the leader. Even his early poems are presented. The Museum even has an entire railway car in which Stalin traveled around the country, his car with a luxurious interior – Venetian mirrors and carved furniture.