Open Air Museum of Ethnography, Outdoor ethnographic museum in Vake district, Tbilisi, Georgia

The Open Air Museum of Ethnography is a large outdoor museum on a hillside in Tbilisi, where around 70 traditional buildings from different parts of Georgia have been relocated and rebuilt. The collection includes dwellings, watchtowers, mills, and other structures dating back centuries and showing different architectural styles.

The museum was founded on 27 April 1966 by ethnographer Giorgi Chitaia, with its general plan designed by Longinoz Sumbadze. Its first exhibit was a stone tomb found by chance beneath a church in Sioni, Tianeti, moved to the site in April 1966 under restorer Valerian Vacharidze and stonemason foreman Mikheil Bogushev. Since 30 December 2004 it has been part of the Georgian National Museum.

The buildings on display reflect how people from various Georgian regions built their homes and organized their daily lives around local resources. Walking through the structures reveals the practical choices each community made based on their geography and traditions.

The museum grounds are hilly and require a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes and plan to spend several hours there. There are shaded areas between buildings, but few benches, so bringing water is helpful.

The first exhibit was a stone tomb found by chance beneath a church in the village of Sioni in Tianeti, which was dismantled because of the Sioni reservoir. Its transfer to the site was completed in April 1966 under restorer Valerian Vacharidze and stonecutter Mikheil Bogushev.