Kelme regional museum founded on 25 October, 1990 after the reorganization of the public Ethnographic museum of Kelme. The museum is located in a valuable cultural heritage site – in the Kelme Manor House of 18th century, which consists of the central palace, the gate building, the barn.
The museum legal form – budgetary institution financed from the budget of Kelme region municipality. The museum is a limited liability public legal person with the economic, financial, organizational and legal autonomy; its own seal, bank accounts. Address – Dvaro Street 15, Kelme, LT-86111, www.kelmesmuziejus.lt. The museum is headed by a director appointed and dismissed by the Kelme region Council.
Museum type – Ethnographic museum.
Museum branches: P. Višinskis Memorial Museum, Užventis Ethnographic Museum, Šaukėnai Ethnographic Museum, Žalpiai Ethnographic Museum.
The objectives of the museum are as follows: to collect, study, preserve, convey to the public the region’s cultural spiritual and material values.
25600 items are stored in the museum. The museum collection fields are the following theme exhibit kits: ethnographic, historical, prints, photographs, art and Jonas Vadeikis- Karl-May- American Indian.
The total area of the exposition together with the units is 1,128 square meters, and is located in six buildings. Running the following exposures: Kelme Manor House and Gruževskiai family history; Kelme history fragments, folk art and household; Vl. Pūtvis-Putvinskis, a public figure of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union; the interpreter Jonas Vadeikis – a writer Karl May – about American Indians; and the exposure at barn building of traditional cultivation tools.
In three halls of the museum and the gate building there are various season exhibitions. Every year the museum together with the branches are welcomed on average of 80 events, 150 educational activities. Each year, the museum and its branches are visited an average of 12 thousand visitors. Students from bigger cities are interested in educational programs. Kelme regional museum along with its branches has 15 employees (11,5 posts).
The museum of the Kelme region is located in Kelme Estate Manor. The expositions of the museum are arranged in the three buildings of this ensemble: manor, gates, and granary.