WHEELCHAIR ACCESS - with difficulty as there are two steps and numerous doorsills between the 6 rooms of the first museum building.
Open May 1-Oct 15 Wed-Fri 11.00-18.00; Sat 11.00-15.00 Sun-Tues Closed.
Entry fee €2.50
There are three buildings forming the Glass complex in Järvakandi. Two are for the Glass Museum. One is the Glass Blowing Studio. Each of the operations has its own website.
Opening months are the same for both operations.
The exhibition displays in the Museum are bilingual Estonian/English.
The sand in the Järvakandi locale is ideal for glass making. A glass factory in one form or another has been in the town since the beginning of the C19th, making Järvakandi one of Rapla's more prosperous 'in-the-middle-of-nowhere' townships.
The exhibition combines videos of glass production with pieces of antique machinery from the local factory, examples of glassware produced throughout the Soviet period and of particular interest a small display of the interior of a glass-workers 1880s cottage.
A small aural do-it-yourself display show (but does not explain) the difference in sound that cut lead-crystal glass makes when hit with a utensil and the sound modern molded glass makes.
If you have ever wondered how plate glass for window panes was made before the industrial revolution go to this museum.
The second building of the museum is given over to exhibits of glass bottle production.
Ticket-holders (i.e. visitors to the Museum) receive a substantial discount when buying food and drink at Club Cinema (a multi-purpose entertainment venue) in the adjoining building. The food at Club Cinema is 'home-cooking' Estonia cuisine with home-cooking prices.
English visitors are advised to try the saivorm piimaga - a bread-and-butter pudding served cold with milk. SCRUMPTIOUS!
As Järvakandi is 87 km south of Tallinn (Estonia's all year round capital) and 58km northeast of Pärnu (the summer capital), the best plan for visiting this attraction is to stop on the way to either city from the other and visit both attractions and eat at the Club Cinema.
