The Lithuanian Road Museum (Lithuanian: Lietuvos kelių muziejus) is a museum in Vievis, Lithuania, that exhibits the history of road building and road history. It was founded in 1995 to create a space where visitors could learn about the history of roads and the road maintenance exhibits collected over the years. The museum is owned by the state-owned company "Kelių priežiūra" and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania.
History
With the restoration of the country's independence and the launch of the Lithuanian Motorway Directorate, the long-cherished vision of the road workers to start collecting and exhibiting material on the history of Lithuania's roads was fulfilled – the Lithuanian Road Museum was opened on October 19, 1995. The first director of the museum was Juozas Stepankevičius.
Exposition
During the almost 30 years of the museum's existence, the exhibition has been continuously expanded with new exhibits and now occupies two floors of the building. Heavy road construction and maintenance equipment are also displayed in a separate building and outdoor exhibition. The museum currently contains more than 8,000 items.
The museum displays old maps of Lithuania, photo albums, first books, and magazines about road construction. There are models of bridges, viaducts, bus stops, various other structures, the oldest road construction and maintenance tools, and road signs. Pre-war and post-war road construction and maintenance equipment are also on display.
Horse-drawn bitumen boiler
One of the museum's most unique exhibits is a horse-drawn bitumen boiler made in Germany in 1854. For a long time, the boiler was forgotten until it was discovered on the old road workers' premises. It remains a mystery how the boiler stayed undiscovered for so many years.
Other activities
The Road Museum houses exhibits, some of which are very rare or unique. They tell the story of Lithuanian road workers over the last hundred years. Many of the exhibits have been donated by the road workers themselves, revealing to visitors not only the stories of road work but also their own stories.
The Road Museum is frequently visited by residents of the surrounding towns, visitors from abroad, and groups of visitors from all over Lithuania. The museum organizes guided tours to learn about the history of the exhibits.
In 2015, to celebrate the museum's 20th anniversary, the book "Lithuanian Road Museum" was published. The book describes and illustrates the history of the museum and its past and present exhibits.
The Road Museum is also a member of the Lithuanian Museum Association.
