Discover the charm of Kyiv’s outdoor museums during spring and summer! These attractions are open year-round, but the best time to visit them is from April to October. Visitors can stroll around, relax, have a picnic, and take beautiful pictures in these expansive outdoor spaces. Plan for a half or full day of exploration to make the most of your visit. Since the museums are located on the outskirts, we recommend taking a taxi or arranging for a transfer. In this article, I provide valuable information about Kyiv’s outdoor museums.

1. The museum of folk architecture and life in Pyrogiv

This is the biggest Skansen in Ukraine where you can see the original peasant houses of the 19th and 20th centuries and old churches, and learn about the traditional way of life of Ukrainians. The museum was founded in 1969, and it became an important scientific center for researching traditional Ukrainian culture. All exhibits are real and represent six ethnographical regions of Ukraine on a territory of 133 hectares. It seems that history comes to life here. The oldest wooden house dates back to 1587. There are five wooden churches built in the 17th and 18th centuries, which are still active, and people can visit a religious service. Tourists often say that they would like to live in such a house. This is not possible in a state museum, but some private museums offer the opportunity to rent a Ukrainian-style hut for an overnight stay, for example, in the Ukrainian Village ethnocomplex in Buzova village.

Activities in Pyrogiv. Many folk festivals, master classes of artisans, and concerts take place in the museum on holidays. There are restaurants with Ukrainian food and street food booths on the territory. Some people make a picnic by bringing homemade sandwiches and drinks. Please note the following information. The area has steep slopes, making it difficult for individuals with leg and bone conditions to walk. The public restroom is not suitable for people with special needs. During the spring and summer, you can request an electric car with a driver.

How to get to the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life in Pyrogiv? It is better to take a taxi or a private transfer. The public transport is not convenient because there is no direct bus from the city center. First, it is necessary to reach the metro station Lybidska, then take a trolleybus №11, go to the final stop, and then walk 15 minutes to the museum.
Please be aware that there is an extra fee for driving your car on the museum’s premises.

2. Mamayeva Sloboda

The private ethnographical museum “Mamayeva Sloboda” represents an old Ukrainian Cossack village. All houses are replicas but you can find many original exhibits inside. The name of the museum originates from the folklore character Cossack Mamay. Ukrainian Cossacks were warriors who formed a special half-military and half-civil way of life with many unique traditions. In the 17th century, Cossacks created a Ukrainian independent state that gave rise to the formation of the modern Ukrainian nation.
Activities. You can visit folklore shows, listen to the choir, and participate in masterclasses of local masters. In a local restaurant, they propose traditional Ukrainian dishes such as borsch, salo (pork lard), varenyky (dumplings with different stuff), holubtsi (cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and meat), and others. Note that there are no electric cars on the territory.
How to get to Mamayeva Sloboda? The fastest way to get to the museum is to take a taxi or a private transfer. Public transport is much cheaper but it takes a lot of time to get there from the city center. First, you go to the metro station “Shulyavska”, and then take a trolleybus №27 to the stop “Mykhayla Dontsya”.

3. Park “Kyiv and Ukraine in miniature”

This lovely museum is situated on the banks of the Dnipro River, in the Hydropark area, a popular spot for locals to relax during the summer. This is a mini-town with over 60 models, small sculptures of different buildings, and statues that represent Kyiv and Ukraine. The models are made on a scale of 1:33.
Activities. You can find many beaches, cafes, restaurants, and water activities in the nearby area. There are no cafes and restaurants in the museum, nevertheless, you can find many options nearby.
How to get to the “Kyiv and Ukraine in miniature” museum? It is better to take a taxi or a private transfer. If you prefer to use public transport, you can get to the “Hydropark” metro station and then walk for about 15-20 minutes through the park. Pay attention, that the park is sparsely populated in late autumn and winter so we do not recommend walking there alone. For people with special needs. It is possible to go there in a wheelchair but public WC is not adapted for people with disabilities.

4. Mezhygiria Park

Mezhygiria Park is one of the best and most popular tourist destinations in Ukraine. The residence of the Ukrainian ex-president Viktor Yanukovych has the non-official name of the Museum of Corruption. Viktor Yanukovych lived in this residence from 2002 to February 2014 and spent millions of dollars of state money on the construction of a house, a park, and entertainment on the banks of the Kyivan Sea. When he ran away to Russia after the Euro-Maidan Revolution (2013-2014), a group of activists and volunteers preserved and kept the maintenance of a house and a park transforming it into a museum. You can visit the living house of Honka, a zoo, a small farm, a museum of vintage cars, a dog center, and other places. Once a tourist remarked: “I feel like I am in a movie about the mafia”. But don’t worry, no mafia there anymore. It operates as a state park open to tourists.
Activities. You can rent a bike and electric cars. There is a restaurant of Ukrainian food and street food booths (coffee, tea, beverages, sandwiches, hot dogs, and ice cream). The territory is very big so it may be hard to walk for people having leg and bone diseases. At the entrance, you can find a rental of electric cars.
How to get to Mezhygiria? If you’re planning to visit Mezhygiria, it’s best to take a taxi or arrange for a private transfer. Getting there by public transport is difficult, and the journey from the city center can take over two hours. First, you need to go to the “Heroiv Dnipra” metro station and then look for a bus named “Mezhygiria”. However, this bus runs on a special schedule and there’s a chance that the route may get cancelled at times.

5. Railway Museum

If you have free time before waiting for a train, it is a good idea to visit an exhibition of historical locomotives and wagons, located on the Southern railway near platform 14. You can see historical wagons, learn about the history of the railway, enter inside, and take amazing pictures. Six locomotives, 4 vintage wagons, and other vehicles are interesting for both children and adults. Of special interest is the wagon №70139 built in 1910 in Hungary. Many prominent people used them for traveling, business trips, and holidays, for example, Petr Stolypin, General Brusilov, Leo Trotsky, and others. The museum works from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm.

Check out more pictures of museums on the open air on Instagram travel blog Tour Guide Kyiv Ukraine @olena.guide.ukraine