Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam)

Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam) is the Estonian Maritime Museum's main exhibition space at Vesilennuki 6, in the Kalamaja and Noblessner waterfront area of Tallinn, Harju County, Estonia. The building is a landmark of early reinforced-concrete engineering: three huge shell-concrete domes built in 1916 to 1917 as hangars for Russian Imperial Navy seaplanes, and later restored and reopened as a museum in 2012. Inside, the vast hall is arranged around a fully accessible 1936 Lembit submarine, one of the most striking exhibits in the Baltic, which visitors can board and walk through. Around it are historic aircraft including a replica of a Short 184 seaplane, sea mines, small boats, a full-size reconstructed ship's section and a large collection of maritime artefacts. Several interactive displays and a flight simulator make the museum popular with families. Outside, the museum's flotilla of historic vessels is moored at the harbour, including the ice-breaker Suur Tõll, which can be visited in season. Visitors usually allow two to three hours. The best photo angles are from the upper walkway looking down at the submarine and from the harbour looking back at the three domes. Crowds are heaviest on rainy days and summer weekends, when families fill the halls, so arriving at opening gives the best chance of a queue-free look inside the Lembit. The museum is a short walk from the Kalamaja neighbourhood and a longer walk from the old town, and a combined ticket with the nearby Fat Margaret tower at the old-town gate is sold. The museum has a cafe, and the walk along the Noblessner waterfront nearby makes for a natural extension.