Devils

Updated June 11, 2025

## Devils’ Museum (Velnių muziejus) in Kaunas: what it is, why it exists, and how to visit

Devils’ Museum in Kaunas, Lithuania is part of the A. Žmuidzinavičius Creations and Collections Museum, a branch of the National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art.

At a glance (from official listings):

– Name (branch): A. Žmuidzinavičius Creations and Collections Museum | Devils’ Museum
– Address: V. Putvinskio str. 64, Kaunas, Lithuania
– Opening hours (as listed):
– Tue–Wed & Fri: 11:00–17:00
– Thu: 11:00–19:00
– Sat–Sun: 10:00–17:00
– (Visitors are admitted until at least 30 minutes before closing.)
– Ticket price shown on national tourism listing: €8
– Ticket price shown on the museum’s ticket page: 8.00 EUR (full) and 4.00 EUR (discount) for Devils’ Museum / A. Žmuidzinavičius Creations and Collections Museum
– Contact (official): [email protected], +370 675 13372

Because hours, prices, and temporary closures can change, treat the above as “published info” and verify on the museum’s official pages before you go.

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## The origin story: one gift in 1906 that didn’t stop multiplying

The Devils’ Museum grew from a private collection started by Lithuanian artist Antanas Žmuidzinavičius (1876–1966), who began collecting devil figures in 1906.

The museum’s own account ties the collection’s beginning to a devil sculpture gifted to Žmuidzinavičius at a folk art exhibition in 1906. It also recounts a memorable episode from that same year: writer-priest Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas brought a wooden sculpture known as The Trampled Devil (dated to the 18th century), but because it was too large, he cut off the St. Michael figure and delivered only the devil—along with a wish that the artist keep collecting devils for the rest of his life.

Žmuidzinavičius reportedly set himself a target of “thirteen baker’s dozens” (169) devils, but ended up collecting 260.

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## What you’ll actually see: the collection is organized by “where the devils came from”

If you want the simplest mental model, it’s this: the Devils’ Museum isn’t only about “scary devils.” It’s a museum where a single mythological character becomes a lens on folk art, political history, and cross-cultural symbolism—because the objects arrived as gifts, souvenirs, artworks, and international donations across decades.

### Second floor: Lithuanian devils after Žmuidzinavičius
The museum explains that the second floor presents devils created by folk masters, craftspeople, and professional artists that were donated after the death of the collection’s initiator (A. Žmuidzinavičius).

It also notes that the collection grew rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s, and directly links that growth to the political context of the time: the prevailing Soviet system made the devil a “convenient” figure for mocking or sidelining Catholic faith, while also turning the character into something humorous or even sympathetic in popular imagery.

This period, the museum says, coincided with an increase in devil-themed folk-art souvenirs—items like medals, masks, sculptures, ceramic pieces, mugs, candlesticks, whistles, and similar gift objects.

### Third floor: devils donated by visitors from abroad
On the third floor, the museum displays gifts donated by foreign visitors—devils and masks from European, American, Asian, and African countries. The museum says these objects help show how different cultures conceptualize “a devil” (and related demonological beings) through ethnography and celebrations, and that objects are displayed by the countries they came from.

It also states plainly: most of the exhibited works are visitor gifts.

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## The folklore layer: devils as language, stories, and place names

One of the most useful details the museum provides is how deeply “the devil” is embedded in Lithuanian language and folklore:

– The museum lists multiple Lithuanian names used for the devil and says the number of devil-names in Lithuanian totals more than a thousand.
– It states that the devil appears in more than 5,000 legends and fairy tales.
– It adds there are about 400 place names in Lithuania linked to the devil (it gives examples like “Devil’s Hole,” “Devil’s Bog,” and “Devil’s Swamp”).

The museum also describes the devil’s “deceitful” appearance in folklore—sometimes human, sometimes animal—and notes common animal forms (including the he-goat, horse, ram, pig, cat, and occasionally bear, hare, wolf, or raven).

These aren’t generic travel-guide claims; they’re part of how the museum frames the collection: not as a single scary archetype, but as a character with many names, shapes, and social roles in stories.

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## Visiting Devils’ Museum in Kaunas: the practical facts

### Location
The Devils’ Museum branch is listed at V. Putvinskio str. 64, Kaunas.

### Hours
On the museum’s published information, opening hours are: Tue–Wed & Fri 11:00–17:00; Thu 11:00–19:00; Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00, with entry allowed at least 30 minutes before closing.

### Tickets
The national tourism listing shows a €8 ticket price. The museum’s own ticket page lists 8.00 EUR (full) and 4.00 EUR (discount) for the Devils’ Museum / A. Žmuidzinavičius Creations and Collections Museum.

### Contact
The museum’s branch page lists [email protected] and +370 675 13372.

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## A quick accuracy note for trip planning

If you’re building an itinerary or publishing a guide: opening hours, discounts, and renovation closures are high-churn details. The most reliable approach is to cite the museum’s official branch page and ticket page and encourage readers to double-check right before their visit.

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