Palanga City Municipality
Palanga
interactive exhibition of optical illusions and science entertainment
J. Basanavičiaus g. 24A, Palanga
55.91820, 21.06120
1-1.5 hours
year-round, especially in rain or when travelling with children
Eureka House of Illusions, Villa Aldona, Villa Olga
House of Illusions Eureka: entertainment in a historic villa
House of Illusions Eureka is an interactive space of optical illusions and science entertainment in Palanga, right beside the Basanavičiaus promenade. About 50 exhibits are arranged across three floors, and the point is not just to look but to take part: visitors become part of the illusion and take photos in situations that seem impossible.
The place is also special because it is set in the historic Tiškevičiai Villa Aldona, one of the most attractive villas on Basanavičiaus Street. A contemporary family attraction therefore meets nineteenth-century resort architecture.
What you will see and experience
The exhibition has many interactive objects: a Universe Room, a mirror labyrinth, the spinning Viesulas tunnel, a bed of nails, logic games, and many photo-oriented illusions. Some exhibits were ordered abroad, and they are designed to make visitors doubt their own senses.
This is a family attraction, interesting for both children and adults; children under three are admitted free. Eureka also offers educational activities for school classes, so it can work not only as leisure but also as learning.
Villa Aldona: the history of the house
The building that houses Eureka is a wooden villa built by the Tiškevičiai counts at the end of the nineteenth century. It was first called Olga and later renamed Aldona; its character comes from carved wooden details, spacious verandas, and mansards. In 1997 the villa was entered in the Register of Cultural Property as a state-protected building.
A legend is attached to the villa's name: it is said that Aldona may relate to Adam Mickiewicz's poem Konrad Wallenrod, supposedly conceived while the poet was summering in Palanga. This is a story rather than a confirmed fact, so it is best treated with caution.
Visiting
House of Illusions Eureka opened in summer 2017 and is presented as a year-round, all-weather attraction, which makes it useful on rainy days. During the main season it usually operates daily, but outside the season opening hours change, and the attraction's current operation should be checked before arrival because visiting information may change.
At the time of research, an adult ticket cost about 10 EUR, a child ticket about 8.5 EUR, and entry for children under three was free; exact prices and opening hours must be checked in advance. The visit combines easily with other Palanga stops such as the pier, the Amber Museum, or Birutė Hill.
