Old Vilnius observatory was beset by city lights, dust and smoke during the seventh decade in 20th century. Searches began for a new place for an observatory in Lithuania. It was decided that the most suitable area was a hill in Kulioniai village encircled by Želva lake. Ethnic culture enthusiasts doctor Gunaras Kakaras, head of personnel at Astronomy observatory, and doctor Libertas Klimka, senior scientist at Institute of Semiconductor Physics, found common ground in areas of lithuanian culture ties with the sky, Sun, Moon, and stars. An idea was born to connect ethno cosmology in Lithuania.
In spring of 1990 presidium of Science Academy signed a resolution to establish the Museum of Ethnocosmology. It became the first and only museum of its kind in the world. The essence of the museum is the relationship of a man and mankind with the cosmic world. Reflection of this connection manifests in traditions of life of the nation, heritage, science, technology, philosophy and elsewhere.
Telescope at the museum started working in spring of 1997. Ten years later the museum was reconstructed. Buildings were built in the form of space ships that have landed in the area of forests and lakes. R. Krištapavičius and A. Gudaitis were the authors of this project. In 2010 there were already two telescopes designated for watching the stars at night. Scientists and students from all Lithuanian science and education institutions can perform observations at the renewed Molėtai observatory.
Visitors are first welcome to see the gallery exposition installed at the slope of a hill. At the museum one can touch a meteorite, rise 30 meters off the ground into the observation deck and take in the view of the Highlands around. Even at daylight one can look through a special telescope into the sun and see volcanoes - protuberances. Museum of Ethnocosmology is the first museum in Lithuania which works twenty-four hours.
