Koidula museum is located at Pärnu Ülejõe schoolhouse. The building was constructed in 1850 and has a unique interior solution. It was the home of Johann Voldemar Jannsen and the editorial office of the Perno Postimees newspaper until 1863, now it is under protection as a historical monument. Jannsen’s elder daughter, poetess Lydia Koidula grew up in the house. It is the main task of the museum to keep alive the memory of L. Koidula and J. V. Jannsen and introduce their life and work in the context of the period of national awakening in Estonia through the permanent exposition of the museum.
Anthropology is the keyword of the collection and activities of Pärnu New Art Museum. Its huge collection of films and videos illustrates the culture of different peoples and the fine art collection includes a number of marginal pieces of art created in prisons, at mental asylums and at the homes of the disabled people. The museum is famous for the traditional international annual exhibition of nudes „Man and Woman“; it is also well-known for conferences, film festivals and the shortest summer night musical contests.