Established in 2004, Georgian National Museum (GNM) is the largest museum union in Georgia, which brings together museums, the national gallery, museum archives, historic houses, scientific and research institutions and libraries in Tbilisi and throughout different regions of the country. GNM collections vary from the evidences of the oldest human existence in Georgia to a precious metalwork object unearthed at an archaeological sites. There are also pieces of magnificent medieval Christian art, masterpieces of the Oriental, Western European and Russian Decorative art as well as modern and contemporary pieces of art.
The Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia (3 Shota Rustaveli Avenue, 0105 Tbilisi) displays the ancient Georgian archaeology from 8000 BC through to 400 AD, Georgian costume and weaponry ranging from 18th to 20th centuries and other Ethnographic artefacts. Another important museum is the Giorgi Chitaia Open Air Museum of Ethnography (25, M. Berdzenishvili Str. Turtle Lake Road, Tbilisi), founded in 1966. The museum showcases examples of vernacular architecture: 70 original dwelling houses and subsidiary buildings furnished with a variety of folk art and craft objects from different regions of the country. During the summer, the Open Air Museum runs a weekend school offering courses in traditional crafts, teaching techniques such as pottery, woodcarving and embroidering to the visitors.