A stadium without equal in Lithuania
The stadium built in Klaipėda in 1925 was the largest in Lithuania at the time. Many of the city's sporting stories began here - from first starts to memorable victories.
Museum
The sporting history of Klaipėda.
The Athletes' House keeps the sporting memory of the city - from the founding of the school to the champions of today.
History
15 stories worth knowing about sport in Klaipėda
The first Olympic starts, yachts that crossed the Atlantic and a tradition that brought families together on the basketball court. Klaipėda's sporting history is full of events worth sharing. Here are fifteen of them.
The union that brought the city's sport together
The Klaipėda Sports Union (KSS), founded in Klaipėda, became an important part of the city's sporting life. The organisation, re-established later, carried on its historic name.
The "Budys" raises the Lithuanian flag at sea
On 1 October 1926 the sailing vessel "Budys" set out for Liepāja. This voyage is regarded as the beginning of offshore sailing under the Lithuanian flag. In 2026 this historic departure turns one hundred years old.
The first Klaipėda native at the Olympic Games
In 1928 Hans (Haris) Švėminas lined up for the 100 and 200 metres at the Amsterdam Olympic Games. The first Olympian from Klaipėda wrote the city into Lithuania's Olympic history back in the interwar years.
The "Gulbė" that reached London and Oslo
In 1933 the yacht "Gulbė" set off on a 2,500-nautical-mile voyage via the Kiel Canal, London, the Thames yacht club and Oslo. The voyage marked a breakthrough for Lithuanian sailing and strengthened Klaipėda's reputation as a centre of maritime sport.
The years when sailing gathered pace
In 1937-1938 the Lithuanian Sailing Union was founded in Klaipėda and a sailing school opened in Smiltynė. In 1937 the yacht "Eglė žalčių karalienė" won the Gotland regatta. During this period Klaipėda also hosted the sailing events of the Lithuanian National Olympiad and an international regatta.
The first start of the Curonian Lagoon regatta
The first Curonian Lagoon regatta was held in 1957. The date marks the beginning of one of Lithuania's sailing traditions.
A seventeen-year-old Modestas Paulauskas in the champion team
In 1962 Klaipėda's "Maistas" won the Lithuanian basketball championship. Playing for the team at the time was seventeen-year-old Modestas Paulauskas - a future Olympic champion.
From Klaipėda to Olympic gold
In 1968 Modestas Paulauskas became an Olympic medallist and in 1972 an Olympic champion. The highest Olympic honour entered the career of a basketball player closely linked with Klaipėda.
When the whole family takes the court
In 1977 Kazimieras Budrys organised the first family basketball tournament. It grew into an international tradition bringing together teams from Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Finland and other countries. Held without interruption, the tournament took place for the fiftieth time in 2026.
Three Klaipėda yachts across the Atlantic
In 1989 the Klaipėda yachts "Dailė", "Audra" and "Lietuva" set out on a transatlantic voyage. Their route stretched across the Atlantic Ocean to New York and back.
A voyage around the world that began in Klaipėda
In 1992-1993 the yacht "Lietuva" became the first Lithuanian yacht to sail around the world. The voyage of about 33,000 nautical miles took one year, one month and one week. The crew was seen off from Klaipėda, and a ceremonial homecoming awaited them here.
An award for fair play and the honour of carrying the Olympic flame
In 1993 the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee gave its first "Fair Play in Sport" award to Kazimieras Budrys. Later, in 2012, he became a torchbearer for the London Olympic Games.
"Neptūnas" at the origins of the Lithuanian Basketball League
In 1993 Klaipėda's "Neptūnas" was among the clubs that founded the Lithuanian Basketball League. The club, which has kept its name since 1964, became part of a new chapter in Lithuanian basketball.
Powerboat formulas in Klaipėda harbour
The years 2023-2026 in Klaipėda's sporting history are marked by the F2 powerboat championship events. The harbour waters became a race course, and spectators could watch the speed and skill of the competitors up close.
Exhibition
What you will see
The exhibition holds the stories of Olympians and champions, competition awards, historic equipment and photographs from the sporting life of the city.