The Estonian History Museum's main branch occupies the Great Guild Hall, a 15th-century building on Pikk Street that was the meeting place of Tallinn's most powerful merchant guild for four centuries. The building itself is one of the finest surviving Gothic secular structures in Tallinn, with a vaulted stone interior and original wooden gallery.
The permanent exhibition, "Echo of the Urals," covers Estonian history from prehistoric times through the 20th century, with particular attention to the independence periods and Soviet occupation. The displays are modern and accessible, with good English-language explanations. For visitors wanting to understand Estonian history beyond what the Old Town's surface communicates, this is the best place to start.