Collections were dispersed for storage throughout Tartu. Because of the lack of exhibit space, collecting and research became the institutional focus during the Soviet years. In 1931, for example, the museum established a network of 300 correspondents in rural areas who wrote about traditional folklife practices. In 1994, these correspondents became the nucleus of a Friends group for the museum. Today the museum's administrative offices remain in the courthouse, but a new exhibit hall opened in 1994.
Construction is slated to begin soon for an entirely new facility.
Since there are no academic anthropology programs in Estonia, the museum still serves as the research base for material culture and ethnographic field studies and sponsors related publications. Peasant life is a primary focus, both because it is the collection's strength and because this period is very important in the national consciousness. The objects which illustrate peasant life are the same as those found in Soviet-style museums, yet the mode of presentation here is very different. An additional gallery demonstrates regional variations through use of traditional costumes and carving styles on wooden beer mugs and discusses cultural influences from neighboring countries. The second half of the permanent exhibit moves away from this peasant focus and discusses changes in Estonian life in the twentieth century, with the notable exception of a pre-history text panel that establishes Estonians as the region's indigenous people.