Museums, Finland

World Heritage Site Suomenlinna is a cultural treasure. Its construction began in the mid-18th century, when Finland was still part of Sweden. The development of tourism began after the wars in the 20th century, and in the 21st century, the Suomenlinna sea fortress is one of the most popular attractions in Finland. Today, the fortress and its museums, restaurants and events are a memorable experience for visitors of all ages. Suomenlinna is not only a popular visitor attraction but also a home of 800 residents. The number of visitors to Suomenlinna has continued to grow, and with over 900,000 visitors every year, the sea fortress is one of Finland’s most popular tourist destinations. Suomenlinna attracts visitors from both Finland and abroad: it offers an ideal environment for exploring a historical world heritage site, or just spending a day relaxing. Many visitors come to the island during the summer, but the number of wintertime visitors is steadily growing. https://www.suomenlinna.fi/en/

The Ateneum is Finland’s best-known art museum and the home of Finnish art. The images held by the Ateneum are ingrained in the collective memory of the Finnish people: the beloved works in Ateneum’s collections date from the period from the 19th century to the modern age. http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/see-and-experience/sights-and-attractions/ateneum-art-museum

On the northern shore of Laajalahti Bay, in Tarvaspää, lies the Gallen-Kallela Museum, designed and built by one of Finland’s finest artists, Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Tarvaspää’s beautiful surroundings and the museum’s unique architecture provide the perfect setting for a museum visit. Originally a studio and residence, the museum opened to the public in 1961. The temporary exhibitions that present the art and life of Gallen-Kallela are shown alongside present-day works of contemporary art, while a wide range of events and activities are arranged during the year, with the museum acting as a centre for information on the great artist. Tarvaspää Cafe Zoceria is located in a delightful villa next to the museum where visitors can enjoy great coffee, snacks, salads and soups. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/gallen-kallela-museum-2/

Hanasaari is an enchanting place in the midst of the archipelago, close to the Helsinki city centre. The Hanasaari Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre promotes and develops interaction between Finland and Sweden, as well as co-operation in all areas of society. Hanasaari’s home is a modern well-maintained building, amply decorated with modern Finnish and Swedish art. The Hanasaari cultural centre was inaugurated on 1 June 1975 by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and President Urho Kekkonen of Finland. The building was designed by architect Veikko Malmio, and its original interior decorations by Professor Yrjö Sotamaa. An art competition was organised during the building phase, and the winner was revealed by King Carl XVI Gustaf when he inaugurated the house. The winning piece was Heikki Häiväoja‘s grand relief “Vuorovaikutus” (Interaction). Two other participating works were also purchased for Hanasaari: Marjatta Weckström‘s relief “Vuodenajat” (The seasons), which today can be seen in Restaurant Johannes, and the bronze front doors with small coloured windows embedded in them by Kauko Räsänen. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/hanasaari-swedish-finnish-cultural-centre/

he Espoo Car Museum is the most diversified and oldest vehicle museum in Finland. Objects and special exhibitions are often altered, so also those who revisit beautiful Pakankylä in Espoo may find something new. There are cars and motorcycles from the early 1900s up until family cars of the 1960s and 1970s, which have disappeared from the motoring scene. Our sports car collection is of major interest, too. Famous East European cars were imported to Finland after WW II, making up a section of their own, such as Moskvich, Yalta, Volga, Pobeda, IFA etc., and not least a Russian Chaika. You can also admire beautiful American cars. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/espoo-car-museum/

The Pentala Archipelago Museum is located on an old fisherman’s estate on Pentala Island in Espoonlahti Bay. The museum area consists of fifteen different buildings. The oldest one is a fisherman’s cottage built in the early 1790s. The fisherman’s estate was inhabited year-round until 1986. Espoo’s maritime side is at its best on Pentala Island. The Archipelago Museum showcases life in the archipelago, from housing and hard work to villas and leisure activities. In the summer, the museum area is full of things to see and do. If you want to experience Espoo’s unique archipelago nature, simply follow a nature trail to Lake Pentalanjärvi and the Diksand beach. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/pentala-archipelago-museum-archipelago-full-history-nature/

Glims Farmstead Museum is situated in the well preserved cultural landscape of Karvasmäki village, where farms and holdings were already established in the Middle Ages. http://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/glims-farmstead-museum/

Vapriikki is housed in what used to be the engineering works of Tampella Ltd. on the banks of the Tammerkoski Rapids. With a picturesque location beside the Tammerkoski rapids, Vapriikki is a museum centre that offers things to see and do for the whole family. We host about a dozen exhibitions, with varied themes, including history, technology, and natural sciences. Vapriikki is also home to the Natural History Museum of Tampere, the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame, the Shoe Museum, and the Doll Museum. In autumn 2014, the Postal Museum and the Tampere Mineral Museum will also open their doors at Vapriikki. Our visitors are served by museum restaurant Valssi and the Vapriikki museum shop, which offers a wide selection of books, gifts, and souvenirs. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/museum-centre-vapriikki/

he Sara Hildén Art Museum, which is the permanent home of the collection of modern art, Finnish and foreign, owned by the Sara Hildén Foundation, is maintained by the City of Tampere. Sara Hildén Foundation Collection currently amounts to some 4500 works. It is thus a comprehensive collection which presents a broad cross section of the development in modern art over the last forty years. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/sara-hilden-art-museum/

The Tampere Art Museum was established in 1931. It was founded by the Tampere Art Society which had already been collecting art and arranging art exhibitions in Tampere since the beginning of the last century. The museum is renowned for its active exhibition policy, especially exhibitions presenting ancient cultures, wide-ranging publication activities, the Young Artist of the Year event and Moominvalley, which can be found in the city main library “Metso”. The Tampere Art Museum presents important themes from art history and phenomena of contemporary art in both its Finnish and international exhibitions. The museum’s collections consist mainly of domestic art from the early 19th century onwards. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/tampere-art-museum/

The Moomin Museum brings a touch of magic from Tove Jansson’s Moominland Midwinter to Terminal 1 at Tampere-Pirkkala airport. https://muumimuseo.fi/en/

The city of Tampere bought the building and named it Näsilinnaksi. It was handed over to the oldest museum in Tampere, the Häme Museum. The first exhibitions opened in 1908. http://museomilavida.fi/museo-milavida/milavida/

Take a little virtual tour of the museum. It takes you to some of the houses on the block and informs you of the museum’s construction process. You will also be told how the workers’ residential are Amuri came into existence. http://www.museokortteli.fi/en/

A museum of contemporary art built around Professor Maire Gullichsen’s collection in 1981. Pori Art Museum is a museum of contemporary art built around Professor Maire Gullichsen’s collection in 1981, showcasing the most recent trends in Finnish and international art. Constructivism, Fluxus and the trends in land and conceptual art have shown the way for exploring new phenomena. Functioning as the regional art museum of Satakunta, the collections and archives of the museum focus on modern and contemporary art. Pedagogic activities serve customers of all ages and help in finding new approaches to art and visual culture. The museum shop serves art lovers and professionals. The range of art literature related to the exhibitions and collections includes publications of international museums and artists, art magazines and art theory literature. The museum’s own series of exhibition and research publications cover phenomena in art from modernism to contemporary art. At the museum shop, you can also find gifts, cards and accessories connected to the exhibition themes, as well as high-quality art supplies. The museum is located in the lobby of the Art Museum, and it is open when the museum is. You can also pop in the shop without a museum ticket. https://www.visitpori.fi/en/pori-art-museum-2529

A pearl of tourism in Satakunta offers diverse tourism services for private individuals as well as groups. Vuojoki Manor in Eurajoki is a pearl of Finnish architecture that offers diverse tourism services for private individuals as well as groups. Vuojoki Manor is a developing attraction that adapts to customer needs in the spirit of our time while fostering its rich history and cultural heritage. At Vuojoki Manor, you can find accommodation, restaurant services, hold meetings, organise family parties and other events both big and small, enjoy the peace and quiet of nature and take part in various activities. https://www.visitpori.fi/en/vuojoki-manor-103509

The Museum presents and stores the industrial cultural heritage of Satakunta province. The Rosenlew Museum of the Satakunta Museum is located in Pori’s Aittaluoto district, next to a traditional industrial area. The museum building is the state’s granary completed in the 1860s, preserved due to its cultural and historical value. The basic exhibition of the Rosenlew museum showcases the history and production of the Rosenlew company. There are also items and photographs related to working and the leisure time of Rosenlew employees on display. The company that operated in the ownership of the Rosenlew family (1853–1987) was one of the biggest industrial companies in Finland and a significant provider of employment in Pori and the Satakunta region on the whole. https://www.visitpori.fi/en/rosenlew-museum-2511

A history museum with exhibitions on the history of Satakunta and Pori. There are also exhibitions on other themes in the Museum’s exhibition space Sali. The Museum is also home to lectures, concerts and other events. The new, highly expected exhibition Elon merkkejä (Signs of life) offers an experience-laden journey to life in Pori and Satakunta from the Stone Age to the present day. https://www.visitpori.fi/en/satakunta-museum-2500

Welcome to Finland’s oldest home museum! Come and enjoy the authentic atmosphere of the 1860s bourgeois home (kirjailijakoti) as guests of the Finnish national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804-1877) and his wife Fredrika (1807-1879). The museum’s unique atmosphere is created by furniture, works of art, dishes and old house plants, many of which have been grown from Fredrika’s cuttings. During the summer season you can discover the floral splendour of the house’s carefully restored garden. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/j-l-runebergs-home/

This private collection is open to the public during the summer months and to groups by arrangement throughout the year. One of the best toy museums in the country, exhibiting a large number of toys, all of which children have played with at some point in time. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/porvoo-doll-and-toy-museum/

Porvoo Museum is both a historical museum and an art museum. The two buildings in which it is housed date from the 1760s and stand on the edge of the square beside the Old Town Hall in the heart of the oldest part of Porvoo. http://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/porvoo-museum/

Arktikum is a science center and museum that lets you experience northern nature, culture, and history up close. Housing the University of Lapland’s Arctic Center and the Regional Museum of Lapland, Arktikum stimulates thought, encourages debate, and provides a deeper understanding of the Arctic. Arktikum exhibitions lead guests on an adventure through Finnish Lapland and the Arctic region. The review of the history of Finnish Lapland spans from Rovaniemi to Upper Lapland and from prehistory to about the 1970s. The Arctic region is examined in light of the Arctic research of today and that planned for the future. The exhibitions provide a comprehensive overview of the history and culture of Lapland as well as of Arctic knowledge. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/arktikum-museum-arctic-science-centre/

Are you attracted to northern forests? If so, your place is Pilke in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland near the Arctic Circle. The science centre’s exhibitions will allow you to explore current forest issues, while the Pilke Shop offers forest products that appeal to all of the senses. The Pilke Science Centre is a memorable and interactive place to visit for people of all ages whether the reason for your visit is work, study or vacation. The exhibition at the Science Centre teaches visitors about sustainable use of the northern forests and about the diverse range of products and commodities connected to the forests. Pilke’s life is rooted in the present moment and in the bright future of finding many uses for the forests. https://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/pilke-science-centre/

Lusto – The Finnish Forest Museum is a destination for the entire family. It’s a place that brings back memories and creates new experiences. The national museum responsible for forest culture is located in Punkaharju, in the most beautiful landscape of ridges and lakes in eastern Finland. Lusto’s exhibitions and events provide a diverse and illustrative insight into the significance of forests in the life of Finns. Lusto is sure to appeal to visitors of all ages! https://visitsavonlinna.fi/en/products/lusto-the-finninsh-forest-museum/

The Museum Shop of the Olavinlinna Castle has a wide range of the National Board of Antiquities’ publications as well as other historical books, nostalgic posters and postcards. http://visitsavonlinna.fi/en/products/museum-shop-of-olavinlinna-castle/

The Åland Hunting and Fishing museum is situated in a choice location by the sea at Eckerö Käringsund, next to the old fishing village and grey boathouses. The Åland Hunting and Fishing Museum is a museum for the whole family. The museum describes the Ålanders’ day-to-day life in former times – how people who were hunters and fishermen put food on the table and provided for their families. The exhibitions include everything to do with hunting, fishing and life in the archipelago, such as nets, barrels, sumps, boats, rya rugs, engines, sport fishing equipment, motor sledges, decoys, weapons, traps and trophies. Black and white photographs and texts complement the exhibits and describe life in a fishing village and market – how people hunted seals and fished with a seine. The museum also has a large collection of stuffed birds and animals representing Åland’s fauna. https://www2.visitaland.com/en/to-do/1128012/%C3%A5land-hunting-fishing-museum-entrance/showdetails?sorting=aa

The greatly expanded Maritime Museum of Åland can be found in the town of Mariehamn. It represents a must-see for anyone interested in sea travel or the unique history of Finland’s autonomous Åland Islands. https://finland.fi/life-society/aland-treasures-maritime-memories/

The Brinkhall Manor, located in Turku on the island of Kakskerta, can trace its history back to the 16th century. The existing neoclassical buildings, completed in 1793, are surrounded by a rich natural and cultural landscape with parks and gardens going back many hundreds of years. The grounds are well known from the Finnish TV series Hovimäki. Brinkhall Manor has a Café, where you can also find the Interior Museum and exhibitions during the café’s opening hours. Manor tours as well as a variety of events, from concerts to parties and seminars can be arranged on request. http://www.visitturku.fi/en/brinkhall-manor_en

Kylämäki Village in Kurala is made up of four farms with buildings still standing at their original sites. The village has been inhabited since the 7th century. Nowadays, Kurala is a village of living history where visitors can travel back in time to a typical Southwest Finnish farm of the 1950s, complete with authentic scents and rural atmosphere. During summer in the Iso-Kohmo kitchen, oven-baked treats prepared to Grandma’s recipes are warming on the wood-burning stove. The farmer’s wife tells of everyday activities from the old days, whilst also giving handy tips on things such as making juice. http://www.visitturku.fi/en/kylamaki-village-of-living-history_

Finland’s most legendary prison vacated its former residence on Kakolanmäki in 2007, allowing the neighbourhood to enter a new and more auspicious age. It is an increasingly popular ‘Kakola Before and After’ tours, in which participants will explore the former prison buildings as well as the locations of the most exciting and audacious escapes of all time. The tour then continues on to Kakolan Sali, the hall that served as the prison church, where visitors will view a slideshow of the cells and hear stories of daily life for Kakola’s inmates. The two-hour tour is complete after a delicious serving of cakes and coffee. Public tours are held from 15th May to 5th September. Detailed times will be published on Kakola's website and Kakola's Facebook page later in the spring. The 2-hour tour costs €20 and includes coffee and cake. http://www.visitturku.fi/en/kakola

Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova is a unique combination of history, archaeology and contemporary art in the centre of Turku. http://www.visitturku.fi/en/aboa-vetus-ars-nova_en-1

The Turku Biological Museum is a Diorama-Museum that resides in a beautiful Art Nouveau building. The museum is a great experience for all those interested in nature and cultural history. http://www.visitturku.fi/en/biological-museum_en

Forum Marinum, a National Specialist Museum for Finnish maritime and naval history standing next to Turku Castle, is a nautical experience suitable for all ages. http://www.visitturku.fi/en/forum-marinum-maritime-centre_en

The Northern Ostrobothnia museum (Pohjois-Pohjanmaan Museo in Finnish) was founded in 1896 by the Museum Society which donated the museum to the City of Oulu in 1969. The museum’s region of interest is the City of Oulu and Northern Ostrobothnia of Finland. The culturally historic county museum is located in Ainola Park. The building is designed by architect Oiva Kallio and completed in 1931. http://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/northern-ostrobothnia-museum/