Kuopio Museum
On June 15, 2021, a new space for temporary exhibitions, a museum shop, workshop venues, a café and meeting rooms opened. These are mainly located in the new building between old Kuopio Museum and Kuopio Main Library.
Permanent collections of natural sciences and cultural history, as well as the children’s playroom opened 13.5.2022. The collections and the playroom can be found in the old side of Kuopio museum.
Kuopio Museum is connected to Kuopio Main Library with a new building, and together they form Kantti, Home of facts and fantasies. Events and services are now more diverse combining natural sciences, cultural history as well as the library’s collections and services.
Arriving at the museum
There is only a short walk from the Kuopio Market Square to Kuopio Museum. It is easy to get to the museum by public transport.
On Museokatu, next to the main entrance of Kuopio Museum, there are two parking spaces for the disabled. Paid parking spaces can be found under the market square and along the nearby streets. Additionally, parking spaces for Kantti’s customers are located on Maaherrankatu.
Instructions for a safe museum visit
When visiting the museum, please follow these guidelines to keep yourself and others safe and healthy: Please do not come to the museum if you are unwell. Always keep a safe distance to other customers and staff. Please use hand sanitizer. Prefer contactless payment with debit or a credit card. Please follow the indicated routes. We recommend using a face mask. Do not touch objects and avoid contact with surfaces. If necessary, the museum will limit the number of visitors as well as group sizes. Therefore, please inform group visits in advance. Organized activities are currently cancelled. Cleaning has been intensified. Unnecessary personal contacts are avoided. We follow government guidelines and update our policies accordingly.
Opening hours:
Tue-Sun 10-17
Wed 10-19
Mon closed
Tickets
Adults 13 €
Discounted price 7 €
– Students, conscripts, non-military servicemen, unemployed, pensioners
– A self-led group of more than 10 people / per person, when the whole group is paid for in one transaction or the fee is billed
Free admission
– Visitors under 18 years old, school groups, veterans
– Assistants for the disabled
– Professionals and students in the field (with the membership card)
– Museum guests, other museum staff
– Museum, ICOM and press card holders
Exhibitions
Permanent Exhibition
The permanent exhibition on cultural history and natural science of Kuopio Museum offers knowledge and experiences by taking the visitor on a journey through the local area; from the history of Northern Savo all the way to the changing nature of eastern Finland. The experience consists of three main exhibitions listed below. For the younger museum visitors, there is an experience-rich playroom located on the second floor. The museum also cherishes its own history, which is showcased in the old museum director’s room in the History of the Museum – exhibition.
First Floor
The exhibition recounts the history of Northern Savo, starting from the Stone Age when humans first arrived in the area, and ending in the newest cultural currents. In this exhibition you will get to familiarise yourself with both the ordinary and festive sides of the Northern Savonia residents’ lives and learn about fascinating objects and phenomena.
Second Floor
In the Nature in Flux – the exhibition travels through the history and current state of nature in Eastern Finland. The journey begins far in the past in the mammoth steppe, meanders deep in the natural forests and dives to the depths of lakes, finally ending in the current landscape shaped by humans. What might the future hold for our nature?
Third Floor
This exhibition weaves together cultural history and natural sciences by exploring the connection between the annual cycle of nature and the myths and beliefs of folklore. Enjoy especially the immersive Ajastaika-installation!
Current temporary exhibitions
Microsculpture
15.2.-14.8.2022
THE INSECT PHOTOGRAPHY OF LEVON BISS
From the collections of Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
The photographs of Levon Biss cast specimens from the Museum of Natural History’s entomology collection quite literally in a new light. Their scale and resolution not only reveal the unexpected and often breathtaking beauty of insects, but also make clear the many intricate adaptations to their form – what entomologists call microsculpture. Levon Biss’ photographic process composites thousands of images, using multiple lighting setups, to create a final portrait which reveals this microsculpture. Shapes and colours come in abundant variety, but it takes the power of an optical microscope or camera lens to experience insects at their own scale: ridges, pits or engraved meshes combine with exquisite complexity.
The museum shop
Welcome to the museum shop! Our selection includes souvenirs, gifts, publications, games and outdoor accessories – without compromising on quality. The selection of products takes into consideration the principles of sustainable development and favours local manufacturers.
You can easily find the museum shop next to the museum’s ticket office, and you can visit it for free during the museum’s opening hours. Products available in museum shop can also be found on the City of Kuopio’s online shop.
Café Kantti
The 50-seat Café Kantti is located on Museokatu, and a 40-seat terrace serves customers during the summer. On weekdays, Café Kantti offers a lunch salad, which also includes soup. The café’s selection prefers ingredients and products from local producers. The café can host various events, also outside the café’s opening hours. Next to the café, there is a meeting room for rent, where you can order food from the café.
Accessibility
The disability card is applicable at Kuopio Museum. When showing the card, the staff will assist with accessibility issues and take special needs into account.
The museum’s premises are mostly accessible. There are several entrances, and the exterior doors are automatic. The building has two accessible elevators. There is an induction loop in the public space and various accessibility services are available at the exhibitions.
Unfortunately, the doors to the exhibition spaces open manually and are quite heavy.