Jalkaväkimuseo

About the museum

The Infantry Museum is a special military history museum founded in 1982 in the old barracks area of Mikkeli. It operates in two wooden barracks built in the 1880s. From these barracks the men marched to Mikkeli railway station, from where a train took them to the front to defend Finland’s independence.

The museum is run by the Infantry Museum Foundation, whose purpose is to preserve and cherish the historical traditions of the Finnish infantry and to promote the upholding of the will to defend the country. The foundation collects, researches, documents and presents objects and other museum material relating to infantry history.

The exhibition space covers about 2,000 square metres in two buildings. In the basic exhibition building the tour begins with the crisis of 1918 and continues through the peace years, the Winter War, the positional war and the defensive battles of summer 1944, to the Lapland War and the weapon caches. The special exhibition building presents the older and newer phases of the Finnish infantry and the groups that supported it, such as the soldier boys (sotilaspojat), the Civil Guard, the Lotta Svärd and the military band. The exhibitions also deal with peacekeepers and Finnish SS volunteers. In the Winter War exhibition visitors can immerse themselves in the battle of the Raate Road, and the exhibition on the defensive battles of summer 1944 includes a virtual experience of the battles of Ihantala.

Highlights

• Winter War exhibition and the Battle of the Raate Road
• Bunker and trench life of the positional war
• Defensive battles of summer 1944 and the virtual Ihantala experience
• Two wooden barracks from the 1880s
• Guided tours in Finnish and English

Permanent exhibition

• Perusnäyttely – The basic exhibition takes visitors through the history of independent Finland from the viewpoint of the infantry, from 1918 to 1945.

Founded

1982

Operated by

Jalkaväkimuseon säätiö

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the Museokortti (Finnish Museum Card). War veterans, conscripts and children under 7 enter free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Both exhibition buildings can be reached by a wheelchair lift (weight limit 225 kg).

Kids & families

Tickets for children aged 7–17 cost €2; under-7s enter free.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located in the old barracks area of Mikkeli.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The museum has a museum shop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

A meeting room can be rented from the museum.

Plan your visit