Sagalund

About the museum

Sagalund museum was founded in 1900 beside Vreta folk school by the teacher Nils Oskar Jansson, whose former teacher, the writer Adèle Weman, remained an inspiring colleague throughout his life. Sagalund is a museum, a garden and a children’s culture centre that brings Kimitoön’s cultural heritage to life, and it is considered Finland’s first open-air museum. In the founder’s own words, it is “a piece of realised poetry”.

The museum grounds contain buildings from Kimitoön’s history: a courthouse, a crofter’s cottage, a farmstead, a villa and two old schools. The main building, Sagalundgården, houses the museum shop, the lunch café Café Adèle, the Oskarssalen hall, and exhibitions and play spaces for children. Falla is a living farm that was moved to the museum grounds from Pederså in Kimito in 2012–2014, and its rooms are furnished in the styles of different periods from the 1890s to the 1960s.

The museum garden, with a plant collection more than a hundred years old, is an important part of Sagalund’s heritage. Nils Oskar Jansson recorded the plants in the Vreta school garden as early as 1895, and many of the species still grow there. Sagalund also works as a children’s culture centre focused on heritage and environmental education, and it is a Grön Flagg (Green Flag) operator.

Highlights

• Finland’s first open-air museum, founded in 1900
• Courthouse, crofter’s cottage, farmstead, villa and two old schools
• Falla, a living farm with interiors from the 1890s to the 1960s
• Plant collection over 100 years old in the museum garden
• Children’s culture centre with play spaces and Café Adèle

Permanent exhibition

• Friluftsmuseet Sagalund – The museum grounds with the courthouse, crofter’s cottage, the Falla farmstead, the villa and two old schools, as well as the museum garden and play spaces.

Founded

1900

Operated by

Sagalunds museistiftelse

Director

Emma Vironmäki

Admission & discounts

Members of the Sagalundgillet (Sagalund Society) enter free of charge. Museokortti (Finnish Museum Card) can be used and bought on site. Hire of the Oskarssalen and Margitsalen halls outside opening hours: €50 and €50 per hour respectively.

Accessibility

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

The main building, Sagalundgården, is accessible by wheelchair via a ramp; it houses the ticket desk, the museum shop, the café and the museum’s only accessible toilet, which may be cramped for electric wheelchairs. The museum grounds have small slopes and uneven terrain, and many buildings have stairs and high thresholds. By wheelchair you can visit Sagalundgården and the Falla farmstead indoors; the Annex building can also be visited with a manual wheelchair if someone helps. The living farm Falla has a ramp. Many buildings are dim, and the museum can be very noisy in summer. Assistants always enter free of charge. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome everywhere, other dogs only in the museum park.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

On the museum grounds there is the play cottage with old-fashioned toys, Lilla Sagalund (home play in the style of the 1920s) and a play farmyard, open in summer. In Sagalundgården there is Barnens BB on the upper floor, and a 1950s-style shop play area in Café Adèle, open all year when the house is open. Sagalund is a children’s culture centre with programmes for schools and day-care centres, as well as Nallekalas and museum detectives.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Café Adèle (lunch café) in Sagalundgården and the museum shop, which is known for its range. Costume hire and a web shop are also available.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Oskarssalen and Margitsalen can be rented.

Plan your visit