Virtain Perinnekylän museot

About the museum

Virtain Perinnekylä (Virrat Heritage Village) was established in the 1980s on Marttinen island in Virrat, and most of its buildings were moved to the area from elsewhere. The purpose of the heritage village is to preserve and present the heritage of Virrat for present and future generations. Marttinen island came into being when the Herraskoski Canal was completed in 1908, connecting Lake Tarjanne and Lake Toisvesi; the canal is now one of Finland's museum canals.

The central attractions of the museum area are the Rajalahti house museum, where visitors get to know a Virrat farmhouse from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the Hali forest cabin, built in 1948. The cabin has sleeping quarters for 25 forestry workers, as well as the housewife's quarters, a stable, a sauna and the foreman's room, the teräväpää. In addition, the area has a war veterans' museum room, which tells of Finland's wars of the 20th century and has a bunker built to true scale.

Other attractions include a threshing barn, a storehouse, the Harakkamylly (magpie mill) from 1828, a smithy, a hollitalli (a stable for a farm's horses) and the Torppa, the workers' hall of Monoskylä that has been moved here. Admission to the heritage village area is free all year round, and the museum buildings are open in summer and during events.

Highlights

• Rajalahti farmhouse and outbuildings
• Hali forest cabin from 1948
• War veterans' museum room and bunker
• Harakkamylly (magpie mill) from 1828, threshing barn and smithy
• Free admission to the museum area all year round

Permanent exhibitions

• Rajalahden talomuseo – A 19th-century farmhouse with outbuildings and room buildings tells of rural life in Virrat.
• Halin metsäkämppä – The forest cabin, built in 1948, presents the everyday life of forestry workers in the 1950s and 1960s.
• Sotaveteraanien museohuone – The exhibition, assembled by local veterans, tells of Finland's wars of the 20th century, and the room has a bunker built to true scale.

Operated by

Virtain kaupunki

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the Perinnekylä museum area is free.

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 museum area is partly inaccessible: many buildings have steps and high thresholds, and lighting is dim in some buildings. The ramps to the threshing barn, the war veterans' museum room, the Rajalahti house and the forest cabin are partly steep. The routes are mainly gravel roads, and part of the route goes up a gentle hill. There is an accessible toilet near Ravintola Mikontalo. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome. No accessible parking spaces are marked; by car, you can move around the area by arranging this in advance.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Playground / play area

In summer the area has a playground and a petting farm. Guided tours are available for schoolchildren.

Getting there & parking

Perinnekylä is on Marttinen island about 4 km from central Virrat, and signposts lead from the road. It is 100 km to Tampere, 115 km to Jyväskylä and 90 km to Seinäjoki.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant

Restaurant Mikontalo, at the edge of the square in the museum area, is open all year round. In summer there is also a kiosk and craft and gift shops in the area.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit